Topspeed Racing
Cheshire based Topspeed Racing run their 2001 Dallara F3 in the Club F3 Championship www.clubf3.co.uk
The Team:
- Driver: Steve Clegg
- Race Engineer: Martin Dawson
- Mechanic: Howard Smith
Club Formula 3
The Edge Club F3 Series, created, organised and promoted by BRSCC www.brscc.co.uk aims to make genuine Formula 3 racing come within the financial reach of the majority of club racers.
Although the racecars are identical to those run in thier respective years in the British Formula 3 Championship, the annual budget for a Club F3 team is about 6% of that required for teams competing in British F3. Therefore, club competitors have the opportunity to race modern F3 cars at a fraction of thier normal operating costs. Indeed, Club F3 is the only series where Formula 3 cars are raced without modification and according to the F3 rules for the year each chassis was built.
This season the fitness of drivers and excellent car preparation continues to be a significant feature. As all of the qualification sessions and races are 25 minutes duration it is not a championship for the poorly prepared or faint-hearted driver!
Topspeed Racing
After many seasons success in Formula Ford 1600, where the team scored several race wins & podiums, in 2003 the team moved up to Formula 3 and ran a Reynard 863 in the then ARP F3 Championship, later to become Club F3. Despite often being outclassed by the modern 2000 Dallara cars, the team often bought their 1986 car home ahead of most of the field, most notably scoring a 3rd place at Oulton Park and 2nd place in a wet race at a thoroughly drenched Donington Park Circuit in 2004.
In early 2005, having disposed of their 2 Reynard race cars, the team purchased an almost unused 2001 Dallara and spent most of that year rebuilding the car and sourcing a suitable Renault engine, as the car was originally powered by Mugen Honda, this was an undertaking which involved having many new parts specially made. Finally, the car rolled out of the workshop race ready, just days ahead of the 2006 season opener at Oulton Park where Steve managed to qualify 2nd on the grid, only to retire mid-race with a gearbox failure.
Throughout most of the 2007 season, this became a familiar format for the team's race weekend; qualifying often on the front row, only to be dogged in the race by minor problems. However, thier misfortune changed at Silverstone in August, when, after qualifying a lowly 6th place, Steve scored the team's maiden F3 win, confirmation that their effort over the last 18 months had eventually paid off.
For 2008 the team have new Renault power and the car is ready for the first meeting of the season at Silverstone for 2 races over the weekend of 12 & 13 April. Needless to say, visiting a circuit where Steve won last year, the team's confidence is high.
Race Reports
Silverstone 12 & 13 April 2008
After a difficult Friday test day with rain showers keeping the track damp, Steve finally posted a respectable time in the last session and the team ended the day convinced that they had a set-up that worked.
Qualifying in the sunshine and a dray track on Saturday morning, Steve qualified 2nd for the Saturday afternoon race and 3rd for Sunday's race. (Grid positions are based on the fastest lap- time for the first race and second fastest lap-time for the second race).
Round One
Starting from the front row, Steve made a poor start and was dropped to 3rd by Copse, the first corner, and, after getting tapped from behind into the Beckett's hairpin was down to 4th. While Steve battled to pass the 3rd place car of Ray Rowan, the positions stayed the same for several laps until finally the pressure was too much for Rowan who made an error exiting Brooklands leaving the door open for Steve to reclaim his 3rd spot. By this time the leading pair were too far ahead and, despite closing the gap to 2nd to just a couple of seconds, Steve had to settle for 3rd place over the line.
Round Two
This time Steve made a better start from the second row, but still lost a place to Mark Terry into Copse. For several laps the leading 4 cars ran in close formation gradually dropping the following pack. Deployment of the Safety Car mid race to allow recovery of a stricken car brought the whole field together again and, after 3 laps the Safety Car pulled into the pit lane and the cars were back to racing. Steve continued to press Terry for 3rd and eventually made the pass work down the inside through Copse. Now back up to 3rd, Steve came under pressure from Rowan who made a desperate pass down into Brooklands to take 3rd, but this never quite worked and, taking the better line, Steve simply retook 3rd leaving Rowan to run into the gravel trap on the exit and, a few laps later Steve crossed the line to take another hard won 3rd.
Overall the team are pleased with the weekend and, with two 3rd places, feel that there is still more to come from the car for the next round at Oulton Park on 10 May, a track Steve knows well from his days in Formula Ford 1600 and where he scored race a win and several podium finishes.
Round Three - Oulton Park
After qualifying his 2001 Dallara F3 in 3rd place during the morning qualifying session at a sunny & warm Oulton Park, Steve made good start to hold onto his position and by the end of the first lap was putting pressure on the 2nd place car of Chris Needham.
For several laps the fight for 2nd place was fierce, with the 4th place car of Jon Grey also joining in the scrap and now trailing Steve by just 2 tenths of a second. Meantime, the leading car of Edwin Jowsey was able to put his advantage of running in clear air to good use and soon made up a significant lead.
Finally, the pressure was too great for Needham, who faltered at Lodge corner and Steve, taking the faster line, eventually made the pass stick down the pit straight. Soon after, Grey also made it passed Needham and trailed Steve by just a couple of seconds. By now Jowsey's lead was too great for Steve to catch and, while never pressured again by Grey, Steve crossed the line in second place to take his 4th podium in succession.
After the race, Steve said 'we knew from the test sessions that we had a good chance of finishing 2nd here today, but the race was difficult with having to fight for the position for so may laps while also defending my own place from the following car'.
The former Formula Ford 1600 team, which also includes Race Engineer Martin Dawson & Mechanic Howard Smith, have worked hard over the last 18 months since stepping up to the A Class having previous run a much older Masters Class Reynard 863 in Club F3 since 2003. Martin commented 'Throughout the early part of last season, while working with the new chassis we always qualified at the front of the grid only to be plagued with problems during the race. But after winning at Silverstone last year, we've never been off the podium and are confident we have the right formula to mount a challenge for the Championship next year'.
The team, who are now 3rd in the Championship and only 2 points behind 2nd place, are preparing the car for the next race when the Championship travels to the Brands Hatch Circuit, Kent for 2 races on 15 June.
A full race report can also be found at www.clubf3.co.uk
Call us free on: 0800 856 2464 www.topspeedcouriers.co.uk
