Formula Palmer Audi test for Charlotte Haegermark

The test took place at Bedford Autodrome about an hour drive north of London. The first hour was spent for seat fitting followed by two hours of track testing.

The actual driving technique resembles of driving a shifter kart but there were also some differences which made the driving difficult in many ways. The biggest difference was the gearbox which had and H-pattern shifting system rather than the sequential shifting that I´m used to in karting and also the amount of brake pedal force you had to apply, says Charlotte.

In the beginning of the session she took it pretty easy in order to acquaint herself with the car. In spite of that, she managed to do a few spins, slipping out into the grass and a 360 degree spin on the tarmac as well.

In the beginning it was easy to be keen with the throttle coming out of the corners and entering the straights due to the turbo lag. You had to be really soft on the throttle and be aware of the turbo boost that would appear just after a moment, explains Charlotte.

It was a bit difficult for Charlotte, being a kart driver, to achieve the necessary driving rhythm in the beginning. In karting you have an extremely good control of your vehicle, while you in FPA have other parameters such as springs and dampers, wings, turbo lag, limited visibility and of course a much heavier car which you have to get adapted to.

Towards the end of the session, Charlotte got a better pace and got used to the turbo lag. However, it quickly got dark in the evening, so after about 30 laps on the 1,8 miles long West Track it was time to head back to the garage and to call it a day.

Driving such a powerful racing car was really a fantastic experience for me, very much different from what I initially had expected. Much more physical and actually also much more mentally demanding than I had expected as well. But like all other challenges, the more you sweat in practice, the more you gain in battle and the better you get. I hope that I will be able to do some more testing before the end of the season, concludes Charlotte.

Facts about Formula Palmer Audi (FPA):
The series is run and promoted by the former Formula 1 driver Jonathan Palmer and the cars were specially designed and built by the well-known British formula car producer Van Diemen. The cars are constructed around a monocoque of aluminium honeycomb and carbon fibres. The power plant is an Audi 1,8 litre turbo engine coupled to a 5-speed Hewland gearbox. The power output is approx. 300 bhp with an additional power possibility by means of a booster button on the steering wheel, which you are allowed to use eight times during a race mainly for overtaking. The cars are slightly bigger then F3 and FR and have slightly wider tyres as well. The series started ten years ago and among those drivers that have started their careers in FPA Björn Wirdheim, Gary Paffett, Andy Priaulx and Giorgio Pantano can be mentioned. FPA has during the years served as a breeding class and a first step series for all categories of racing drivers resulting in you today can find ex-FPA drivers in F1, F 3000, GP2, F3, FR 3,5, FR 2,0, Touring Cars, Sports Racing Cars etc.

Double podium finish for Sarah Bennett-Baggs!

Sarah’s inaugural outing in her new loaned 911 SC won her a double podium finish at Silverstone over the weekend. Extending her points for 2nd in the Championship.

Sarah Bennett-Baggs returned to the Porsche Club Championship at Silverstone last weekend - following a huge accident at Castle Combe three weeks ago, which wrote off her beautiful pink 1978 Porsche 911 SC.

Sarah was loaned an identical car Porsche 911, which was quickly prepared with her engine and gearbox by Harvey Racing, then wrapped in an eye-catching pink furry wrap by Cre8, Potters Bar based Creative Agency. [Read more]

Amanda Whitaker races at Brands and Cadwell in one weekend!

County Durham’s fast female had a busy weekend when she raced at opposite ends of the Country this weekend, taking a class win in the process despite mechanical gremlins.

She first raced her 1971 Elden Mk8 in her regular series HSCC Formula Ford at Brands Hatch on Saturday. She qualified 4th only 4 tenths of a second away from Pole sitter Darren Burke. She stayed in the same position in the race, although felt she could have challenged for a win had it not been for an overheating and down on power engine. The result consolidates her 3rd place in the championship. [Read more]

Sarah Reader takes championship Lead

Warwickshire racer Sarah Reader and her co-driver Ryan Hooker have claimed a narrow overall lead in the VdeV Endurance Series following another strong result at the Assen circuit in the Netherlands on Sunday (7 Sep). [Read more]

Liz Halliday takes top ten LMP1 finish in difficult Nurburgring race

Liz Halliday finished tenth in class on her LMP1 debut despite a troubled Nurburgring 1000km race which saw the Creation AIM she shared with South African Stephen Simpson suffer two lengthy pit stops.

