My First Ever Single Seater Formula Race back in 06 - Old Memories :)

I was preparing for this race from a very long time hoping a lot from myself due to the test results that I had were very positive but its true that you dont get succes so quickly you have to wait for it . I came to the track on thursday , 2 days prior to the race . I was a lot exited , my team owner had called me 2 days early so that I can test the car and he can prepare the car accordingly .

I went to the track in the afternoon . I first tested the Red car in which I had tested previously which had brake problems and the also engine problems , I tested around 4 laps and came in the pits with the complaint that engine was not working properly . So my team owner saw the car and said that the engine is dead and he will have to replace the engine . Ah all this had to happen during the race weekend only , but still we had an day or so , meanwhile he was preparing another single seater car . He said he will be giving me that car to drive for the race . This bought me a bit of hope . The next day on friday we came early morning to the track the whole morning was spent preparing the new car , I mean it was not new it had old chasis and old tyres only thing new was he was preparing the car . Meanwhile my teammate came who was then told that he will be driving the red car .

So atlast the new White car was prepared for testing in the afternoon , I first went out for testing man the car was handling very badly , it had a big oversteer problem due to which it was realy difficlut to handle so I went a bit slow , i was say about 6 seconds off pace of pole position time . Then my teammate went who was a good experinced driver in the Saloon car and a very nice person . He went out and he was 5 seconds off pace my timing . This thing had started worrying me . I told my team owner , he said its not a problem you are a new driver just go out there and drive , this thing had realy frustrated me . But I had decided not to give up on this car which had 2 years old tyre which had no grip and no alignment also . Finaly somehow i clocked a OK time which was about 2.8 seconds behind pole with these 2 years old tyre and oversteer problem and my teammate was 1.8 seconds behind me in the same car . My team owner then said that he will prepare the car properly with changing the settings on saturday . This thing bought a bit of relief in me as I knew changing the tyres itself will bring my timings down by 2 seconds and remaining time I can get it by myself .

Then the main day came , it was saturday and I came to the track at around 7 30 am . I was realy a lot exited and also a bit worried about the car . All the mechanics came and also the team owner . I cleaned the body of my car so that I can put my names new sticker and also my Car number . Meanwhile the mechanics were preparing the red car and also the white car . They were fitting new engine in the red car . Then all the drivers were being called for drivers briefing . We were being told that the first official practise will start at around 10 am that is just after 5 minutes . I went running to my pits to change my dress and put on my suit and shoes . Then suddenly I was being told that I wond be driving the White car and my teammate will be driving and that I will be driving the Red Car instead which will take atleast 3 more hours to get it fully prepared .So this means that I will be missing both the official practise . But i still had soem hope that if the car gets prepared before qualifying then atleast I can drive in few laps and qualify in top ten . I kept on watching both the practise sessions just hoping that my car will get prepared in time .

Then the time came for qualifying and my car was still not ready . Qualifying started and I was still in the pits waiting for my car getting prepared .Finaly my car was prepared and i went out of the pits with just about 5 minutes of qualifying remaining . I was being told not to drive more than 3 laps as the engine is new and the car is not being prepared totaly for race conditions .I went out there and did around 3 laps . But a big problem had hapeened , as the engine was new and the car balance was not proper there was no straight line speed on it and that my car was way off pace with some heating problem as well . I came in the pits and again another problem had occured , the battery of my car was dead . But I still had managed to qualify on 12 out of 14 Drivers on Grid .

I was disappointed but I knew race is different scenario hoping that my car will change till the time . The race was about to start , we all went on the grid . The five lights were about to go off . The race was go and I had made a good start overtaking 2 drivers on the start itself going to 10 . Then on that lap itself there was one retirement pushing me to 9 , but again i Noticed the same engine problem no straight line speed , I managed to still go upto 8 but then the same thing no speed so drivers started overtaking me on straights very easily and then the heating problem started and I had to retire on the 6 lap due to the heating problem and no speed . It was an disappointing end to my first race . Then I knew there is another race where I can perform better but then in the second race , my car stalled on the grid due to battery going off [Battery deid ]. Other than this there were a lot of things going on inside as well which as of now better of that I dont tell but one thing is for sure this race thaught me a lot and has made my will of racing till my last breath more and I will surely one day achieve my dream ,

This article I had written long time back when I started racing in single seater I have just put up this article to bring back my motivation, I had prepared my first site then about 2 years back http://alokbiracing.4t.com/
I will write my other race experiences soon as I really need that motivation back and only way I can bring it back is going back in the past.

Thanks and bye,
Ayrton (Alok)