Anglian Home Improvements sponsored driver Jack Piper reports into the Blog after putting in the hours on the Silverstone race simulator in preparation for the Croft race weekend on the 3rd and 4th July;

“The third round of the Formula Renault BARC Championship takes place at Croft in a couple of weeks. It’s another new track for me and unlike the other rounds so far at Brands and Silverstone there’s no Friday practice, which means my first lap of the circuit will be in qualifying on the Saturday.

I’ve been studying video footage and maps of the track to try to get used to the layout and more importantly I have just spent a day on a racing simulator at Silverstone. It’s the first time I’ve been on a proper race simulator for any length of time and although there’s nothing better than getting out and driving on the track it’s definitely the next best thing.

Jack on the racing simulator at Silverstone

It’s funny how you soon forget you’re sat in a dark room in front of a screen. I soon felt comfortable and quickly pushed my lap times down. After a while you really feel as if you’re driving the circuit. To make the handling as authentic as possible the simulator has force feedback steering, which replicates the forces you experience when you’re racing.

Jack getting some more practice laps in

I was very impressed with the experience and it’s certainly made me feel confident going into the next round at Croft”. 

Jack

The Blog team will be reporting on all the very latest from Jack’s preparation and Croft raceway action! Please keep an eye out on the Blog for regular updates.

Anglian Home Improvements, formerly known as Anglian Windows. Supporting communities and people since 1966.

“I had a great time at Silverstone yesterday driving the brand new Grand Prix track for the first time. I had the chance to spend a couple of hours in a Radical, a really quick two-seater sports car with tremendous grip and aerodynamics.

It was brilliant fun, especially as I got some expert advice alongside my mate Craig Dolby who’s a great driver. He’s currently leading the international Super League Formula series, beating quite a few ex-Formula One drivers including Sebastien Bourdais who was driving for Toro Rosso last year. I loved the Radical, it was so quick through the corners, and the new Grand Prix circuit is great. I reckon the F1 guys are going to really enjoy the new look Silverstone this year. We’re hoping to get out on track again soon before the next round of the Formula Renault BARC championship at Croft on the 3^rd / 4^th July”.

Please keep an eye out on the Blog as we continue to follow Jacks development this season and report on the very latest action from the next race in Croft.

Anglian Home Improvements, formerly known as Anglian Windows has been supporting communities since 1966.

Anglian Home Improvements sponsored driver Jack Piper reports on an improving race weekend as he starts making ”inroads” into the top ten:

“My first race weekend at Silverstone went pretty well all things considered, following up our first top ten finish at Brands last month with another 10th place in race one followed by a ninth, which is another improvement and means we are continuing to head in the right direction.

After having to qualify in challenging conditions on Saturday, the weather was much better for race day on Sunday.

I struggled to get enough heat into my tyres at the start of the first race and didn’t make the best of starts but managed to find some pace after that and was chasing down two cars in front of me only for them to take each other out in a spectacular shunt at Copse.

I just managed to swerve past them and keep out of trouble. It left me pretty much on my own for the rest of the race with a big gap in front and behind me.

As rescue trucks collected two wrecked cars at Copse the rest of the race was run under double waved yellows at that point so my only option was to make sure I didn’t do anything stupid through the first corner and I went on to finish10th.

Race two was much more eventful. Having qualified 12th I made a good start and managed to move up to seventh within the first three of four laps. For a while I was in the middle of a scrap for places with two or three other cars which was good fun, but I made a slight mistake at turn two and lost some ground.

I then had a real fight in the closing stages to hang on for ninth. The other guy nipped alongside me as went through Copse and got his nose in front but I held my line and got straight back past him to stay in front and clinch my best result so far. All in all it was a great experience to race on the track where the F1 boys will be in a couple of months, or at least part of it. We’re hoping to get out for some testing before the next round at Croft to keep the momentum going and give us the best chance of continuing the improvement next time out”.

Jack

Next race weekend is the 3rd and 4th of July at Croft.

Anglian Home Improvement, formerly known as Anglian Windows. Supporting communities since 1966.