DHORC’s 20th Le Mans 24-Hour Race 10/11Nov12 Options

[woodcote]

Thanks to Nick, Phil and everyone at DHORC. I echo Gary's comments about the tables - they really did raise the event to a new level

Someone always has to come last and it was our turn this year, despite putting in 203 more laps than in 2011. If we can learn from the highs of running fourth and the descent down to the back of the field then we can improve on that total again next year.

Well done to all the teams that beat us, it really was an exceptionally competitive race this year - although Wrun Wragged were a class apart yet again.

Looking forward to 2013

[LMP]

Deane, yep pretty much as you called it.

Although Carazing and MARC were keeping WW honest in the initial hour/two hours, they started building 'that gap' and then left the remaining teams to slog it out from 2nd down. Podium places could have gone to any team for the majority of the race, and I remember saying half way in that a top 5 would actually be an achievement to be proud of. That was definitely the toughest race I've run, and as you know yourself none of them are easy!

[davekp]

Very impressed with the whole event, well set up and well run right through the weekend
Will be sending another team next year

here are a few pictures














third place


second place


and the winners are

[DERBY (UK) HO RA...]

Finally back home, here are some updates from the event. Thanks for the comments will reply accordingly when I have caught up with the updates.

Friday 9 November 2012

With the track up and running last night Friday was open for testing from 0900 hours through to 1730 hours prior to the 26th and final Club Night of 2012 at 1800 hours which will be covered in the DHORC section of this forum

It was good to see so many competitors practicing on Friday, 75% of the field visited the sports hall during the day







We even managed to get a photo shoot outside…..



….while waiting for the Airbus A380 flying test bed to make a low level fly past with Rolls-Royce’s new Trent XWB fitted in place of one of the regular Trent 900 engines



Cheers
Nick

[DERBY (UK) HO RA...]

Saturday / Sunday 10/11 November 2012

Saturday started at 0800 hours with Phil Rees, Alan Bullock and I checking out the track and making sure everything was in place for the running of the 20th HO Le Mans race. There was both excitement and trepidation in the air with it being the first event on tables. The practice session yesterday had proved the gutter barriers. How would they stand up to 24–hours of intense racing!



By 0830 hours the competitors started arriving, each one signing in and receiving (new for 2012) photo id name badges designed by Matt Holland in a plastic holder to put round their necks via a lanyard as well as a Le Mans Programme detailing the history of the event, all the stats they could eat and what to expect during the weekend.

By 0930 it was time for the drivers’ briefing held at the start line end of the drivers’ platform as it was no longer possible to have everyone in the centre of the track! There were no questions from the floor re rules etc. We all agreed however if having the track on tables this year resulted in any suggested rule tweaks all of the Team Captains would form a huddle, discuss and agree same, which is the way the Le Mans event has been run since its inception in 1992.



After the pit boxes were drawn in reverse order of teams finishing last year and practice lanes together with marshalling posts were selected each car body was weighed to ensure they reached the minimum body wait of 3 grammes.



Following practice between 1000 and 1100 hours Qualifying for 48 competitors started in earnest at 1105 hours. Each driver is ranked according to their previous best performance, with the highest ranked (Aaron Shearman who holds the Qualifying record of 11.53 seconds) going last.

Qualifying consists of one warm up lap and then three flying laps on Lane 5. It seems simple enough but when you are stood up there with the world watching you it can become very stressful. Matt Blood one of this year’s Rookies couldn’t believe the pressure!



Phil Rees managed all of the teams’ cars from Parc Ferme during Qualifying ensuring the tyres were cleaned in between runs



Having not driven a slot car for 2 years prior to practice at 1000 hours Tom Measham stunned the DHORC team and many others by being the only Qualifier to record a sub 12 second lap to take his first Pole Position. Here 2011 Pole Man and Qualifying record holder Aaron Shearman (left) hands over the George Booth Pole Position trophy to Tom.



The Qualifying stats were as follows: -



Qualifying finished around 1220 so there was 40 minutes to go before the race started. With ten minutes to go the cars were on the track…..



…for the photo shoot….



….and the first drivers were limbering up ready for the off



Marshalling the Ford Chicane was going to be much easier this year, Matt Holland was looking forward to his second Le Mans



There was no change to the published list of competitors in the Programme with 48 personnel lined up to compete



The long range lens would capture all 48 during the course of the event





At precisely 1300 hours the race began. However two minutes in we did have to have a restart (the only problem the whole weekend) as I had forgotten to re connect the Tomy Timers after Qualifying, doooohhh!



