My name is Ash Robinson, thanks for taking the time to visit my blog. I am a racing driver and it’s my goal to become a Formula 1 World Champion. This website will track my progress in the various motor racing classes on my journey to the pinnacle of the sport.
Ash
For those of you that follow the Super League you will know that Craig Dolby is the Falcon Motorsport driver coach and helps our team with race preparation and teaching us how to get the best from our cars.
Whilst my car failed this weekend at Donington, Craig was having similar issues at Zolda. It’s not just me who had bad luck this weekend, I know how you feel Craig…..
Ash.
I’ve always wanted to race at Donington, there’s something about the circuit that I love. Maybe it’s the sweeping nature of the track with its banks and slopes, it reminds of some karting tracks I used to enjoy like GYG in Wales.
At the start of the weekend, we couldn’t find the pace needed to keep up with the other teams but gradually through practising and then qualifying improvements were found and we times came to within just 4/10ths of the fastest times. Feeling very confident we went into Saturday morning in torrential rain and have never driven in the wet before confidence soon eroded.
In the afternoon the rain finished and we managed to get our slick tyres back on, speed returned and the car felt good. Finished 5th overall but challenging for 4th and was 4th quickest overall.
Sunday came and our first race was late in the afternoon, a long wait, however with grid girls to keep us occupied time went quickly. Setup changes had been made and when we finally went to the grid the car felt even better, it was dry too, bonus!. The warm up lap was great but coming round the final corner the engine just started to rev and I had no drive, the team did everything they could but I failed to start, an awful result. Still Thruxton in a months time will be better, looking forward to it.
Ash.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Rockingham race circuit is an oval track designed to entice Indy racing from the US into the UK. An infield circuit was also built which attracts all kind of motorsport including our Intersteps Championship on the weekend of 2nd and 3rd of July 2011.
The teams pace was good but not fast enough to compete with our nearest rivals who just seemed to be able to go consistently quicker than all of us at Falcon. That said we made changes which brought the gap to a manageable level for the race. During qualifying I could manage only 6th place with understeer being the biggest problem. It didn’t seem to matter what I did to counter it, I just couldn’t get power down quickly enough to get the drive I needed.
For the races on Saturday keeping ahead of my team mates was the main goal and try to keep up with our competitors as much as possible but it was tough going. For Sunday we made more changes to the car and performance improved and for the final race of the day I launched the car around the outside of turn 2 to drive from 6th to 2nd in one move and driving away from the pack quickly with the race leader.
The race order stayed the same until 2 laps from the end of the race when I lost position to a faster car but stayed in 3rd to take my first podium. I can’t begin to tell you the relief I felt to be back on the steps again, I certainly didn’t think that it would be so soon in the championship and having done it now I am even more hungry for my next and won’t stop until I am on the top step.
Thanks to the team and my sponsors for their support throughout the weekend.
Ash.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
One thing I definitely like about the Intersteps Championship is the attention they are paying to driver training. At each race meeting we have a couple of hours in the MSA (Motor Sports Association) awning where we learn about driver health and race fitness, management, sponsors (and how to look after them), marketing, mental agility and other important aspects of being a motor racing driver.
I have no doubt that in the future the courses we are taking now will be invaluable to me and the other drivers in the Intersteps class.
Ash.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
You can’t consider going racing without using the data collected in your car to review your driving performance. You need to know your lap times, your break pressure and when you are on and off your brakes. Throttle response is also critical as is the gear you are in.
Our driver coach, Craig Dolby , winner of the Super League finals in Assen in June, uses this information to compare the team members against his own performance. Are we braking hard enough, how fast can we get back on the throttle, are we in the right gear etc.
Ash
