PETN 6 and 7, a double-header!
PETN 6 and 7, a double-header!
It is time for PETN 6 and 7, a double-header! That means we are looking at a weekend with, as usual, practice on Friday and then 2 qualifying sessions and 2 races on Saturday and Sunday. One qualifying session and race on Saturday and one on Sunday. So there are a lot of points to be scored this weekend.
It is also the weekend when my colleagues from TOMS “the original modelcar store” are coming over. Awesome, I am really looking forward to it!
Friday starts well. Before the practice session at the circuit, we have a session with the PETN Talent Pool about “neuro-athletics”. The session is about training your eyes, balance organs and coordination. Very interesting and definitely applicable to racing!
When the workshop is over, it is time for practice. This time it starts at 16:00 and, as usual, we start with a few taxi laps. This time I get to surprise Beau from He-Rho with a taxi ride and of course Heino joins for a lap as well. Once the taxi rides are done, it is time to properly test the car.
A new chassis has been built, so it is important to get a feel for how it is. Both Heiko and I were able to do quite a few laps and therefore get some good kilometres under our belts in preparation for Saturday. The car feels good and I feel fit and comfortable in the car. So that is great. After checking the data and onboard footage, I am ready for the race! Just the briefing and then I am ready to go.
Saturday:
Saturday starts nice and early, as we are qualifying again at 08:20. First, wake up a little and then discuss the approach for qualifying. The weather is a bit damp, so we decide to first do a “scouting lap” to see where the track is wet. And it is definitely needed, because the track is still quite wet in some places. Because the track is still too wet for a fast lap, we decide to come into the pits and wait for a while.
After waiting, we do the same thing: first a scouting lap and then a push lap. If I see that the track is dry, we can push. And it works. I start my lap at exactly the right moment and I am in the right place on track. There is little traffic and the track is dry, and combined with my driving, this means I set a personal record! Yess!!
After this lap, we decide to bring the car back into the pits and wait. With this time, a top 3 qualifying position is almost guaranteed. When qualifying is over, our starting position is, as expected, P3.
During qualifying, one of our competitors, who had put the car in P2, crashes. The damage is so severe that they cannot start today. So we will start from P3, but virtually from P2 because the second starting position on the grid remains empty.
Besides He-Rho, we also have InformAR as guests at the circuit today: Andre, Paul, Iggy and Marlon. It is really great to feel their enthusiasm, interest and support throughout the day.
Race:
The strategy for our race is fairly simple. Heiko starts, I drive the second stint and Heiko finishes the race. Heiko gets a good start and can join P1. The laps that follow are good. We cannot quite stay connected to P1, but a solid P2 at this stage of the race is simply good.
Until lap 8 arrives. The car starts to develop problems and loses power. Heiko drops back, but the time loss is still relatively limited. Normally, we would do 9 laps in a stint, but coming in one lap earlier is not a disaster. Unfortunately, the problem is not easy to solve. They search for the cause and replace parts. It looks like an electrical problem.
When the mechanics are finished, we have lost approximately 35 minutes by the time I can go out on track for my stint. We are out of contention for the race, but it is certainly important to test whether the problems stay away and make sure we are ready for tomorrow. At first, it looks like the problem has been solved. I can set fast lap times. Lap times that are equal to the front of the field. But unfortunately, after 9 laps in my stint, the car loses power again, just like with Heiko, and that is the end of the race for us. So disappointing! Especially because one of our championship competitors did not even start. So there is work to do to make sure we can have a good race tomorrow.
Sunday:
Just like Saturday, we start with a qualifying session followed by a 4-hour race.
Besides the standard programme, TOMS “the original modelcar store” is coming today with 24 guests (my colleagues)! As a company outing, they are coming to the circuit today and will take part in the “Horst Tour”. They are welcomed in the Sorg Rennsport lounge, then take a bus around the circuit and, after lunch, watch the race from some of the most iconic spots around the circuit. And CAS MEDIA joined them to capture the day.
But first, qualifying. On Saturday, I improved my personal best time by more than a second, and today I do it again! Once again, good enough for third place, and the gap to P1 and P2 is getting smaller and smaller. So far, I have improved every race weekend this season and found new speed every weekend. That gives me a good feeling going into the race!
After the good qualifying session, I start the race and get ready to give it everything. And it works! At the start, I immediately overtake P2 and can hold the position. The stint goes well and nothing crazy happens until the rain starts! Half of the circuit is wet, the other half is dry. The rain gets heavier, and then lighter again. It keeps changing constantly. Unfortunately, I drop back to P3, but I bring the car back safely, after which it is Heiko's turn for his stint.
The rain keeps getting heavier, with cars going into the wall every now and then. Heiko feels comfortable in the car and is setting good lap times. During the race, we therefore decide that he will also drive the final stint and bring the car to the finish. The conditions are changing so much that it is smarter to leave him in the car rather than have me get back in and have to get used to the conditions all over again. Especially because Heiko is a very good driver in the rain and because we are fighting for a podium position.
This turns out to be a good decision. With one small moment of aquaplaning and the necessary scare that comes with it, Heiko brings the car home in P3. In these conditions, and especially in the Porsche Cup3 field where the top of the championship is very close together, we are happy with P3. We are satisfied and looking forward to the next race. One more race in October, one last dance!
After the race, I still have some time to chat with my colleagues, who are by then in the Porsche Lounge. Unfortunately, I soon have to head to the podium ceremony and they have to get back on the bus home. It was really great having them here. Being right in the middle of the action, the support and everyone's enthusiasm was amazing!
