My big first year learning curve

Myles Poulton joined PIRELLI FERRARI formula classic for the 2014 season. His first race of any sort was the Donington race at the end of May. Here he tells his story of his first ever race season. He calls it ‘MY BIG FIRST YEAR LEARNING CURVE’…

HOW I GOT STARTED

A couple of years ago, whilst scanning the classifieds under the Ferrari section I noticed two cars for sale, one silver and one grey, both 328GTBs. Nothing unusual there, except that they were race prepared cars. This prompted me into doing some research into why these cars would even be for sale. Looking at the Club website it was apparent that there is a full race series competing at famous race tracks across the UK and Europe throughout the spring and summer months!

The following year I was driving up through France to the Channel tunnel when I noticed on a trailer a 308GTB, resplendent in Gulf colours, being pulled by a white van. It resembled the pictures I used to pore over as a child of chaps towing their race prepared Ferrari road cars to track events or, even better, driving them there, racing and driving home. This prompted further research.

The next step was to go to Thruxton to check out Ferrari racing. I had been to Silverstone once to see the Grand Prix but ironically after owning various fast cars had not really done any track driving of any note and certainly never raced one. I chatted with a few of the owners, including the owner of the Gulf coloured 308GTB, and was quickly introduced to Anne Swift who kindly sent me lots information on what I now know to be the Pirelli Ferrari formula classic.

I immediately started looking for a car and after a little bit of time, effort and luck I came across a red 328GTS which had been built by QV racing, and frankly if this car never turned another wheel I would happily have stuck it in the garage, sat in it and made driving noises!

Next a racing licence, and I completed my hour long MSA test at Brands Hatch. This was the first test I think I had taken, in any guise for over twenty years. My kids spent a week testing me on flags and various other issues. I turned up at Brands Hatch, sat my written test and went out on the track with the examiner. Caterhams and 911s roared past me while I tried to show the very patient instructor that I was a safe pair of hands. Then, after spending considerably longer than is probably healthy deciding what colour overalls I should buy and where to put the shiny plastic race stickers on my beautiful new toy, I was now ready to race.

DONINGTON – MY FIRST RACE

My first race was at Donington After completing practice and not being last, I was sitting on the grid of an ex Formula 1 track with 15 other V8 Ferraris of differing colours and varying tipos. After a ropey start I managed to get round to safely complete the race with no major incidents. Except I was sent to the Clerk of the Course’s office by a sturdy looking marshall for taking my gloves off in the pit lane. An experience that genuinely felt like being sent to the headmaster.

I can safely say that that memory will stick with me for a very long time. The adrenaline and happiness running through my veins resulted in jabbering to everyone who would listen. After little calming down and reflection the thoughts immediately came to how I was going to go faster. Darren Wilson, who races a 328 kindly showed me his in car footage, and other drivers gave me tips on the course. The following day my qualifying time was 2 seconds quicker and I was ready to go again. Don’t lift in the Craner Curves I was told, a very steep set of corners after the start which go down a hill left then a hard right at the bottom, I held my breath and blindly tested the theory, with the help of the amazing semi slick race tyres provided at a subsidised rate by Pirelli, the car just gripped and gripped, and out I popped at the bottom. That would be the corner I would be taking home in my thoughts that evening. On the final few laps of the race, completely unknown to me, two cars in my class retired so I came in 3^rd in the class 4, gifting me a small trophy!

Predictably I was absolutely hooked.

SILVERSTONE

The next race was the full GP circuit at Silverstone, a week before the British Grand Prix, sharing the grid with the Open cars and a rolling start. As learning curves go this was huge. My 10 year old son had been slightly miffed as I had hogged his Playstation to try and learn the 20 plus corners on an iconic GP circuit. Again as with most great things in life there is one small memory you will take from each slice. In this instance it was grappling with Richard Fenny in his fire breathing 308GT4 round Stowe corner whilst being chased down by a roaring 458GT.

I had started and competed in my first two races of the season with no outside assistance with the car, another learning curve. Between each race taking off my wheels and cleaning the rubber lumps that accumulate from the semi liquid rubber running off the hot tyres. Although romantically I saw this as in the spirit of ‘turn up and drive’ racing culture of old, I realised quite quickly that for a relatively modest sum I could share a support team. After a small amount of negotiation I commissioned the chaps at RNR Racing to help me at the next race.

