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Mazda MX-5 Open Race 2010: the CAR Live Blog
By
Ben Pulman
Stuff We've Done
11 February 2010 21:03
Mazda’s MX-5 was 20 years old in 2009, but the company was so busy launching the facelifted version of the Mk3 roadster that it didn’t really get a chance to celebrate the anniversary. So instead Mazda Europe is throwing its own birthday bash in 2010, to mark 20 years of the MX-5 being on sale in Europe. And just how do you celebrate in style? By selecting 140 journalists from across Europe to compete in an endurance race. CAR’s staff writer Ben Pulman (BP) and CAR contributor Ben Whitworth (BW) are both taking part and you can read their live race reports in the blog below. NB We'll post updates at the top in our Live Blog format. Start at the bottom and work your way up.
Thursday 11 February 2010
7.00pm: Goodies for you
BP Just been handed a bag by Mazda European PR director Petra – there's a jacket and a few other MX-5 goodies inside, that we'll give away to you lot next week. Dinner's about to be served and it's all over. Roger and out from Adria and Mazda's MX-5 party.
6.17pm: Ben Whitworth's race report
BW Well we didn't win, as you've heard from Ben P. We drove as hard as we could and our most sophisticated strategy, numerous confidence-boosting team talks and endless refuelling/driver-change practices came to naught. We were soundly thrashed. But despite crossing the line after four hours with just two cars behind us and the rest of the field in front of us, I can't keep from grinning like an inane fool. It was a great race, start to finish.
Despite the trecherously slippery conditions I somehow managed to keep our slithering MX-5 race car on the track – no spins or offs – and I posted laptimes a good 10 seconds quicker than yesterday's practice. Heady stuff. Once I got over my terrible nerves on the first lap and adrenaline replaced the blood in my arteries, I really began to enjoy myself. Okay, I was overtaken more than I overtook, but I had some fabulous battles with the Swiss, Turkish and Swedish cars and managed to hold them off during my stint at the wheel.
The cars were excellent too: not a single MX-5 missed a beat or suffered any mechanical mishap of failure. Beautifully balanced and forgiving, the Mazdas made me feel blindingly quick despite the stopwatch saying otherwise. Handing over the car in one piece, unmolested and intact to young Pulman after 25 laps left me with a warm feeling despite the lousy weather. And ultimately that's what counts in an endurance race – when four other drivers are counting on you to bring home the car safe and sound and you don't let them down you can't help but feel a little chuffed with yourself. Even if you do bring up the back of the field....
6.09pm: Changed, showered and sorted
BP The race results are confirmed. A slight change means that Germany finished three seconds ahead of UK car no.9, which ended in 13th place. Our second GB car came in at 27th, a lap behind the Irish, who will be doubly chuffed as the orange and green kit matches their national colours. I'm off to track down a Mazda jacket to give away in a CAR Online competition next week when I'm back in Blighty.
5.05pm: Discovered the grating noise
BP Turns out the grinding noise was the bodywork of our car rubbing against the wheel - our car slid a little on the kerbs and clipped the tyres on a chicane.
5pm: Team GB finishes in 12th and 27th
BP Belgium, Portugal, Hungary snatch the top three places. Our sister car climbed to 12th, and we made up two places to 27th. Haven't heard of any disqualifications but we'll see...
4.53pm: The Spin
BP And after the good comes the bad: our car just spun on the slippery Turn 3 hairpin. A couple of cars went past, but still no idea if it cost us a few positions.
4.51pm: Nine minutes to go!
BP Nine minutes left and our sister car has just chased down and overtaken the car in front - and it was a German car! Let's hope it was for position.
4.41pm: What's that grating noise?
BP Keeping a close eye on our car. It went past with the faintest grating noise, and it's become louder on the last two laps. Hopefully just a bit of gravel. Our sister car is flying on 1.43's and catching people, but with the timings down we haven't a clue whether it's for a race position or not.
4.31pm: Confusion reigns
BP Half an hour left but I haven't a clue where we're placed: all the timing screens are off. I doubt they're broken, more Mazda keeping us all in suspense. Or trying to look after its cars.
4.16pm: A cup of tea. In Italy
BP Standing on the pits with Ben W. Who's enjoying a very English cup of tea. Ben's handover to me went smoothly, as did my change to our final driver. She's just put in a 1.51 and with a lot of the other teams needing to stop twice in the next 45 minutes (to give each driver the mandatory 25 mins in the car) we should make up some places.
4.05pm: Back to the pits
BP Finished my stint and back in the pits. Track has a decent dry line but our car is still sliding on some corners. Did a best of 1.54 when i was running 2.08 in practice. Top five are turning in 1.45's but I'm happy with my performance in my first race. Was catching one car but cruelly had to pit as I got on his tail. It was the pink German car too!
2.39pm: Eurovision all over again
BP The Russians have just pitted from second for their first stop. That leaves the Hungarians in first yet to come in. Ben W has just climbed in for his stint but having stopped twice we're 11 laps down and last. Hopefully as the other cars cycle through their changes we'll make up places. Our sister car is picking up the pace on the drying track and is up to 10th I'm in number 9 next so time to go get ready.
