Olly?s 1:12 Blog - Part 4
CML and Team Associated driver Olly Jefferies continues to share his experiences in 1/12th scale racing over the weekend and talks about making the jump to Lipo power.
I did not get the opportunity to run my R5 between Newbury and round three of the BRCA series at Tamworth, so I turned up with a car set up as it finished round 2. The only difference to my cars being my Pro Stock car had been updated with the new rear pod leaving both my cars with identical specification.
I bumped into Dave Spashett the week before the Tamworth National at a touring car meeting. I have always felt that Dave is probably one of the finest 1:12 racers ever and I have the greatest respect for him as a driver and could not miss the chance to pick his brains on a few points. It?s really funny talking to him, he has a no nonsense attitude and when you ask him anything and he leaves you feeling that should have already known the answer to the question. I think he has a very strong mental approach to what he does and this is possibly one of his most underrated and unappreciated aspects of his racing.
So no real speed secrets unveiled by Mr Spashett but he did confirm some of the things I had been thinking about, mainly in the area of tyre use, and our conversation left me with a few things to try at Tamworth. Andy Moore was Dave?s team mate for many years and I feel a lot of his experienced was passed to Andy and that in turn makes Andy very difficult to beat in 1:12.
Tyres in any class are always the most crucial part of the car, they are the only contact patch from the car to the track, everything goes through them; this was an area I felt after Newbury I still could improve on. After speaking to Mike Blackstock he also came back with similar things David had said earlier in the week. I have found I have been basically putting too much additive into the tyre, up to now I had gone with the 'more is better' approach! I don?t mean width across the tyre surface but how much is going into the tyre and being absorbed, after speaking to Mike and David I felt I could pretty much half the amount I was putting on!
I found at Newbury it was taking me a while to wipe my tyres dry and even then more additive was still coming out the tyre. This made me very slow at the start of the runs at Newbury, but my opening laps at Tamworth were much stronger. The car had a different feel at the start compared to at Newbury. At Newbury the car felt lazy and too easy to drive. At Tamworth it was much sharper and consistent from start to the finish. I still don't think I had the perfect balance on additive/tyres as when it came to the final I felt my car was a little too aggressive at the start. I think the track changed a little and I didn't adjust for this. As the additive went into the track through the weekend I was able to put less additive into the tyre, the tyres then pick up additive from the track. This is something I was not aware of before but from talking to people seems common knowledge! In my defence when I started this blog the purpose was to highlight things as I discovered them, so something learnt for me and hopefully something the less experienced 1:12 racer will also now understand a little better, and perhaps try out for themselves.
Tamworth is a good venue and only just over an hours drive for me. My car was good in the early rounds of qualifying but once more I slipped back as my competitors got their cars sorted, I still feel I need a little more performance from my Pro Stock car.
Saturday I qualified fourth on an identical time to Andy Griffiths, Andy got the third place on the grid by virtue of setting his time earlier in the meeting. A slightly impetuous first corner when I stuck it up the inside of Griff left me spinning and getting collected by most of the rest of the field, so once more it was a battle to make up for time lost on lap one, but after a few minutes it was clear the car was tweaked or broken so I pulled off.
The Pro Stock class of the BRCA series is still pretty close with three different winners so far this season. After the race I felt that was my challenge for the title was over but looking at the scores it is still possible to get a top three place, assuming there are no mistakes or DNF?s from me at the last three rounds after Christmas.
Saturday night and the now legendary Doris 1:12 Christmas party. I had hoped that my fellow competitors would drink themselves stupid and arrive at the track worse for wear on Sunday morning! I then noticed with exception of Mark Stiles none of the front running drivers were drinking that much. It was a great night and nice to have my mum, dad and girlfriend Alice along. On behalf of all the 1:12 drivers a big thank you to Fran, Min and Hillary who do such a good job on the party organisation.
The always competitive Andy Moore (left) and girlfriend and mum (right).
Sunday is usually better for me and I really need to work out why that is! TQ and pole position for the A was a good start but I knew Andy Moore was going to be pressuring me from the off, sure enough Andy did me early on but I was able to hold on to him, he then made a mistake and bounced off a track marker hitting me and dropping behind Andy Griff and Elliott Harper, in the closing laps of the race I was able to pinch third of Elliott and secure a podium place behind the winner Andy Moore and second place man Andy Griffiths.
Third at Tamworth puts me in the lead of the modified class of the BRCA national series buts it?s only half way and I can see I am going to have to fight off a strong challenge from the likes of Andy Moore, Elliott and Griff if I am to have any chance of the title.
