LuckyP Racing - Phew, made it!

[LuckyP]

Hi all,

As one of those annoying (self proclaimed) trackday heros, I thought it was best to have a go at racing to see just how I'd compare to real racer types in one make racing. So about this time last year I had a chat with Patrick at Rogue Motorsport, and before I knew it I was on the starting grid for the 2009 MR2 Championship. Black cross on my arse, and pooping my little cotton pants I dived head first into the completely alien (to me) world of Club Motorsport.

This little compilation of this year's events gives a taster to anyone thinking of doing the deed. I have throughly enjoyed myself and have now retired from racing whilst I'm still in one piece!!

8th place in the Championship and the highest placed novice.

Hats of to all you racer types - I had no idea of the commitment required to make yourself, your car and your life, fit for a season's racing.

Enjoy........

http://www.vimeo.com/7416434

[snailpace85]

Now that looked fun. But what I don't understand is, having finished well up and top rookie, how did you manage to give it up? A fellow racer once said to me 'This is worse than heroine'. I'll take his word for that but I need to know - how did you do it?

Snailpace

[LuckyP]

snailpace85 said:

Now that looked fun. But what I don't understand is, having finished well up and top rookie, how did you manage to give it up? A fellow racer once said to me 'This is worse than heroine'. I'll take his word for that but I need to know - how did you do it?

Snailpace

Good question. I can think of a lot of reasons/excuses, but the only answer I can give with 100% conviction is that I really never quite got 'the hook'.

At least half of the races I found myself in a pocket, back from the leading pack but safely ahead of the mid pack. I recall on more than one occasion trying to work out the cost per lap of the rubber I was using, in another race I was trying to slide the car for photographers!!! Time to give up me thinks!!

Lucky

[jimmybusiness27]

Hi Lucky P,

Nice one...
What camera were you using?

[ginettajoe]

LuckyP said:

Hi all,

As one of those annoying (self proclaimed) trackday heros, I thought it was best to have a go at racing to see just how I'd compare to real racer types in one make racing. So about this time last year I had a chat with Patrick at Rogue Motorsport, and before I knew it I was on the starting grid for the 2009 MR2 Championship. Black cross on my arse, and pooping my little cotton pants I dived head first into the completely alien (to me) world of Club Motorsport.

This little compilation of this year's events gives a taster to anyone thinking of doing the deed. I have throughly enjoyed myself and have now retired from racing whilst I'm still in one piece!!

8th place in the Championship and the highest placed novice.

Hats of to all you racer types - I had no idea of the commitment required to make yourself, your car and your life, fit for a season's racing.

Enjoy........

http://www.vimeo.com/7416434

I remember instructing you on a trackday before your first race, .... I think it was Snetterton. You drove well, and with the minimum of instruction, .... Well done! Howard

[speedychrissie]

That was a very good video and very interesting for me as I am planning on starting racing myself next year.

From that vid it seemed like there was quite a bit of "argey-bargey" going on from quite a lot of people. Maybe it is just because I have followed my father in classic racing for the past 10 years where there is an absolute minimum of contact, but I was surprised how much there seemed to be in your championship. In your experience, what was the general feeling about contact? Was it very much frowned upon with people getting annoyed or did everyone expect to get hit every now and again and brush it off? Just curious really.

[clubracing]

speedychrissie said:

That was a very good video and very interesting for me as I am planning on starting racing myself next year.

From that vid it seemed like there was quite a bit of "argey-bargey" going on from quite a lot of people. Maybe it is just because I have followed my father in classic racing for the past 10 years where there is an absolute minimum of contact, but I was surprised how much there seemed to be in your championship. In your experience, what was the general feeling about contact? Was it very much frowned upon with people getting annoyed or did everyone expect to get hit every now and again and brush it off? Just curious really.

It's hard to compare classic racing with ordinary club racing. The driving in classic racing tends to be more, 'oh no...after you'.

I think the level of argey bargey in the video is perhaps more to do with the editing than a true reflection of the driving in MR2's. Generally in club racing if there is contact and unless it was clearly avoidable, people are annoyed but they apologize to each other and think of it as just part of racing.

[LuckyP]

jimmybusiness27 said:

Hi Lucky P,

Nice one...
What camera were you using?

Thanks,

Front facer is a roll cage mounted Panasonic SDR-SW20 (the waterproof holiday camera)

Rear facer is a Dogcam bullet cam & Mini DVR mounted through the boot lock apperture!

Both using Microsoft Movie Maker software

[LuckyP]

ginettajoe said:

I remember instructing you on a trackday before your first race, .... I think it was Snetterton. You drove well, and with the minimum of instruction, .... Well done! Howard

Thanks Howard - yes that was me. It obviously worked!! Thanks!

[LuckyP]

clubracing said:

speedychrissie said:

That was a very good video and very interesting for me as I am planning on starting racing myself next year.

From that vid it seemed like there was quite a bit of "argey-bargey" going on from quite a lot of people. Maybe it is just because I have followed my father in classic racing for the past 10 years where there is an absolute minimum of contact, but I was surprised how much there seemed to be in your championship. In your experience, what was the general feeling about contact? Was it very much frowned upon with people getting annoyed or did everyone expect to get hit every now and again and brush it off? Just curious really.

It's hard to compare classic racing with ordinary club racing. The driving in classic racing tends to be more, 'oh no...after you'.

I think the level of argey bargey in the video is perhaps more to do with the editing than a true reflection of the driving in MR2's. Generally in club racing if there is contact and unless it was clearly avoidable, people are annoyed but they apologize to each other and think of it as just part of racing.

Clubracing is absolutely right. I've edited the 'best bits?' of this years racing. The contact that I had in 14 (inc allcomers) races is what you see. I had knocks on every panel some guys get through the season with no knocks and some have plenty more!! As a trackdayer at heart I'm really a polisher, I was really shocked at my first contact, but it soon opens your eyes to it. As you can see, I gave as good as I got!!

All of us would do our very best to avoid contact, and where it was is was normally discussed afterwards in the paddock - but everyone knows that there is a possibility it might happen.

Go for it...you might like it!!

[speedychrissie]

Fair enough. I am not having a go at you or anyone else on the video and I know that club racing is very different to classic racing, but I was just surprised at how different.

My father's championships are very closely fought, yet this season I believe there were only a couple of incidents involving contact of cars. I guess they are just closely fought in a different way to a lot of other championships.

I am definitely going to be starting racing next year. I have my car, I have my helmet, I will be getting new overalls in the new year aswell as sending off my ARDS stuff. I have however asked father christmas for a nice new pair of very large cojones in preparation!

[RogueMotorsport]

I'm not sure we've seen the end of LuckyP Racing just yet...

Contact is not excessive in the MR2 Championship, and like Pete says we have a policy of having the drivers concerned discuss any vehicle-to-vehicle incidents in the paddock afterwards. Pete's video obviously includes all of his clips of the more interesting moments from the year - the wall in my office has a dozen or so pictures of me sideways or off the circuit simply because they're more interesting than static shots.

Here's an example of how close the racing can be in the MR2 Championship with no contact - it's the last race of the season and cars 95 and 58 are fighting for 3rd place in the Championship:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO4n_hcI3-Y

It's also worth noting that we didn't have a single race red-flagged this year.