THRUXTON

My wife and three children had all turned up to watch the Thruxton race. As ever a new track for me to learn and one of the fastest in the UK , patchy tarmac, full of long sweeping curves and very little run off. After qualifying about two thirds of the way down the grid, I lined up on the start line for the first race. Missing second gear off the start line we bowled into Allard, avoiding the bottle neck breaking area into Segrave, my apparent encyclopaedic knowledge of corner names being 100% down to a natty little book called “The UK Circuit Guide” by Les Charneca, excellent bed time reading if you fancy racing, and running through the right left of Noble before the fast flowing corners which take you into the infamous Goodwood, a long right hander that you take flat out over the brow while a small farmers field comes into view very quickly and seems to shout “Slow Down” through the windscreen.

I took the field’s advice, lifted the throttle and the car went into a power slide then a spin, at a speed well over 100 miles an hour. The car carried on spinning twice more and then came to a halt, a lesson had been learnt I think! As the few remaining competitors who hadn’t overtaken me after my missed gear change came filing past, I got myself together and off I went, dead last! After hassling Carl in his silver Mondial for a few laps I managed to squeeze past to gain a little dignity but felt a little brow-beaten by the Thruxton reputation.

Race two and thoughts of my 6 year old daughter asking if I came last ringing in my ears I lined up for the second race of the weekend determined to impress. After what always seems like an age lining up at the start the red lights finally came on and then went out. First, second, third gear, easy this time and finally into Goodwood and…. the car cut out and trundled into the side of the track. The kids weren’t going to be impressed by this. I restarted the car and drove gingerly away, weighing up in my head what was wrong, did I drive back to the pits just in case I caused damage to the car or do I push on? I was now dead last and a third of a lap behind the rest of the fleet. I planted my foot and screamed down the pit straight, I knew that if I could catch up with Ray in his bright yellow Mondial 3.4 then I had a fighting chance of getting another little trophy for third in class.

Remembering the tips that Darren had given me I knew I could go a lot quicker on the corners before Goodwood and if I held my breath like I had done down the Esses at Donington I could take Goodwood flat. After reeling in Carl in his Silver Mondial, the two Richards in their red GT4s and 308GTBs respectively I had Ray left who by this time would have quite rightly assumed that the third place, class 4 trophy was his. My car was now behaving immaculately and for the first time I felt like a racer, last lap down the pit straight into the first right hander flat out up the hill to the curves and there was Ray, a little bit of late breaking down the inside and blocking I squeezed through (sorry Ray J) I just needed to get round Goodwood in one piece knowing that Ray would be chasing me down, round Church, don’t brake too early or the yellow Mondial would definitely take advantage, full pelt through Brooklands round the chicane and I was home, what a buzz !

CASTLE COMBE – IN THE RAIN

I was yet to see rain, which did worry me and here it was for my final race of the season. I started the qualifying in heavy rain, another learning curve. As I drove gingerly round I had one small advantage which was that that I had entered a race with the CSSC, a few weeks before, so the circuit was not entirely new. The water was an inch deep and it was throwing it down as I got around the first big corner at Quarry, the car spun, I corrected and carried on, this was going to be a whole new experience. Race time and I had qualified about half way down the gird, which I was quite pleased with. After a cracking start, I overtook Tim Walker and was feeling quite pleased with myself, a little wobble at Quarry again, Tim went past round the chicane, through Old Paddock Bend and down to my least favourite corner “Tower” bit of gas and I could start gaining some places and then the car spun. I carried on to the next lap, little gas round Camp Corner and a spectacular spin in front of the grandstand. Suffice to say I finished the race but realised I had a lot to learn about wet racing.

WHAT NEXT?

If you are considering taking your Ferrari experience to the next level or have ever considered racing you must take a look at the Pirelli Ferrari classic. I am sitting writing this article itching to get back out on the track. Forget track days and go racing. It is what Ferrari ownership should and was always about. I don’t sit at home stressing about a few scratches on my prized Ferrari, or its service history (It didn’t come with one) or if I am going to de-value my car by increasing its mileage. In one year I have raced on some of the most iconic and famous race circuits in the world, in a Ferrari, not a bad topic to discuss with your grand children. The drivers are a mixture of ages, and backgrounds but all have one thing in common – an absolute love of racing what used to be unfashionable 1970s and 80s Ferraris. There is always someone on hand to give advice and help, great bunch of people and a great series. My wife has told me that if I damage the car I have to buy her a new kitchen before I fix it. So assuming I don’t crash, (or we buy a kitchen) I will be at every one of the fixtures including Spa.