The car we chose from our stock of imported cars, was a totally bog-standard 1992 1.6 model in white, which was chosen for no other reason except it seemed to drive quite fast when we first road-tested it!

The car was prepared in our workshops in January this year, which involved stripping out as much “dead weight” and surplus fittings, such as the air-conditioning, heating, interior trim, seats, etc. as possible. We then installed the FIA approved roll cage, racing seat with 6-point harness, fire-extinguisher system and other necessary safety devices.

The Max 5 Racing regulations are fairly strict with regards to mechanical modifications, designed to keep everyone on a “level playing field” and make the racing more interesting. This approach seems to be working, as most of the racing last season was pretty close. The specified suspension set-up is AVO fully adjustable shock-absorbers and springs. Wheels are Team Dynamics Pro-Sport 2 Alloys with Colway Racing tyres. We opted for a fairly standard wheel alignment setting, with slightly increased toe-in on the front. The brake discs must remain standard, but we have installed EBC Yellow-stuff pads all round and Goodrich braided hoses.

Having built the car, the next job was to choose a driver! The obvious choice was company director Martin Dooner, who has absolutely no experience of driving a racing car whatsoever!

First outing with the car was at Croft circuit in early March for 2 days of testing. This was the first time Martin had ever driven a car on a circuit, so it was quite a steep learning curve. The car performed brilliantly in a straight line but was not much good at going around corners! This was mainly due to the inexperience of the driver but also due to the fact that the diff had seized up. A quick diff change on the second day dramatically improved performance and we were definitely not the slowest car on the track.

Back at the garage we made a few more adjustments, including laser aligning the wheels and putting the car on a “diet” to try and get down to the minimum allowed weight of 950 kgs.

The last practice outing before the first race was at Donington Park at the end of March, where the car (and driver) put in a better performance.

 

 

First Race: Silverstone 16 th April

 

We arrived at Silverstone the night before the race and parked our Transit van next to all the huge motorhomes and trucks. We spent a freezing night trying to sleep in the back of the van; perfect preparation for your first race!

Qualifying began at 9.30am with around 36 cars all vying for a position on the grid. Martin was more concerned with trying to learn the circuit, having only ever seen Silverstone on the T.V. Despite this he managed to qualify 27 th on the grid. The race itself was very exciting, with a full grid of 34 cars all trying to be first around Copse corner. The car ran impeccably and Martin ended up finishing 24 th , which was a creditable performance for the first outing.