BDN Sportscars official website

Racing

2007

18th August Silverstone Qual: 2nd Finish: 1st Fastest lap		Silverstone is another circuit with long straights which was cause for concern for us, although the weather was looking unsettled so we were hoping for rain. Qualifying was dry and saw us take second place, only a quarter of a second behind Griffin and again we managed to lap under the lap record. By the time we were ready to race the weather had changed and the circuit was soaked with no sign of the rain easing. From the start we managed to maintain the lead, although we were struggling for grip more so than normal. Before the weekend we had changed the setup of the car which allowed us to go faster in the dry but the setup was not working well in the wet. We won by 5 seconds and an additional boost to the championship with Griffin spinning off into the gravel, although he was helped back onto the circuit by the marshals, Griffin finished in 7th position. With this result we are now only 1 point behind Griffin in the championship, the last two races of the season are to be held at Snetterton which will prove a difficult challenge for us.
14-15th July Snetterton Qual: 1st Finish: 1st Qual: 1st Finish: 2nd		Our first of two visits to Snetterton saw us buoyed by the confidence of the previous two race results, although we knew Snetterton was going to provide our greatest challenge of the year as we are still at a disadvantage on the straights against Griffin. Qualifying was on a damp and very slippery track which saw us take pole in both races by 4 seconds. We got a very good start to the first race and had a good lead going onto the back straight on the first lap, unfortunately Griffin was able to pass us before getting to the braking area at the end of the straight. Through the corners we made back the time lost on the straights and stayed on Griffin's tail, but on the second lap Griffin suddenly stop accelerating and the BDN took to the grass to avoid Griffin's car. We got back on circuit after a rough ride and continued the race to gain another win. Griffin's car had suffered an electrical fault which had cut the engine. The BDN had taken quite a large knock going over rough ground while avoiding Griffin's car and was not handling well, the problem wasn't found before we started the second race of the day. We managed to finish the second race in second place only two seconds behind Griffin despite the handling problems.
30-1st July Cadwell Park Qual: 1st Finish: 1st Fastest lap Qual: 1st Finish: 1st Fastest lap		The weather leading up to Cadwell had been extremely bad even for the UK's standards, with much of the country flooded. The weekend's weather looked as though it would continue the trend with many storms expected, now we knew just how well the BDN handles in the wet we were looking forward to the changeable conditions. Qualifying was a damp affair which saw us take a comfortable pole position ahead of a returning ex RGB champion and wet weather specialist, Martin Brooks. This would certainly be a true test of the BDN's wet weather handling if we could stay ahead of Brooks. The conditions in the first race were very wet and a poor start saw Brooks take the early advantage. On the second lap the driver of the BDN, Rob Baldwin, had a problem with his visor as one bolt came out of the helmet which was holding the visor on. This meant he could not see where he was going properly, blinded by the rain. Holding on to the visor with one hand and driving with the other he managed to carry on for another lap before realising the bolt was still in the visor and managed to screw the visor back onto the helmet. After catching back up with Brooks the BDN eventually got ahead on the final lap of the race to take our first win. The weather on the second day was completely different with sun shining the circuit was completely dry. This time a good start saw us into the lead which we held onto until the end to win by 25 seconds. A very successful weekend, with 2 poles, 2 fastest laps and 2 wins.
3rd June Mallory Park Qual: 2nd Finish: DNS		Our second visit to Mallory was only two weeks after the race and crash at Brands Hatch. We had repaired the car but hadn't been able to test before qualifying, so we decided to take qualifying gently. Despite this we still manage to qualify in second, two tenths under the lap record. Then our luck failed us a second time in only two weeks, on the formation lap onto the grid a brake calliper seal failed and we had to retire before the start of the race.
19-20th May Brands Hatch Qual: 1st Finish: DNF		Qualifying at Brands Hatch put us on pole with a lap time half a second quicker than the lap record. The times were close at the top with only a tenth separating first and second. The race finally got underway on the third attempt after the first attempt was red flagged due to Griffin spinning into the gravel trap and the second attempt red flagged due to another spinner. The race was a continuous battle from the off, we managed to maintain a lead throughout despite running side by side with Griffin on almost every lap. On the penultimate lap Griffin took the lead for the first time and promptly spun at Paddock Hill bend, with no way of avoiding the spinning Mission our race ended with a lot of damage to the front of the car. Neither driver was hurt but both cars were badly damaged.
7th May Castle Combe Qual: 1st Finish: 2nd		We were greeted at Castle Combe with a very wet start to the day, so our first time out on the circuit in qualifying was going to be an interesting experience. We were surprised with the result, qualifying on pole with over 4 seconds spare and more than 6 seconds over our main rival Griffin. By the time we were ready to race in the afternoon the weather had completely changed with the track dry and sun shining. Once again we were going to have to learn the circuit as now the speeds were much greater. Starting from pole we got away well and held the lead until the final lap when Griffin's straight-line speed got the better of us once again and managed to beat us by 0.135 seconds. A disappointing result given how well we had performed but at least we had an opportunity to show just how well the BDN handles even under the worst conditions.
21-22nd April Lydden Hill Qual: 2nd Finish: 2nd Qual: 2nd Finish: 2nd		The sun was shining for a beautiful weekend at Lydden Hill, making our first outing to this circuit a very pleasant experience. The circuit is not forgiving with the barriers only a few feet from the circuit around the entire length, this would make learning the circuit in qualifying quite challenging. We managed to qualify second for both races, only 0.8 seconds back, amazingly two tenths under the lap record. The first race was quite spread out and the positions stayed the same throughout the race, we improved on our lap times but finished five seconds back from the leader in second place. There were no changes in the second race where we finished again in second place, this time three seconds back from the leader. We were pleased with the result from the weekend, considering we had never seen the circuit before two second places were a great result and we had beaten the lap record by two thirds of a second.
25th March Donington Park Qual: 1st Finish: 2nd		With a revised engine mount on the car we were looking forward to a strong showing at Donington, as the existing lap record holders and the car's handling improved on last year. Qualifying went well with a lap time a second under the lap record, we took our first pole of the season. The start of the race saw us battling with Griffin's T5 Mission, with our car quicker through the corners and Griffin's Mission quicker along the straights. Two laps of side by side racing ended when Griffin misjudged his braking and went off the track. We now had a healthy lead of the race, unfortunately as this was the first time we had been in this position we backed off too much and this allowed Griffin catch back up with us. Lapped traffic played a large role in deciding the outcome of the race as we were baulked by a back marker allowing Griffin into the lead of the race a lap from the end. Another second place finish was a surprising disappointment, finishing 0.25 seconds behind Griffin.
11th March Mallory Park Qual: 2nd Finish: 2nd		Building on from the successfully finish to last year we made some further improvements to the BDN over the winter. The improvements were obvious in qualifying for our first race of the season at Mallory, where we qualified second two tenths off pole and three tenths under the lap record. Unfortunately an engine bracket failed at the start of the race which meant we couldn't accelerate as normal, which is a major problem at any circuit but Mallory especially as it has one of the slowest corners in the country. We managed to put up a good fight despite the problem and we were able to battle for the lead for the first half of the race. Even with the problem we still managed to beat the lap record and finish in second place, only two seconds behind the race winner.

