Well Done Harris

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IanUAE

Original Poster:

2,945 posts

171 months

Sunday 16th January 2011
quotequote all
Harris,

Has your finishing position in the 24hr race been confirmed? I will let you have the honor of revealing your finishing position. If so blooming well done there to you and the boys at a2b.

We had to change the engine in the Integra during the race, before which we were running 2nd in class.

Chilli

17,320 posts

243 months

Sunday 16th January 2011
quotequote all
Sh!t, I missed it????

Damn it. A2b did well?

I AM GUTTED.

Emsman

6,974 posts

197 months

Sunday 16th January 2011
quotequote all
Didnt even realise we had PH'ers at the race!!!

I watched for 12 hours from the start to when i got tired (finished my 'special' pepsi)

Great weekend.


Harris_I

3,237 posts

266 months

Sunday 16th January 2011
quotequote all
Hi Ian - thanks for the kind words!

We started 83rd on the grid with demonstrably the slowest car in the race (a BMW 120d, also the slowest in our class), and somehow climbed 30 places over the 24 hours (including a couple of mishaps that cost us almost 2 hours). Night racing in the slowest car is most definitely the scariest thing I have ever done. The big dogs hunt in packs: if you get "strobed" by a Porsche GT3 R, let him through but be careful not to close the door as you turn in for the apex. You'll probably get tagged by a following Lambo, Ferrari and Aquilia. The speed differentials were insane.

The finish was ludicrously nail biting. We were 22 laps behind the third placed car in our class with 75 minutes to go. Our competitors from VW Racing Austria were running a poorly engine, and we had just enough time to overhaul them. A Code 60 just before the end meant we lost hope and buried our faces in our hands. When the Code 60 ended, Chris Wishart drove like a man possessed, and on the last sector of the last lap, we overtook the 3rd place car, now spewing oil everywhere.

After the race, we discovered VW Racing's first car (the one leading the class) was disqualified for dangerous blocking manoevres on our last lap in an attempt to help their team mates in the other car. So we got promoted to 2nd place!

A2B are a really brilliant outfit. The little 120diesel was a proper underdog and our budget wouldn't pay the Mercedes factory team's shoe shine bill, but the two Gareths, Lloyd, Konner, Nick and the boys from ARM and X-Centre did us proud, with hard work and ingenuity to get us going again.

What an awesome day. I reckon I will never have a success like that again.


Chilli

17,320 posts

243 months

Sunday 16th January 2011
quotequote all
Harris_I said:
Hi Ian - thanks for the kind words!

We started 83rd on the grid with demonstrably the slowest car in the race (a BMW 120d, also the slowest in our class), and somehow climbed 30 places over the 24 hours (including a couple of mishaps that cost us almost 2 hours). Night racing in the slowest car is most definitely the scariest thing I have ever done. The big dogs hunt in packs: if you get "strobed" by a Porsche GT3 R, let him through but be careful not to close the door as you turn in for the apex. You'll probably get tagged by a following Lambo, Ferrari and Aquilia. The speed differentials were insane.

The finish was ludicrously nail biting. We were 22 laps behind the third placed car in our class with 75 minutes to go. Our competitors from VW Racing Austria were running a poorly engine, and we had just enough time to overhaul them. A Code 60 just before the end meant we lost hope and buried our faces in our hands. When the Code 60 ended, Chris Wishart drove like a man possessed, and on the last sector of the last lap, we overtook the 3rd place car, now spewing oil everywhere.

After the race, we discovered VW Racing's first car (the one leading the class) was disqualified for dangerous blocking manoevres on our last lap in an attempt to help their team mates in the other car. So we got promoted to 2nd place!

A2B are a really brilliant outfit. The little 120diesel was a proper underdog and our budget wouldn't pay the Mercedes factory team's shoe shine bill, but the two Gareths, Lloyd, Konner, Nick and the boys from ARM and X-Centre did us proud, with hard work and ingenuity to get us going again.

What an awesome day. I reckon I will never have a success like that again.
Fantastic!
Gutted I missed it. Gareth is a top bloke. Only met him a couple of times, but helped me out.

IanUAE

Original Poster:

2,945 posts

171 months

Sunday 16th January 2011
quotequote all
Emsman said:
Didnt even realise we had PH'ers at the race!!!

I watched for 12 hours from the start to when i got tired (finished my 'special' pepsi)

Great weekend.
I was with the WRC team looking ater the pit wall. We just changed 2 gearbox on Thursday and one engine in the race. I will post a report soon, ie: when a slightly more awake than a hibernating bear.

Emsman

6,974 posts

197 months

Sunday 16th January 2011
quotequote all
IanUAE said:
Emsman said:
Didnt even realise we had PH'ers at the race!!!

I watched for 12 hours from the start to when i got tired (finished my 'special' pepsi)

Great weekend.
I was with the WRC team looking ater the pit wall. We just changed 2 gearbox on Thursday and one engine in the race. I will post a report soon, ie: when a slightly more awake than a hibernating bear.
The only to things that hurt being here- not seeing my lad and missing Le mans, I've been every year since 1993

Harris_I

3,237 posts

266 months

Sunday 16th January 2011
quotequote all
IanUAE said:
We just changed 2 gearbox on Thursday and one engine in the race.
I should probably not admit this, but I reckon the pit crews have a much rougher time than the drivers. At least I managed a couple of hours kip.

yorky500

1,715 posts

198 months

Sunday 16th January 2011
quotequote all
Harris,

Congrats to you and the team. I did not realise that you were part of that "black smoke" belching Beemer. I was convinced it would not make the finish, so bloody well done - awesome drive

IanUAE

Original Poster:

2,945 posts

171 months

Sunday 23rd January 2011
quotequote all
Here is a link to the report I wrote based upon the trials and tribulations the team I was working with went through:
http://circuitprodigital.com/2011/01/22/dubai-24hr...

IanUAE

Original Poster:

2,945 posts

171 months

Sunday 20th February 2011
quotequote all
Well War and Piece (aka Harris's race report) is in this months EVO Magazine, well worth a read.