Olly scrapes it on to the podium to keep his championship winning dreams alive.
We have 1:12 Euros in March next year and I really need to get more 1:12 running before that event. It?s difficult to divide my time between my R5 and my TC5 and I really want to keep pushing on with the touring car, but if I am to get a reasonable result at the Euros I need more track time with the 1:12 car. I am also hoping to race at the 1:12 worlds but I need to focus on the BRCA nationals and the Euros first and foremost.
I am planning to test at Tamworth over Christmas then it?s on to Plymouth in the New Year, more on the blog after that meeting.
Tyres in any class are always the most crucial part of the car, they are the only contact patch from the car to the track, everything goes through them; this was an area I felt after Newbury I still could improve on. After speaking to Mike Blackstock he also came back with similar things David had said earlier in the week. I have found I have been basically putting too much additive into the tyre, up to now I had gone with the 'more is better' approach! I don?t mean width across the tyre surface but how much is going into the tyre and being absorbed, after speaking to Mike and David I felt I could pretty much half the amount I was putting on!
I found at Newbury it was taking me a while to wipe my tyres dry and even then more additive was still coming out the tyre. This made me very slow at the start of the runs at Newbury, but my opening laps at Tamworth were much stronger. The car had a different feel at the start compared to at Newbury. At Newbury the car felt lazy and too easy to drive. At Tamworth it was much sharper and consistent from start to the finish. I still don't think I had the perfect balance on additive/tyres as when it came to the final I felt my car was a little too aggressive at the start. I think the track changed a little and I didn't adjust for this. As the additive went into the track through the weekend I was able to put less additive into the tyre, the tyres then pick up additive from the track. This is something I was not aware of before but from talking to people seems common knowledge! In my defence when I started this blog the purpose was to highlight things as I discovered them, so something learnt for me and hopefully something the less experienced 1:12 racer will also now understand a little better, and perhaps try out for themselves.
Tamworth is a good venue and only just over an hours drive for me. My car was good in the early rounds of qualifying but once more I slipped back as my competitors got their cars sorted, I still feel I need a little more performance from my Pro Stock car.
Saturday I qualified fourth on an identical time to Andy Griffiths, Andy got the third place on the grid by virtue of setting his time earlier in the meeting. A slightly impetuous first corner when I stuck it up the inside of Griff left me spinning and getting collected by most of the rest of the field, so once more it was a battle to make up for time lost on lap one, but after a few minutes it was clear the car was tweaked or broken so I pulled off.
The Pro Stock class of the BRCA series is still pretty close with three different winners so far this season. After the race I felt that was my challenge for the title was over but looking at the scores it is still possible to get a top three place, assuming there are no mistakes or DNF?s from me at the last three rounds after Christmas.
Saturday night and the now legendary Doris 1:12 Christmas party. I had hoped that my fellow competitors would drink themselves stupid and arrive at the track worse for wear on Sunday morning! I then noticed with exception of Mark Stiles none of the front running drivers were drinking that much. It was a great night and nice to have my mum, dad and girlfriend Alice along. On behalf of all the 1:12 drivers a big thank you to Fran, Min and Hillary who do such a good job on the party organisation.
The always competitive Andy Moore (left) and girlfriend and mum (right).
Sunday is usually better for me and I really need to work out why that is! TQ and pole position for the A was a good start but I knew Andy Moore was going to be pressuring me from the off, sure enough Andy did me early on but I was able to hold on to him, he then made a mistake and bounced off a track marker hitting me and dropping behind Andy Griff and Elliott Harper, in the closing laps of the race I was able to pinch third of Elliott and secure a podium place behind the winner Andy Moore and second place man Andy Griffiths.
Third at Tamworth puts me in the lead of the modified class of the BRCA national series buts it?s only half way and I can see I am going to have to fight off a strong challenge from the likes of Andy Moore, Elliott and Griff if I am to have any chance of the title.
Olly scrapes it on to the podium to keep his championship winning dreams alive.
We have 1:12 Euros in March next year and I really need to get more 1:12 running before that event. It?s difficult to divide my time between my R5 and my TC5 and I really want to keep pushing on with the touring car, but if I am to get a reasonable result at the Euros I need more track time with the 1:12 car. I am also hoping to race at the 1:12 worlds but I need to focus on the BRCA nationals and the Euros first and foremost.
I am planning to test at Tamworth over Christmas then it?s on to Plymouth in the New Year, more on the blog after that meeting.