2006		The target for this year is to be consistently in the top 6 in RGB, it is hoped that the winter modifications, revised rear bodywork to eliminate the rear end lift and cold air intake for the engine, should allow the car to be competitive.

14-15th April Snetterton		Our first race of the season, and following from a positive test session at Donnington we were aiming for significant improvements on last years performance. Qualifying indicated that the winter's modifications had been successful with 4th for both races, around 3 seconds quicker than last year. Race 1 - a slow start dropped back 6th and a spin towards the end of lap 2 dropped to 12th, finally recovering to finish 7th. Race 2 - again slow off the mark dropping to 6th, but recovered to battle for 4th until the left rear bellcrank failed resulting in having to retire to the pits. A mixed weekend, we could see that the performance had improved, but were unable to return a result to match.
30th April / 1st May Cadwell		With revised bellcranks fitted to the car following from Snetterton, we were aiming for a similar level of improvement in lap times compared to last year and this time we hoped to be able to translate the improvements into the race results. Qualifying showed a healthy improvement on last year (over 3 seconds a lap quicker), this put us 4th for the first race and 5th for the second race. Race 1 delivered our best result so far of 3rd place. Race 2 delivered a new challenge, our first wet race, achieved 5th place.
27th May Thruxton		Qualifying at Thruxton was met with dry and bright weather, which made the task of learning the fastest circuit in the UK slightly easier. We were rewarded with a surprising 6th place position on the grid. The weather had taken a turn for the worse by the time the RGB formula were to form up on the grid, the rain was lashing down. A reasonable start was soon thrown away in the complex for the first time, trying to avoid another car resulted in a spin and last place. The rest of the race was spent discovering the limits on a very wet track while climbing up through the now spread out pack. We finished the race in 10th place overall and 4th in class, setting the third fastest lap time while progressing through traffic.
10/11th June Brands		A very hot and sunny weekend at Brands meant there would be a lot of sideward action as the road legal tyres would easily overheat. Qualifying went well with a 4th place in the first race and 5th in the second. After a race long battle with James Johnson we finished in 3rd position, closely behind Tim Pell's championship winning Pell Genesis. The second race was almost a repeat of the first race with ongoing battles throughout the race. This time finishing 4th overall, 3rd in class, less than 3 tenths behind the Genesis of Tim Pell. A very successful weekend, proving the BDN S2 is not only gaining speed but remains reliable.
15/16th July Pembrey		Another hot and sunny weekend welcomed us at the small Welsh circuit. Our performance over the weekend was oddly disappointing, although we came away with some good results, as the lap times were slower than our testing had shown we were capable of. Qualifying put us 7th for the first race and 6th for the second. The first race was 30mins in length (races are normally 15mins), so it would be a good test of both car and driver in the heat. Another poor start saw us drop a position into the first corner, but we were quickly back on the pace and putting pressure on the cars in front. Unfortunately on lap 4 we were a little too close, and while avoiding running into the car in front coming out of the first corner the BDN took to the grass. After spinning back onto the track we started making progress from 10th place back through the field, trying to make up for lost time. At the finish we were 3rd overall and 2nd in class. A better start in the second race saw us gain a place and put us in the middle of the front running class C cars. After a few laps we were not able to pass the battling cars in front so decided to let the two class C cars behind pass so they could race together. Avoiding a collision between 2 of the leading cars then meant we dropped behind the class A car of James Johnson. After a couple of laps we were able to retake the position and build a gap that would see us comfortable to the end of the race. We finished the race 5th overall and 3rd in class.
