End of the Season

With the Greenpower season now drawn to an end this year can now be reflected, but before that I must go back to the start of summer, and with it the beginning of the planned modifications to Ampherrous.

After the less than par performance at Silverstone there was clearly some work needed to try bridge the gap between us and the top runners. This began with addressing the issue of the electrics.

This was as simple as purchasing a new switch specifically designed for use with our motor controller, the issue with the brakes however was not so quickly fixed.

It was decided that the v brake set-up was just not good enough, and in order to pass the scrutineers push test the, pads had to be so tight they rubbed on the wheels. This caused huge rolling resistance and was one of the main reasons why the car was so slow at Silverstone. With this in mind the brakes where moved to the front, build into hub brakes, which not only worked 10 times better, but aloud the the wheels to spin freely when the brakes where not applied.

With this done attentions where placed on the aerodynamics. With length being a design issue due to transport reasons, a long pointy tail was not really an option, however covering some of the cockpit was. With the large opening a vast amount of air could circulate inside causing drag, but limiting the size of the cockpit with a windscreen not only lowered this but also helped direct air over the helmet of the driver.

With these modifications done September hit and we were ready for our first race since Silversone at a track I'm very familiar with, Merryfield.

To cut a long story short, Merryfield was a great day! We increased our speed by more than 5mph and due to a dramatic increase in reliability left with 3 championship points. However was only able to finish 6th of 7 showing there was still some fundamental issues that had not been addressed. Unfortunately though these were not to be addressed as this is where this years racing ended, and by being unable to attend Castle Combe, unfortunately we did not qualify for the final. It was a huge shame considering how things started to look up with Ampherrous but some things are unavoidable.

This brings us to now, and the reflection on the season.

First things first, it was much better than last year! Even though we did not race in the final (technically we didn't last year either) I would take 3 points from one race and not qualify, than qualify with none and have the belt snap on the start line.

Secondly, and following on from the first, we gained 3 points this year, something I set out to achieve this year and one thing I am very proud of considering the level of the competition.

Finally and in my mind the best thing to come of this year is we went out there and raced! Putting your name to something can be a daunting thing so going off on my own was a big step but I'm proud to give my name sake to Hampton Racing and very proud of this years results.

Juggling uni and Greenpower is not easy and I have to give the biggest thanks of the year to Andy Murray, as without his dedication back at HQ we would never have got out on the track! No we didn't walk away with a trophy but as I always say, with each race a lesson is learnt, and these are finally now being put to good use.

On a more sad note I have to announce the retirement of Ampherrous from the Hampton Racing team, but she will be looked after well when she is taken to Worcestershire to race in F24. Its sad for all of us here that we were unable to see her race at her best, but it will be a proud moment when she is sat on the start line of next years final!

This is not the end for Hampton Racing though, thoughts now look toward next year and with it what I feel the turning point in our Greenpower campaign. The unavailing of A2!

This year I am completing my final year at uni so with the increased work load we will be unable to race at Silverstone but as my final year project is composite design, I will be manufacturing a full composite monocoque! Updates in the progress of the car will be regularly posted here and with any luck next September will see a race-able car come to life.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us this year, again a huge thanks to Andy, and to all our sponsors, as without their funding we couldn't even hope to race.

I know I said this last year but next year things will be different, so watch this space...!

Silverstone Review

Sorry for the delay in posting the results of Silverstone, a hectic few weeks of exams and planning for up and coming events has preoccupied matters. But anyway, Silverstone...

The day started as expected, WET! But for once it was a trouble free scrutineering which put us all in good spirits. Unfortunately the test lap then dampened this, mine more so as I did the lap! Unfortunately due the the 20mph+ winds the car was pulling far more amps than expected with the current gear set up, so a quick gear drop saw the car ready for the race.

 Starting after the Season Opener we had time to do a few last minute tinkers and get an eye in on how the competition was handling the conditions, unfortunately this seemed better than our abilities.

