where every track driver turns
issue 20
£5.95
suspension Understanding race car dynamics
Alex Zanardi, the man who never gave up n Rookie2Racer – a star in the making? n Coaching Corner: why ‘feel’ counts n
first words
S
Looking forward
o, not the regular bearded gentleman at the top of the page this issue. Have no fear, the legendary Mr Hales hasn’t disappeared but has been unavoidably distracted and unable to undertake all of his TrackDriver duties this time around. Therefore I’m stepping into the breach. You may already have noticed my name cropping up in TrackDriver’s pages over the past couple of years – I’ve been developing my own Audi TT race car which we’ve been covering both in main features and in the Team Cars section. I also run TrackDriver along with Mark. He and I are chalk and cheese, or perhaps more pertinently, analogue and digital. Mark is a highly respected old school racing driver with a passion for the oily bits: I’m a newbie racer taking the digital path of simulators, ECU remaps and turbos. Together, however, we complement each other. We each learn from the other in a two-way exchange of accumulated experience and new knowledge. Which is a situation mirrored by the magazine publishing industry these days. Do we persist with physical paper magazines, or switch entirely over to digital online offerings? For now – from our perspective, at least – the answer is that we do both. Mark and I both prefer the look and, crucially, the feel of a traditional paper publication; some readers and many advertisers tend to think you’re not a ‘proper’ magazine unless they can hold it in their hands. But to resist creating a digital version means severely restricting our readership. Our plan is to continue to print an ‘old fashioned’ magazine and complement it with a digital, paid for subscription. You may remember that when TrackDriver started it was free. That was because we wanted to wanted to build up a strong readership. But economic pressures mean we must now make a modest charge, even for the online version, for TrackDriver to survive and expand. The reality is that it costs as much to create a digital magazine as it does a paper one – paper and printing costs are comparatively small compared with the price of photography, track hire, writing, design and production, outgoings which have to be shared across both formats. But TrackDriver remains the UK’s only trackfocused magazine, so we’re hoping that you will continue to support us. Meanwhile we’ve been making improvements to our overall digital offering. We’ve updated the TrackDriver website and made it simpler to subscribe, and created a useful company directory of motorsport contacts and
Portrait: David Stallard. Background image: Jakob Ebrey
suppliers. There’s also a new classifieds section that we’re running in collaboration with Motorsports Auctions, and we’ve uploaded a bunch of our past technical articles that we hope you will find of both educational and practical value. Soon to go live will be a ‘Kit’ section with links to the equipment that has featured in TrackDriver’s Gear Guide, and you can also sign up to a TrackDriver Newsletter emailing for the latest news as it happens. One of the benefits of the newsletter is that we’ll be able to keep you up-to-date with the progress of the winner of TrackDriver’s Rookie2Racer competition, which we launched at the Autosport show in collaboration with the 750 Motor Club and Mini Super Cooper Cup. As you can read in this issue of TrackDriver, the aim of the competition is to take eight people who have never raced before and have them battle it out on the track for the chance to race for real later in the year. We now have a winner and our rookie has much to learn before strapping himself into a Mini Super Cooper race car and waiting for the lights to go green this October at Donington Park. Mark will never forgive me if I don’t mention a little more metal within his editorial domain, and the Geneva motor show gives me a good chance to do just that. There were enthusiasts’ car launches galore at the annual Swiss shindig, and at all ends of the scale. Hot hatches with an eye to claiming Nürburgring lap records included the new Honda Civic Type R and the SEAT Leon Cupra ST 280, and they were joined by the Ford Focus RS and Vauxhall Corsa VXR. New supercars were everywhere – Lamborghini Aventador SV, Koenigsegg Regera, Audi R8, and Ford GT, to name but a few. And then there were the sports cars where the track element of their development really shone through. The Ferrari 488 GTB, for instance, and Lotus Evora 400. Porsche’s cracking duo of Cayman GT4 and 911 GT3 RS; McLaren’s 675LT and P1 GTR. And then there were the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT3 and Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3, both overtly track-focused. Yes, most of these cars, even the hot hatches, are beyond the financial reach of many of us, but the exciting thing is that the major car manufacturers are taking circuits, and track driving, seriously. And they’ll want to see the UK’s circuits kept in fine fettle, which should be good news for us all • Carl Owen: Managing editor