26th August Silverstone		Our first trip to the home of British motorsport was met with another podium finish even if the race was not the most exciting. Qualifying put us 4th on the grid, and after the second attempt to start the race (the first ended with the mid pack colliding in the first corner) we drove an uneventful race to finish 3rd.
17th September Donington Park		Returning to the circuit where we competed in our first race just over a year ago highlighted just how much we have achieved in such a short time. Driving in front of a larger crowd than normal due to the National Kit Car show the RGB drivers did not fail in putting on a good show. Qualifying was close with a quarter of a second separating second to fifth, we slotted in in 4th place. A good start put us up into 3rd place, with Gordon Griffin's T5 Mission close behind. Griffin made good use of his straight line speed and after swapping places a couple of times he manage to hold on to third place. We then chased down 2nd place Brookes in his Stuart Taylor Phasar and on the same lap both Griffin and Baldwin managed to pass him. We finished the race in 3rd place close behind Griffin, with the first 5 drivers all completing laps within the previous lap record. Qualifying for the second race saw us take 3rd place. The race was close with less than a second covering the first 3 places, again we were lapping under the previous lap record throughout the race. Unfortunately the race was stopped early with a red flag due to a collision with two class c cars. We again finished 3rd and set the fastest lap of the race and a new lap record by over a second.
30th September Snetterton		Once again Snetterton proves to be our nemesis, testing the day before saw us setting a good pace and looking forward to the race. Unfortunately during qualifying we suffered a failure in one of the wheel bearing carriers which ended our day. Due to this failure we did not have the opportunity to defend our second place in the championship and Gordon Griffin was looking set to relegate us to third. With 3 laps remaining in the race Gordon's car suffered a drive shaft failure and his race was over. Even though we had a disappointing day we still came away with 2nd in the championship, an excellent result for our first full season.

2005		The principle aim of this car is to go racing. The 2005 season is our learning season. This is the first race car we have designed and built, our driver has only ever entered 2 races before, both in formula first and both an addition of his ARDS course.

15th May Donnington		Only the third ever time the 2005 car had run and the first race, the target for this race was to finish. Finished 10th out of 16 starters a very positive start for our first race.
5th June Cadwell		Second race and tricky track to learn, whilst several areas had been identified for improvement following the Donnington race, the unforgiving nature of the Cadwell circuit was not the place to start working on setup, the car ran in setup as at Donnington and finished 9th.
19th June Brands		Our first opportunity to develop the cars setup since Donnington, improvements were made in the damping, another good finish 10th overall out of 29 starters and 7th in class.
25th September Cadwell		A race to forget, following positive testing with borrowed 15" wheels on the rear, we were all set with a brand new set of 15" wheels on the rear. However it was wet for qualifying so these we changed for scrubbed in 13" tyres, except we forgot to adjust the brake bias for the smaller wheels, this resulted in our worst qualifying in 21st place. The race was dry and we had changed back to the 15" wheels with the plan to take the first few laps gently both to scrub in the tyres and also to avoid getting caught in any first lap incidents. After the first few tentative laps things were going well we were 1.5 seconds faster than we had been on a previous visit to Cadwell, then on lap 9 we had our first DNF due to a fuel line failure.
9th October Snetterton		Entered both bikesports and RGB, Bikesports qualifying first, with the track damp from overnight rain, the conditions suited us as we managed our best qualifying positions of 6th and 5th for the 2 bike sports races. For RGB qualifying the track was nearly dry we qualified 10th. In the Bikesports races, track now fully dry, we finished 11th and 9th. In the final RGB race of the year things did not start well, at the 2nd corner we were hit hard from behind, causing a spin which meant having to recover from the back of the pack, good progress was made through the field to a final finishing place of 11th out of 31 starters.

		Full race reports at www.bikecars.co.uk and results at www.750mc.co.uk