Starting from the back of the grid in what was the biggest down pour of the day the flag dropped and we were off. The gear change was however evident as due the the size of the drop we lost a lot of top end speed. After a few laps however this didn't seem too much of an issue as we were edging our way up from the back, claiming the table slowly, as other cars were having issues in the rain. It wasn't long however until this problem hit us!

After being recovered, it was realised that we had an electrical issue so stripping out the switch and replacing with a new one seemed to do the trick until we got the driver back in. More inspection placed the issue on a chaffing wire however these were nothing compared to the pool of water developing in the back that ended up touching the control box. No harm was done to the any of the team and the box was still functioning, all that was needed was a few drainage holes.

After a bit of tinkering, that seemed more luck the judgement, the car decided it would run again however this was nearing the very end of the already shortened race. So with a last minute attempt at moving off the bottom of the table, we were off again.

This time all worked fine and we had 4 solid laps allowing us to finish second to last. Not the result we had hoped but as always a lot has been learnt. 

Summer work is already well under-way addressing issues with aerodynamics, driver position, gearing and braking, which once all sorted should gain us a much better result in September. 

In the mean time keep checking back for updates on how the improvements take shape, and possibly a sneak peak at next years car...

Entrant List Published

Just 5 days until Silverstone and Greenpower have released the entrant list, and with 42 competitors its going to be a tough race!

There are many familiar car set to race such as Zebedee from Sandbatch High School, Simple Trug (last years winner) from Electrod and Silesian from Poland, who have 2 cars this year, its a very hot grid.

With the calibre of the teams racing I would be happy breaking into the top 20 but believe me I'll be fighting for much higher than that! 4 hours is a long time and anything can happen...

For full entrant listings see - http://www.bbk-online.net/gpt/race59.php

1 Week to go!

This time next week we will be on the return journey from Silverstone, hopefully with a good result under our belt. But before that is the days racing.

For anyone who maybe attending, keeping track on the day from home or just interested in the days plans here is the schedule:

- 0730hrs – Teams Arrive and Sign On
- 0815hrs – Scrutineering Opens
- 0845hrs – Team Briefing 1
- 0930hrs – 1030hrs – Practice
- 1040hrs – Team Briefing 2
- 1110hrs – 1230hrs – 80 Minute Season Opener Race
- 1330hrs – 1730hrs – The Corporate Challenge 2012
- 1800hrs – Prize Giving

As you can see its going to be a very early start, followed by a long day, but it will be worth it! Unfortunately however according to forecasts the track is going to be very wet with winds touching 15mph. This shouldn't pose to much of an issue though as we've tested Ampherrous in winds well over 20mph with no problems, and after racing in Greenpowers wettest race last year rain no longer fazes me.

I'de like to also take this time to send a good luck message out to RLR who will be making their first Corporate Challenge appearance. They are a very dedicated team that deserve to do well. I really look forward to going head to head with them as I've never before raced against a local team. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to a few battles when they face up against Cambornes reborn M8.

If you want to follow the action live follow the link bellow for constant updates throughout the race.

http://www.bbk-online.net/gpt/

9 Days Until Silverstone!

As the title says there are just 9 days until Silverstone, so this seemed the perfect time to unvail the car!

A lot of work has been carried out since the last update thanks to the hard work of Andy Murray based at Cherry Villa B&B. A huge thank you needs to be sent out to him as without his efforts we could not have been ready to race next weekend.

A previous post about the interior design work done by Gary Stephens said I would upload some photos so below is the amazing work done by Gary. Thanks again.

Another thank you needs to be sent out to Perrenporth Airfield for allowing us to test Ampherrous last week. Optimism was at an all time high after the test with the car running with no mechanical issues and despite the huge head winds we were able to achieve the speeds and amps predicted. This should put us in good sights for a decent finish at Silverstone, but without a doubt a better result than last year with GDS in M6.

Further details will be posted here throughout the week giving details for the day and where you can follow the race action should you wish.