03
CONTENtS where every track driver turns
issue 20
£4.75
issue no 20 2015
suspension understanding race car dynamics
Alex Zanardi, the man who never gave up Rookie2Racer – a star in the making? n Coaching Corner: why ‘feel’ counts
REGULARS
FEATURES
03 first words
28 ZANARDI INTERVIEW
06 NOTICEBOARD
34 ROOKIE2RACER
Managing editor Carl Owen grabs his chance to say a few things
n n
EDITORIAL T: 01507 357140
E: editor@trackdriver.com
TrackDriver 96 Chesterfield Road Matlock Derbyshire DE4 3FS
rack-biased road cars from Porsche, T Lotus and others, and new Formula Libre for homeless single-seaters
27 RAMBLINGS
Identical cars and similar lines, so why is the other bloke quicker, muses Dron
ADVERTISING T: 01629 581250 E: ads@trackdriver.com SUBSCRIPTIONS E: subs@trackdriver.com
and
64 coaching corner
How you sit in your car and handle the controls will make you quicker
80 walker’s wisdom
In an unfamiliar role, Dave Walker ponders how to reduce race speeds
are registered Trademarks. All rights in the licensed material belong to TrackDriver and may not be reproduced, whether in whole or in part, without their prior written consent.
86 Team Cars
Big progress with the TT and MG, while Tony relives the Alfa’s 2014 season
The Editors of this magazine give no warranties, guarantees or assurances and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised herein.
92 gEAR GUIDE Editor Mark Hales Managing editor Carl Owen Editorial design Ryan Baptiste Sub editor Brett Fraser Technical contributors Ray Collier, Dave Walker Track test contributor Jim Cameron Contributing Racer John Mawdsley Digital editors/app design Martin and Oliver Dickens
ur pick of the kit that’s not always O essential, but is highly desirable
Losing your legs would devastate most of us, but not Alex Zanardi
Our mission: turn one road driver into a fully-fledged racer
40 CAR SETUP: SUSPENSION Suspension geometry, springs and anti-roll bars examined in detail
50 LIVING THE F1 DREAM
John Mawdsley drives an historic F1 at Silverstone and around Moscow!
58 tom onlsow-cole
One of Britain’s most versatile racers tells us what drives him
72 WINTER TYRE TESTing It’s fun testing winter tyres, even if it’s for a serious purpose
82 TAROX BRAKES
Our company profile reveals a family-run Italian specialist with a passion for quality and motorsport
Advertising sales manager Sandra Owen Marketing manager Tony Murray Contributing writers Andrew Bentley, Paul Cowland, Peter Dron, Linda Keen, Nigel Rees
Regular contributing photographers Owen Brown, Jakob Ebrey, Jeff Bloxham, John Colley, David Stallard www.davidstallardphotography.com, Andy Morgan, Paul Harmer, Ralph Lunt, Jenny South, Keith Lowes, John Laycock, Andy Glenister, www.frozenspeed.com
Contributing photography/illustration Anatoly Streblev, Andrey Artukhov, Danil Kolodin, Carl Owen, Tony Murray, Ray Collier
04
05
noticeboard
on track noticeboard
TrackDriver on Track
track is challenging and interesting, especially the famous corkscrew section, and there are several elevation changes adding to the excitement. On top of that you have a stunning backdrop of the sea lashing against the coastal rocks and cliffs. There are four circuit configuration and we drove the preferred coastal variant. We were there with the Classic Sports Car Club (CSCC), racing our Audi TT in the Modern Classics event. The field comprised a wide range of largely sports cars and coupes, including everything from Porsches (Boxsters, 968 and 924), Lotus Elises and Ginettas, through to a Seat Leon, Renault Mégane and our main rival, a Subaru Impreza WRX. Facilities are excellent, with a café serving freshly prepared food, a bar, free camping with toilet blocks and showers, etc. There are also nice clean pit garages available – they cost extra but because of the exposed location, definitely worth it. One word of warning, if you do decide to camp it can get very windy: we did and at several points I thought the tent was about to set off towards Ireland! Everything is nicely grouped together in one spot, so once you’re settled in you can walk to the café/ bar and camping.
