Following my last racing action at Cadwell Park, we discovered a fundamental issue with the car’s engine performance. I took the decision to abstain from racing in the MX-5 Championship until we had got to the bottom of it and put it right. Last week, I took the car to get its engine tested at a specialist builders. That gave me the data I needed on exactly how much power my car was lacking. This week, to complete that baseline,…
A scavenger hunt is one of my favourite activities to do with children (or young-at-heart adults)! The aim of the game is to find all of the items, landmarks or features on a list and then get to the defined finishing point. This makes it a really versatile activity that can be done in any setting. It can also be educational, helping to introduce children to new settings or concepts. Setting the Scene First, choose the items that will go…
Yesterday I accompanied my team-mate Martin Tolley to the BLiNK Motorsport workshop in Cheshire, along with our MX-5 race cars. Those who compete in Mazdas will know BLiNK well; they are the premier engine builders in the Mk1 championship and supply around three quarters of the field. We discovered at Cadwell Park that my car appeared to be significantly down on power compared to my rivals. The aim of the trip to the workshop was to try and understand where…
This activity is great for introducing kids to engineering because it’s relatively simple and has real-life application. I’ve used K’Nex in my example because it’s a may favourite construction kit, but also because it actually looks like many of the bridges you see around the place every day. However, you can use pretty much anything to make bridges – even paper! Don’t underestimate the strength of folder paper. Setting the Scene Yes, this is an important lesson in engineering, but…
I used to love playing with construction toys as a kid. In fact, like many adult men, I secretly still love playing with them now! My daughter is just reaching the age where I can justify heading up the loft, dusting off the old boxes of kit and think about stuff we can do together. She’s already using Duplo, which is a great introductory kit. Lego is the next natural progression, but the thing about Lego is that, with the…
My second taste of Mazda racing action was at Cadwell Park, for round 3 of the BRSCC Mazda MX-5 Championship. Cadwell Park is often nicknamed the “mini-Nurburgring” for its twisty, undulating and unforgiving nature. Not the sort of place you want to turn up and race at without ever having driven the track before, right? Well, despite booking two track days in the run-up to the event, I had somehow not managed to get out for either of them. And,…
A version of this article was originally published in the Bromsgrove Standard newspaper on the 26th April 2019. Ever wondered what a racing driver eats on a race weekend to keep his or her energy levels up? Let me give you an insight. I’m not a qualified nutritionist, so please don’t treat this as gospel, but I know what works for me. You need to find a balance that suits your own body, and hopefully there are some good tips…
In 4 weeks’ time, I will be back on track in anger, following a memorable but troubled debut at Brands Hatch. The BRSCC MX-5 Championship rolls into Pembrey next week, but I’ll be sitting that one out whilst my car is repaired. Besides, as this is my first year I don’t have enough of a budget to do them all, and South Wales at the tail end of winter is one I’d happily miss! I’ve never driven Cadwell Park in…
After a winter of hard work, stress and not enough seat time, the moment I had been waiting for had arrived: my very first race weekend. I was delighted to be supported by Go4itMX5racing, who had committed to keeping my car running over the weekend. However, none of us realised that their first mission was to get the car started in the first place. Yes, having paid over the odds for some Friday practice track time at a circuit I…
So, this is it! You’ve got you license, bought your racewear and probably have an idea of the racing series you’d like to join. Motorsport comes in all shapes and sizes and the costs of competing vary greatly between different disciplines. But no matter what your preference, the categories of cost will generally be the same – it’s only the price that will vary. So, whilst an in-depth look at all of the costs associated with racing is near impossible…