Future Help From TIMELESS TUBES

I want to send out a huge thank you to TIMELESS TUBES for their generosity in supplying the oval tube needed for the new build I will be doing for my final year project.

With a huge range of materials and shapes these profile specialists should be your number one stop. I will definitely be using them again in the future!

Comfort Supplied by Gary Stephens

I'm delighted to announce Gary Stephens as the newest sponsor to the team!

Based in Hayle, Gary has over 20 years experience in Automotive and Furniture upholstery, transforming the inside of Ampherrous with luxury rivalling that of Bentley. Suddenly the 90 minute driving stints don't seem as bad!

I want to send out my biggest thanks to Gary. Never has a car of mine had the luxury of internal features which has really hit it home how much the project has stepped this year.

Check back soon for pictures... 

Build Update

Its been a few weeks now since the last post but huge progress has been made!

A massive thanks to my team mates at Cherry Villa B&B as they had a very nice surprise waiting when I returned home the other day...

So with a list as long as my arm planned for the few days of work most was already ticked off! Unfortunately though the rest of the list didn't go to plan.

With the car at this stage it was very soon time for wiring however trying to get the wire was actually the biggest task of the build so far! Countless shops and nothing! So in the end we had to order it which sealed that no motor would be turning during this build session, however keep an eye out for the updates in a few weeks to see a moving motor...

A few things did get sorted though. The cockpit is now cut, bulkhead and impact foam fitted and steering linked up, so with just a small amount of work needed inside the car, the wire, as it has now arrived, will then be run and then the internal impact foam fitted. The lid can then be put on and then its clean up the body ready for painting!

So despite not personally getting much done, the car has still taken a huge step forward and one of the small things I did get done was the drive bracket, and I'm very happy with it!

SITA Sponsor Hampton Racing

I am delighted to post that SITA Cornwall will be sponsoring us for the up and coming season!

They have given us some hefty funding to help support the new build and Camborne Academy as we aim to stamp our mark on this season.

SITA has been the back bone of my venture through Greenpower for the last 2 seasons so a massive Thank You to them for their continued support, is a huge honour! I hope we can do you proud!

Winter Progress

The winter break has been a busy one here at Hampton Racing with major leaps forward on both Ampherrous and M8.

Ampherrous is now finally sporting its body! With only a few tweaks left before its fully finished, assembly of the final parts will soon be under way ready for the Goodwood Test Day in March. 

Also the frame has taken some improvements with the addition of a few members between the cockpit opening and the front sub frame, now producing more of a space frame chassis. This has been done in an effort to save weight by stiffening the chassis to allow for a thinner floor to be used. These small but hopefully significant changes are what we hope will propel Ampherrous through the field.

M8 however has taken the biggest change with the reassembly of the chassis and major steps forward in the building of the bodywork.

With its light and simple frame all is looking positive for M8 this year however a lot is still to be completed. But with its first race not until June, at the earliest, high hopes will be set for its return to the track!

Fundraising Success!

Firstly Happy New Year to you all, and believe me I couldn't start the first post of the year on a much better note!

Since the end of the summer I have been doing a bit of fundraising for Cancer Research leading up to the big event in April and it couldn't have gone better. Through a fun Tea Run game sent in the welcome pack I have been able to raise £60, a huge chunk towards the £100 total! Also with the first text donation working perfectly I urge you all to do the same and Text DHHR99 to 70070. Every little helps.

With the year starting off on such a great note, hopefully the future posts will continue this.

Since the last post...

A lots happened since I last posted on here!

Work has begun on the rebuild of M6, last years car, now in the ownership of the team from Camborne Academy. Losing the bulky belt drive and almost half a meter in length off the frame, drastic weight saving has occurred. Plus this to its newly slimline width and M6 is on its way to a totally different look!

With a lot still to do the build is set to continue in a few weeks, but the builds not the only new thing about it. With new owners and a new look its only fair the name gets a revamp, so this year it will race under the name of M8, a testament to its planned improvements and from the M8 bolts it was actually built with! 