Snetterton
In the first of a new series, Carl Owen begins an exploration of the UK’s trackdays and test days
W
e continue our tour of Britain’s race tracks, looking at what the circuits are like, what facilities they have, how enjoyable and challenging they are, and who was there on the day. There are now so many opportunities available to drive your own car on most of the UK’s tracks, as a quick glance at our Trackday/Testday diaries in the back of the magazine will reveal. Remember, for a trackday you just need a valid driving licence (both parts), a car, a helmet and sensible clothing with long sleeves. For a test day you need an MSA racing licence, full race gear including helmet, race suit, gloves, shoes etc, plus an MSA-approved race car with roll-cage and other safety features.
Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground
Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground is a disused B52 bomber base in Leicestershire and has been the backdrop for many
of something interesting to look at. Small-scale car makers – and even some big ones – often use Bruntingthorpe for dynamics testing sessions, its two-mile main runway ideal not only for top speed runs, but also for boring, repetitive low-speed stuff. TrackDriver was there for the launch of the Sin Cars R1 road car and had a fun few laps in this race carderived supercar (see the Noticeboard for the further details). This track comprises the aforementioned main runway straight which is long enough to get scary (particularly trying to work out the best place to start braking when your car is going flat-out), and various curved sections of apron boasting both long sweepers and some very tight bends. The mainly concrete track is a little rough in places but is bearable. There are no facilities out on the track other than a Portaloo, but the main hangar complex has slightly plusher toilets and a café.
Anglesey – Coastal
The Anglesey race track may be a long drive away for most of us, but it’s definitely worth it. The relatively recently revamped
a TV show. The site is liberally sprinkled with redundant aeroplanes (both military and civil) and is also used for storing hundreds of fleet cars prior to auctions, so you’re never short
06
Snetterton, a little way south of Norwich, is an MSV-owned track, (in a collection that also includes Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Cadwell Park and Bedford Autodrome), and has two main circuit configurations, the 200 and 300. We drove on the shorter 200 configuration, again with the Classic Sports Car Club (CSCC), for the season finale of Modern Classics (winning
our class and taking the title for 2014). We also took part in the New Millennium showcase race, a new class for 2015. Snetterton 200 is largely flat with the exception of the Bomb Hole – which as its name suggests is a large crater that
creates a fab cambered corner – and the start/finish straight which is slightly uphill. Whilst the 200 circuit is shorter than the 300, you still get the main straights for some high speed action. Another corner of note is Coram, a seemingly endless high-speed right-hander that tests your car’s balance. As with all MSV tracks the facilities are excellent, with pit garages, a good café, camping facilities, ample toilets and a shower block, etc.
BARC INTRODUCES NEW FORMULA LIBRE CHAMPIONSHIP
The keen-eyed BARC (British Automobile Racing Club) has spotted three types of single-seater racers that no longer have their own UK championships and created one that they can run in – the 2015 BARC Formula Libre Championship. Cars eligible to compete in the 16-round championship are the latest spec Formula Renault 2.0, pre-2012 Formula 3 and Formula BMW. The championship will be run across six events, with up to three rounds per venue. The Formula Libre Championship kicks off at Snetterton on 9/10 May, and will also visit Rockingham, Thruxton, Croft and Oulton Park during the course of the season. For further information contact the championship manager, Will Fewkes, at wfewkes@barc.net, or alternatively there’s the old fashioned method of calling 01264 882208.