2.13pm: An F1 test driver in our midst?
BP Leader has pitted and the latest news is their first driver is an F1 tester. Hmm.
2.06pm: More confusion
BP Seems my patriotic enthusiasm got the better of me - it's the Belgians in the lead and the Germans are only 10th. The leader also takes a different line to everyone through every corner so I'm watching with interest. Both our cars have pitted and we're 27th and our sisters car is 20th so we'll make up other places as others come in. Hopefully the changes we made after the warm-up haven't affected our cars.
1.45pm: First fuel stop of the day
BP Watched the first fuel stop of the day as an opposition car leisurely filled up like it was a Sunday morning. We're about to have our first fuel and driver change, and we're pulling our car in while the Swiss have planted themselves in the gravel.
1.05pm: On yer marks...
BP Race started. No incidents at the first corner, though there were a few very sideways moments. Car 9 has dropped to 15 and we're in 24th place, but judging by the conditions and chaos it's a brave driver who takes the first stint. The German lead car is way out in front but further back there's already been one clash at a hairpin and the result was a spin and a very sick-sounding car that's pitted with damage.
11.59am: Rubbins' racin'
BP Had a text from CAR's Jethro Bovingdon wishing me luck and offering a few pearls of wisdom: "Remember - rubbins' racin'. Get stuck in." I'll try and remember that.
11.50am: The Germans are ready to race
BP Just seen the German car and unfortunately it's going to be ready for the race. Bugger.
11.40am: God save the Queen
BP The circuit's speakers have just started playing a few national anthems ahead of the finish. Thankfully God save the Queen blares out, but i think a few nations might not have their tunes here.
11.30am: In the Pits
BP In the pits practising our driver changes when we get news that the car which qualified in first (a German car with a professional behind the wheel) has hit the wall heavily in warm-up. There's just 90 minutes till the race starts.
9.20am: Driver briefing and nerves setting in
BP We're at the circuit and our driver briefing is just 25 minutes away. After that there's a free practice session - it's dubbed a warm-up in the schedule, but with the rain pounding down and temperatures struggling to get above 5 degrees there'll be nothing warm about it.
A couple of the guys in car 9 are planning to go out and get a few more laps in, but rather than risk the car we're staying put. Instead we're going to practise our pit stops in full race regalia - saving a couple of seconds by pre-loosening our belts and practising with the person we're handing over to could save us a few vital seconds that would take an age to make back up on the track.
The race starts at 1pm (midday UK time) but between pracatice and the green light there's a very large lunch scheduled. I think I'll be going light on that, not because I won't be hungry, but because I'm sure the butterflies will be fluttering away in my belly.
And the race? If it's dry enough then it'll be a rolling start, so 29 cars (complete with cold brakes and many hot-headed drivers) wil be piling into a corner that's currently covered in puddles. I'll have my camera to hand.
BW I am about to head out onto an unknown circuit in a car I have never driven. It’s just above freezing and the constant drizzle has turned to a wind-blown sleet. The first drivers to return from their initial exploratory laps stumble out of the car wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the appallingly slippery and treacherous conditions.
I have terrible butterflies in my stomach, my mouth is dry, I want to be sick and my brain seems unable to think of anything usefully cogent. This is not what I was expecting when Mazda asked my along for a jaunt to Venice to race a bunch of MX-5s in celebration of the car’s 20thanniversary. Not at all.
I get strapped in, and head out. The track is so slippery that it may as well have been covered in oil. The slightest touch of the throttle instantly results in the back-end moving around all over the shop. I try to remember if my life assurance policy is up to date…
I have one or two rather large moments on my first lap – broadside slides that have me frantically flailing at the wheel to get the car straight again – and I quickly realise that to be fast here means to be slow. Get all the braking and downshifts done in a straight line, turn in late, tiptoe around the corners and get on the power slowly once the steering wheel is straight.
Touch the throttle with just one degree of lock on, and you’ll end up in a scenery-car interface – as another of our team drivers discovered after stacking the car in the barriers. Ouch…
The track conditions maybe atrocious but the MX-5 is the perfect steer. It really works with me on the track – it’s so crisp and responsive that I can drag it back from sideways disaster with relative ease. I’m pathetically grateful for its ability to flatter my driving.
I somehow complete five laps without wrapping the car – this despite the best efforts of some of my other European media colleagues trying to punt me off the track, not to mention my winning combination of paralysing nerves and distinct lack of skill.
I hand the car back in one piece to the next driver and feel all warm and fuzzy despite the arctic conditions. Box ticked, no drama, mental pat on back.
My second test stint was much better. I now have a vague recollection of what lies beyond the next corner, I ignore the sideways showboaters parading for their cameras and concentrate on my lines. Compared to the others in the team, I’m stupefying slow, but at least my time laps are consistent – important in an endurance race.
Back in the pits I get the chipper feeling again. Until I hear it’s forecast to snow tomorrow…
>> Click 'Next' below to read page 2 for Wednesday 10 February reports