As for Ampherrous, the frame is now complete, test fitted with driver and the main components and is now stripped back and ready for the building of its bodywork which is also set to take shape in a few weeks.

Further to this, the drive brackets have been cut by Laser Master, a huge thank you sent out to them, and with the remaining axillary parts now on order we now have everything needed for the final assembly! 

Come back soon to check out the development of both projects.

With a busy Christmas ahead we should see some noticable improvments come the start of the New Year, then its the countdown to the Corporate Challenge!

Taking Shape

The steering's in, roll hoop fitted and the side bars added.

All is coming together now!

Over the next few weeks the rear wheels will be added and the body measured up ready for fitting over Christmas. 

With very little left to do after that its link up the drive and see what she can do!

Corporate Challenge 2012

Just days after reveling the new build, the race diary for next year already has its first entry, and what an entry it is! 

Once a year the top 15 teams from the F24 Final go head to head with industry, organisations or private teams in the Corporate Challenge. Once again it will be held at none other than Silverstone Race Circuit, home of the British Grand Pix, on Sunday 29th April 2012.

I had the privileged to race in the event last season and it was an experience I will never forget, so when the opportunity arouse again for next year I entered straight away!

Now that we are firmly on the bill for what I would class as Greenpowers flagship event where the likes of Blue Peter, Bentley and Jaguar Landrover first made their appearances, I can draw on last years experiences and hopefully improve drastically on the result of 31st of 35. Having beaten Bentley though it wasn't a total bad day.

With this being our debut race, we have little over 6 months to get Amperrous up and running. This may seem like a long time but believe me its really not. Thankfully I have no worries that we wont be finished in time, I dare say were be ready for some of Greenpower Test Track days, but thats a little way off yet...

For more information on the event click HERE.

A New Start

Now that the 2010/2011 is well and truely over, unfortunately not in style but whats done is done, the focus is shifted totally to next year.

Having just entered into the line up for next years Corporate Challenge, held again at Silverstone, there seems no better time to unveil the plans for the new car ~ Ampherrous. 

For a bit of background information on the name, the whole idea originates from the car being compaired to the look of an amphioxus (a cephalochordate for anyone studying biology) and with some tweeking the name stuck. The amp clearly comes from its links with electricity, the adapted spelling of pherrous (should be ferrous) comes from the use of steel, a ferrous metal. 

But anyway, now for the car. If you have been following the build diary you will have noticed work has been going on for quite some time, and this is now where we are with the project.

As you can see theres still lots more to do but with 6 months until the debut race I have no doubt at all that it wont be done. This is what we should have by Christmas!

 Doesn't look like much at the moment but keep an eye out for more as it happens...

The Final

You spend the year striving to do well, batteling through problem after problem hoping to make the result at the Final the one to remember. Unfortunately this is the opposite for me this weekend!

I'll start on Friday evening. A late 1am finish seen a lot of pre race work carried out which contiuned into Saturday afternoon before we left for Goodwood. All was seeming good at this point. After arriving later than expected at the campsite we all headed stright to sleep to wake Sunday realising we were an hour behind shedual, always good to have some morning stress before a race! Arraving at the track seen us go straight into scrutineering where it was deemed I was suddenly too tall since my last drive 2 weeks ago and an issue with braking seen us falling further behind however this was just the tip of the iceburge. I managed to sort the issues just in time for the F24+ race however we had no practice. Sat on the starting grid not knowing how the new gearing was going to work was very daunting. 

Then the race began, and ended 20m later!

Pulling away all seemed good until I looked at the amp reader to see an extremely low drop of the amps. This was then followed by a stop. Asking the marshal to pop my belt back on I was given the reply of "its not off, its snapped" and there as the belt was handed to me torn in half, so had everything I had hoped to achieve that day! 

Congratulations has to go to R-Pods who took the eventual Championship but an outstanding race from iWoosh producing some unbelievable lap times took the checkered flag for Round 8.