07
noticeboard
noticeboard
PORSCHE STEERS BACK TOWARDS
New 911 GT3 RS and Cayman GT4 models have the circuit in their sights and have been engineered accordingly
I
t may make the bulk of its money these days from flogging SUVs, but Porsche is keen to prove that sports cars still represent the core of its corporate being as it unveils a pair of cracking track-focused models – the new (991) 911 GT3 RS and Cayman GT4.. Conceived and developed under the leadership of Andreas Preuninger – the current manager of Porsche’s GT road car division, and previously boss of motorsport – both cars are said to put driving pleasure ahead of the need to produce class-leading performance or horsepower figures, although neither is under-endowed in those departments. For those of you who require a Nürburgring lap time to put cars into context, the GT3 RS has zapped round in 7:20 (nine seconds quicker than the Porsche Carrera GT), while the
08
GT4 stopped the clock at 7:40. As we said, both cars are quick enough… The 493bhp GT3 RS is based on the ‘regular’ GT3 version of the latest 911, and features a magnesium roof panel and carbonfibre lids for the engine and luggage compartments, as much to lower the centre of gravity as reduce the weight, which is down a paltry 10kg. Further work has been done in addition to the standard GT3’s already pretty aggressive aero package, the key features being a prominent front splitter, cool-looking vents in the top of the front wings that cut the amount of lift on the front axle, and a whopping race-like adjustable spoiler at the rear. Broader front and rear tracks are complemented by the widest tyres of any standard 911 model yet produced – 265/35 ZR20 at the pointy
end and 325/30 ZR21 where the engine lives, mounted on gorgeous centre-lock alloys. A fully variable limited-slip diff, rear-wheel steering and Porsche’s Torque Vectoring Plus system support the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s’ extreme grip. Although the new GT3 RS’s engine capacity and power output mirror those of the 997 generation of the car, the flat-six is of the latest direct fuel injection design. Still, peak power doesn’t arrive until 8250rpm, so you do have to rev it like a race car to extract maximum performance – that, by the way, brings you from standstill to 62mph in 3.3sec, zero to 124mph in 10.9sec, and on to a top speed of 192mph. (And it’s rumoured that if you configure that towering rear wing to its minimum drag setting, you might just be able to clip 200mph.) Inside you find carbon buckets based on those
THE TRACK from the 918 Spyder and if – like many, we suspect – you tick the Club Sport Package option box on the order form, you get a bolted in roll-cage in the rear of the passenger compartment, preparation for a battery master switch, a six-point harness and a fire extinguisher. And as if to demonstrate that Porsche moves with the times, if you go for the optional Sports Chrono Package you get the Porsche Track Precision app, that provides GPS measurements of your on-track performance: you can use the information this provides to become a better driver, or to prove to your GT3 RS-owning mates that you’re quicker than they are… Another tricksy novelty is a pit lane speed button. Sure to be the most contentious element of the GT3 RS is that, in common with the regular GT3, it’s available only with a seven-speed PDK
09
World leaders in the design and manufacture of high-performance driveline components and steering racks since 1965 – celebrating 50 years of success. Complete Motorsport Gearboxes A range of state of the art gearboxes: 5 / 6 / 7 - speed sequential, H-pattern, heavy duty, dog engagement and synchromesh; close-ratio gears
High Performance Close-Ratio Gearkits 4 / 5 / 6 - speed helical or semi helical; straight cut; synchromesh and dog engagement options for a wide variety of cars
Motorcycle Engined Vehicles Gear drive systems, reversing differential systems, reversing boxes and axle units for chain driven cars
ATB Helical Gear Limited Slip Differentials Over 350 fitments from Alfa to Volvo all with an industry leading lifetime warranty Updated Axles Axle kits, half shafts & diff’ assemblies
Po w
Complete Steering Racks LHD and RHD quick racks & rack & pinion kits
er
Plus Uprights, transfer units, motorcycle gearkits and much more for all types of vehicles
ed
by
E: info@quaife.co.uk T: +44 (0) 01732 741144 www.quaife.co.uk RT Quaife Engineering Ltd Vestry Road, Otford Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5EL United Kingdom
Discover more online at: W: www.quaife.co.uk E: info@quaife. co.uk T: +44 (0) 01732 741144
Quality accredited ISO 9001-2008