We were finally racing on tables for the very first time and what a wonderful site it was. All of the hard work by so many had finally come to fruition. We had no idea when we approached Rockingham Motor Speedway in April 2010 to see if we could bring our Rockingham track to the British Saloon Car Championship meeting that within three years of many more corporate events, particularly at Donington Park, that we would have been able to afford the tables we needed for Le Mans





Second to the Mulsanne Corner, the most important corner for the gutter barriers was Indianapolis and Arnage. They worked impeccably with only a couple of cars vaulting the top of the barrier due to a rider.



Wrun Wragged soon got into the groove



Steve Guards computer race control kept many folk interested



The Porsche Curves looked wonderful on tables, with the added ease of marshalling



Lee Pateman (centre) concentrated on the motors while Ryan Blake (right) made the very big and unselfish decision not to race for DHORC, doing a Rob Heaton and working on the chassis.



The projector and screen proved very useful for the drivers’ to pace themselves



Cars entering Tertre Rouge corner which……



….via the initial kink leads onto the long Mulsanne Straight



Nine hours in and Wrun Wragged had a 170 lap lead. By now the endurance side of the race had begin. At race control Adrian Owen and I had had our annual take away curry so we were well ready for the night ahead!



Clearly Josh Roythorne had eaten something else!



While Kate Alcock was about to turn into a butterfly!



Phil Rees managed the lane change very three hours, moving the cars up a lane, re-stickering them and carrying out random security checks informing team captains whenever something needed doing to their cars.



Ryan was one of the first to succumb to the monotony of the race….



…..followed by Alan Bullock and many others.



The next morning and cars were still circulating, this showing a Clive Harland eye’s view of the track.

At 1100 hours we stopped the race for the two minute Remembrance Day silence. We had set the Tomy Timers for 62 minutes that hour.



MARC were still smiling at the Mulsanne Corner, with their performance this year smile they should! Teams rotate between each of the Marshalling posts every three hours so everyone gets to marshal each corner.



At times it was feverish in the pits. We had two tables, one at each pit straight for car repairs.



The trophies, down to third place



Family support was so important over the weekend



The moment a car leaves the track heading for the gutter barrier. John Ovens would retrieve the car in seconds and send it on its way. Many of the competitors told me that they believed that having the track on tables where marshalling was much quicker was one of the contributing factors for the extra 1,757 laps being recorded this year. Cars were only off the track for split seconds throughout the event.



Dean Wragg, Wrun Wragged’s captain looks very pleased with himself as does demon car preparer Rob Heaton



The crowds gathered at Race Control as the race comes to an end. The New World Record was announced with 20 or so minutes to go, with congratulations all round for Wrun Wragged



The paparazzi were there in numbers at the end of the race



How they finished from left to right



Rolls-Royce Leisure Association provide some glamour for the award ceremony



The winning Wrun Wragged team plus Aaron’s wife Tiffany (left)



I felt very humble after 24 hours of racing that so many who must have been so tired helped out to break the track down. I can honestly say that we have never had so much help as we did this year for both set up and break down. It is thanks to all that we had the most successful Le Mans event ever with the best atmosphere ever. Thank you all so much



The final result, congratulations to all for some exceptional performances, 2013 promises to be even closer!



The driver stats from the event follows below with Tom Measham breaking the laps in 15 minutes record. Tom beat Tony Baldock’s record by one lap leaving it at 75 Laps, which proves that other teams can match Wrun Wragged. They don’t have a magic wand and as soon as everyone can match them consistently we will have an almighty battle on our hands. Wrun Wragged have become the bench mark all others have to attain.

Tom also equalled both Aaron and Tony on hour laps with Jamie Sismey only two laps in arrears



By 1800 hours I was at home and readying myself for my two week business trip to Hong Kong, early the next day. I was extremely worried at what time I would be home on Sunday but again thanks to the help of so many I was home no later than previous years despite having to take the tables to Donington Park for storage.

There will be a great deal of racing between now and Le Mans ’13 but I for one cannot wait for next year……

Cheers
Nick Sismey

[DERBY (UK) HO RA...]

Thanks Andy, Gary, Rob, Steve and Dave, it was a pleasure to run such an event for such a great bunch of guys and girl

Thanks also for the photos

Cheers
Nick

[Profoxcg]

very nice.
How long did it take to break down the track? and where do you guys store all the tables and track when not doing this race?

[DERBY (UK) HO RA...]

Hi Profoxcg,
Thanks to everyone's help everything was ready to transport back to the Rolls-Royce and Donington Park storage areas where we keep the equipment within an hour and a half

Cheers
Nick