Simpson qualified the car 18th on the grid and had climbed a couple of places in the early laps, but unfortunately a problem was brewing. Damage caused by contact with a spinning LMP2 car at the first corner caused a blockage in the cooling ducts for the starter motor and gearbox and had to be remedied to prevent later problems from occurring. As a result, considerable time was lost in making repairs. Having dropped well down the field to 42nd overall, Simpson fought back well to 25th by the time he handed over to Halliday.

Liz’s first ever stint in the premier sportscar class started in unfortunate circumstances when she was hit from behind by a fellow LMP1 car on her first lap out of the pits. Rear bodywork damage forced her back into the pit lane for more repairs.

After rejoining the race back down in 38th, Halliday began to claw her way back up the field, during her stint, with Simpson continuing this good work when he returned to the car. Both drivers safely worked their way past the plethora of GT cars at the notoriously tight Nurburgring circuit and with a number of LMP1 cars falling by the wayside, they managed to recover to a respectable 22nd overall and 10th in class at the end of the six hour endurance race.

Liz Halliday: “It’s been a steep learning curve but I’ve really enjoyed being back in the thick of the action again and I was very impressed with the whole Creation team. It’s a new car and a new track for me but I think I improved throughout the race and it’s been a fantastic and very worthwhile experience. I have never raced with Stephen before but he’s a fantastic co-driver and very helpful. He’s an easy guy to work with and very quick so I’m really looking forward to my two races in the US with him and the team.”

Stephen Simpson: “This is my first ever sportscar event and before now I’ve never been in a race for more than an hour. Doing two double-stints was very different, but really enjoyable. I’ve learned so much this weekend and overall I’m really happy.”

Team Principal Mike Jankowski said: “This was a big baptism of fire for Liz after such a long period out of a racing car and I think she did a really good job. Her lap times kept coming down throughout the weekend and she held her own against a quality field of drivers. I’m looking forward to working with her again at Petit Le Mans and Laguna Seca later in the year.”

Photos courtesy of john Brooks and Dominique Breugnot

Lauren Gray returns to the Island to kick off Manchamps campaign

Melbourne driver Lauren Gray will contest the opening round of the 2008 Australian Manufacturers Championship at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit this weekend ahead of a season-long campaign in the revitalised ‘Manchamps’.

Altona-based Gray, 21, will compete aboard a familiar ride; her long serving Toyota Echo being prepared for the weekends’ round ahead of an anticipated jump into a newly constructed Corolla later this year.
[Read more]

LEILANI MUNTER FEATURED IN HISTORICAL INDIANAPOLIS 500 PROGRAM

(May 22, 2008) Indianapolis, IN - Pages 162, 163, and 165 of the 2008 Indianapolis 500 program are dedicated to a driver that is not racing this weekend. A young driver who turned the heads of many in the open wheel community when she burst onto the scene in 2007. Driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in her first open wheel race, she qualified 5th and had such an impressive run that four time Indy 500 Champion Rick Mears reacted by saying, “Leilani did a great job. I am looking forward to seeing her race some more.”
[Read more]

MILKA DUNO QUALIFIES FOR 92nd INDY 500

INDIANAPOLIS (May 19, 2008) – Milka Duno, IndyCar Series driver with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, qualified Saturday, May 17, for the 92nd Indy 500. Driving her #23 CITGO Honda Dallara IndyCar, Duno recorded a four-lap average speed of 220.305 m.p.h. which secured the 27th starting position and her second start in the classic 500-mile race.

“I’m so relieved and very happy with our qualifying run,” said Duno. “It was our goal to earn a place on the grid, and, with the help of my outstanding team, we did it. There was some wind to fight off, which made the car a bit slower. Even with the weather conditions, we came through to qualify for the world’s largest race with four consistent laps. I am more than excited to compete in my second Indianapolis 500.”
[Read more]

Career best weekend for Leanne Tander at Mallala

TanderSport has won for the second time in as many rounds as Leanne Tander pieced together her best ever Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship round, at Mallala Raceway near Adelaide.

Tander scored a pole position, a race win and more points than any other driver at the weekend to fly back into championship contention after a 30-point turnaround in the last two rounds.
[Read more]

All Eyes On Danica Patrick For Indianapolis 500

Danica Patrick is sure to revisit the cover of Sports Illustrated, only this time as a champion driver and not a swimsuit model. The stunning 26-year-old has been voted the most popular driver for three years running and now she has proved that she can hold her own against the men.
[Read more]

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