For the full Round 8 standings click HERE and for the Constructors Championship standings HERE.

In the F24 race the title was taken by Rotary Racer, 4 laps clear of its closest rival! For full race standings see HERE. Local racers RLR fared well securing 17th, losing only 1 place from there grid start. This unfortunately was not enough to gain entry to the Corporate Challenge next year but should some teams pull out they may well being filling in... Theres also word over at RLR of a new build, this I look forward to seeing!

So, as I've said many times before, despite the result its not all bad. Its a pain not to have known how the gearing would have fared but its motorsport, things happen, its looking up for next year though. 

Work is now well underway on the new build and heres a very sneak peak at part of the vehicle, check back again soon for more!

Its time for me now to sum up this season, and in a word AWESOME. It may seem strange for me to say that despite all that has happened but from all the years I've been involved in Greenpower this has taken the crown. Its not been full of high success but has given life changing experiences and taught me so much. Next season is already setting the bar higher than this one so this time next year you should be reading a very different review! 

As one door closes another door opens!

It has finally arrived, the point on the race calendar you spend the season building up to…The Final!

After a long year the culmination of 9 F24 regional heats and 7 F24+ will come to a joint end at the ever popular Goodwood Motor Circuit. In many ways the home of Greenpower this historic venue is one not to be missed and one that excites me every time I return.

For me this marks the end of GDS Racing and sees M6 steered permanently into the hands of Camborne School, but its not something to look sadly upon. As this blog title says “As one door closes another door opens!” and that door is already wide open!

If you’ve followed this blog from the start you will have read about my plans for next season and I cannot wait to get out on the track in the new build, but more will be said about this in due course.

The focus this week is The Final and with that a few test ideas for next year. I’ve already said about the alteration to gearing in the previous blog (thanks again RLR) and I have a few other things to try out so were see how those pan out…

If you can make it along or just what to follow the race by BBKLive Timing or Cover It Live here is the layout of the day:

• 0730 - Teams arrive and sign in
• 0815 - Scrutineering opens
• 0900 - Team briefing 1
• 0930 - 1030 – Practice
• 1040 - Team briefing 2
• 1100 - 1230 - F24+ race
• 1300 - 1700 - F24 race
• 1730 - Prize giving

I am very proud to say we are the only Cornish entrant qualified for the F24+ final, which considering only requires attending 2 races is not a hard feat but one still only achieved by us. But this is not enough. Considering the previous pace at Castle Combe and the expected increase for this weekend the aim is to break into the top 15 of the 22 cars on track. This for me would see a very up and down season finally end heading in the right direction, hopefully not on the back of a recovery truck for once!

In the F24 race RLR are the highest seeded Cornish team in 16^th with their rivals at Penair in 54^th. I want to send a huge good luck to RLR and once again a thank you for their help, it’s a true testament to their professionalism and the links held by teams sporting the Cornish name!

So my parting note is this. The 2010/2011 season has been by far the best I’ve been involved in although its sad to know its coming to an end I know next year is going to blow this one off the track!

Watch This Space!!!

Goodwood Gearing

As you may know from most of the posts I have added this season not only here but also on the GDS Racing page, gearing and therefore pace on the track has been bothering me at pretty much every race! When I thought I was onto a good ratio the batteries wouldn't last and when they would last the car was just too slow. But thanks to some help from the team at RLR I have been able to see where I am going wrong.

The issue was simply having the gears set too high to allow the motor to rev at around 2000rpm. Over the course of 1 set of batteries at Merryfield the average rpm was under 1000 at a ratio of 3.2:1. Then with the wise words of RLR ringing in my ears, that the planned ratio of 3.7:1 for Castle Combe was still to high so a quick drop to 4:1 (the max we could drop it with the gears available) seen over the same 1 battery set the rpm rise to over 1300.

