Topspeed Racing
Cheshire based Topspeed Racing run their 2001 Dallara F3 in the BRSCC Formula 3 Championship www.clubf3.co.uk
The Team:
- Driver: Steve Clegg
- Race Engineer: Martin Dawson
- Mechanic: Howard Smith
BRSCC Formula 3 Championship
The BRSCC Formula 3 Championship, 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 their respective years in the British Formula 3 Championship, the annual budget for a BRSCC 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 their normal operating costs. Indeed, BRSCC 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 BRSCC F3. Despite often being outclassed by the modern 2000 Dallara cars, the team often brought 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, their 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 had the benefit of new Renault power and the car was 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 the previous year, the team's confidence was high and confirmation came with 2 more podiums for 3rd place in both races. In May the championship visited the team's home track, Oulton Park, and their efforts were rewarded again with a 2nd place finish and, after a summer long lay-off the team took to the track for the last 2 rounds of the season at Brands Hatch, Kent. Unfortunately, gearbox problems curtailed Steve's qualifying session after only 5 laps, and after starting the first race from 14th place Steve made up several places but had an 'off-track excursion' and retired to the gravel trap while fighting for 5th place. In the second race the intervention of the course car again halted his progress at 6th place.
The team's race reports for 2008 are detailed below and full championship race reports can be seen at www.clubf3.co.uk
2009 Season
After cancellation of the opening round of the 2009 season at Donington Park in early May, due to problems with upgrading the track to Formula One standard, the championship makes a late start to the season with a visit to Silverstone Circuit in June, before visiting the usual well known UK circuits, including Oulton Park, Anglesey Circuit and Brands Hatch. (See the full schedule at www.clubf3.co.uk).
The team have used the Springtime lay-off to their advantage and have been busy installing a new floor and diffuser and working on detailed bodywork changes. Needless to say, after a test session planned in early June at Oulton Park to give the car a final check, the team were heading to Silverstone with confidence.
However, engine failure during the Oulton Park test session further delayed the start to the teams season and once again the car was back in the workshop waiting on another engine rebuild & it would be the end of August before they could hope to be back on track:
Snetterton 29 & 30 August - Round 7 & 8
With only 2 days to spare the team took delivery of the rebuilt engine and headed off to Norfolk. After a limited testing session of only 1 hour on Friday evening, Steve secured the no 4 grid spot during qualifying for both races and, apart from two questionable race starts, both races were fairly uneventful, with Steve battling back to take 4th place for both races.
Oulton Park 12 September - Round 9 & 10
Returning to Oulton Park, the team's home circuit and where Steve scored a second place podium finish in last year's race, the team were looking for more success and qualified on Pole for race One and 2nd for race Two.
Two more questionable race-starts sealed Steve's fate for both races and the team had to settle for two 2nd place race finishes but gained satisfaction that the lap-times mow proving the car is ever quicker.
Anglesey Race Circuit 26 & 27 September - Round 11 & 12
Back to another of the old haunts from the team's Formula Ford days, although now a vastly modernized and extended track and once again Steve qualified on the front row of the grid in second spot for race 1 and on the second row for race 2, with Steve's lap-times confirming the car's competitive pace.
This time Steve never made it to the grid for race 1 with a drive shaft failure on the Green Flag Lap.
From 3rd on the grid for Race 2, Steve could only match the pace of the leading 2 cars and took the last place on the podium across the finish line, only to be promoted to 2nd as the winner was excluded from the race results for having found to have an under-weight car during post-race scruitineering.
The team are now preparing the car for the final meeting of the season at Brand Hatch over the weekend of 17th & 18th of October.
Brands Hatch Circuit 17 & 18 October
Qualifying Race 1 - Pole Position
Qualifying Race 2 - Pole Position
Race 1 Result - Retired with excessive tyre wear
Race 2 Result - Retired with mechanical fault
What more can we say!
2008 Season 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.
After a summer-long lay-off the team will be competing in the final 2 races of the season at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent over the weekend of the 11 & 12 October, a track Steve has only raced at a couple of times but where the team hope to capitalize on their run of good form with one race win and 3 podiums over the last 4 races.
And the reason for the lay-off? The team intend to compete for the 2009 Club F3 title and, with a limited budget and the car now proving competitive, the team felt it best to concentrate on next year. Brands Hatch presents itself as the perfect opportunity for the team to begin their preparation for next seasons campaign.
2008 Season Closer - Brands Hatch 11 & 12 October
The weekend got off to a bad start with Steve only completing 5 laps in qualifying as a result of gearbox failure, resulting in having to start from almost the last row of the grid in 14th place!
In race one Steve battled up to 6th place before coming to grief 2 laps from home at the Druids hairpin while trying to take 5th place.
In race 2 Steve again made it from 14th up to 5th place before the the introduction of the course car halted any realistic chance of making further progress.
A full race report can also be found at www.clubf3.co.uk
Call us free on: 0800 856 2464 www.topspeedcouriers.co.uk