So its seems a bit counter intuitive that putting a slower gear on makes the car faster (obviously to a limit) but it works. M6 increased by about 1.5m/s even with my extra weight compared to when the team at Camborne drove it, and the batteries lasted much better. Not only that but the increased rpm also considerably lowers the amps drawn. Where I always aimed for a high speed running amps of about 20A, with this gearing its now virtually nothing, which for the hilly sectors of the tracks makes all the difference by saving energy and putting less heat into the motor. A win win situation!

Now with the final round just over a week away I have been madly working through data from the last few races and looking at countless ratios to see for myself why RLR suggest a 60 tooth and I can now see why. With the increase we should be pulling 2000rpm comfortably with no worries of high amps. For an Autumn race at Goodwood this is just what you need. As well, unlike Castle Combe, I wont have to throttle back when I hit some wind or a hill as the high speed amps will be low enough that the low speed amps wont be massive. But the main point from this I will be able to race flat out the entire lap without having to worry about what the amps are doing, how hot the motor is, if I need to throttle back etc etc, I can just go out, and if all goes to plan, just race and hopefully get that step closer to the middle of the pack where M6 just didn't quite have the pace last weekend.

Thanks again RLR and good luck at the Final!

Castle Combe Review

Racing in the penultimate round of the F24+ season representing GDS Racing, we had one of the more promising races to date at Castle Combe.

The day started with an issue concerning belt tension but with some pre race tweaking this was soon sorted. This came at a cost though as it meant we missed the grid by a matter of minutes, causing us to start nearly a lap behind from the pit lane.

Luck was however, for once, on our side! With a time keeping problem race control arranged a re start allowing us the chance to start from the grid and within a few laps had taken 12th of 17.

This form continued until I missed a signal to pit and as the batteries didn't have the power to bring me back around recovery was needed. This along with a battery change cost a lot of time, but then as I pulled away to get back onto the track the electrics cut once again. The problem was actually due to a connection issue but once sorted M6 was back on the track, unfortunately only with enough time for 1 more lap, ending the day with us in 14th. We weren't able to gain any points but the pace was good so hopefully we can have a good race at the final.

In the end 1st place went to Chipping Sodburys R-PodS followed by Zebedee and Brian of Sandbach School, putting R-PodS now joint top alongside Driven Motion on 20points with Myton Racing II 3rd on 18. It could go either way and with a few teams on 16 theres a small chance they could also emerge at the top in 2 weeks at Goodwood, but from the form shown by the leaders its going to take a lot to beat them!

For full race positions click Here and for the results of the F24 race click Here.

Lead up to Castle Combe

With a race at Merryfield recently under the tires of M6 the reliability issues from the start of the season seem to be sorted, and with the gearing now altered hopefully this will see the batteries last a little better!
Thankfully at Castle Combe were entering an F24+ race where we only need to run for 90minutes with 2 sets of batteries allowing for a margin of over gearing. If set correctly so the amps pulled on the hill aren't to high M6 should be in for a good race!

An interesting factor about this weekend is all 26 cars are racing, so its going to be a very good indicator of how the final is going to pan out. Hopefully we can be somewhere in the thick of it and as mentioned in a previous blog gain some vital points!

Also for the first time we will be racing other Cornish F24+ teams. Since the start its only been us representing the region so Sunday will see us aim  to claim the spot of number 1 Cornish team.

For those of you that want to follow the race you use the link HERE. Alternatively you can follow Greenpowers Cover it Live feed. The timetable for the day is as follows -

• 0730hrs – Teams Arrive and Sign On
• 0815hrs – Scrutineering Opens
• 0900hrs – Team Briefing 1
• 0930hrs – 1030hrs – Practice
• 1040hrs – Team Briefing 2
• 1100hrs – 1230hrs – Formula 24+
• 1300hrs – 1700hrs – Formula 24
• 1730hrs – Prize Giving

Finally, we want to send a good luck message to RLR who are representing Cornwall in the F24 race later in the afternoon. They have been doing superb this season and its great seeing them race with the same sense of pride for the County as we do! Good Luck!