Ups and Downs 18/07/09

FBR has a day of mixed emotions, as great results from the static event are overshadowed by a car failure.

Today was always going to be close to the wire. The team was also awaiting results from the static events, in which it had aimed to improve on last year across the board. The day started strongly - electrical problems now remedied the team passed tilt test first time (although not without a little verbal persuasion). From here noise test was the goal and the team returned to the pits to setup up the car. Promising noises from the engine quickly became a very loud bang as the engine sparked and backfired. Running a wasted spark system (two of the four spark plugs fire for every single engine 'bang') is susceptible to these happening, however on this occasion the throttle had been set in the wrong position - the intake took the full force of the explosion and effectively burst. Immediately the team was on the back foot and all hopes of passing brake and noise was put on hold, with entering any dynamic events at all today looking unlikely. The team returned to the pits dejected, however as always ideas started bouncing around for solutions - we had 6 hours until the autocross event, what could we do by then?… A quick search around isolated two spare plenums in the pitlane. A team member was dispatched back to Cambridge to fetch a previous testing plenum, and a small huddle formed around the departed intake in an attempt to put humpty back together again. One brainstorming session later and the team had found its solution - a hybrid of old and new, with the help of some GFRP and plenty of ingenuity. Work began in earnest… To buoy on the team the results of the static events were posted at the event HQ. They stand as follows: Cost event: 12th overall Business event: 35th overall Design event: 36th overall The team was delighted with these results, placing them safely in the top third of the 92 teams and improving considerably on all results from FSG last year. Feedback from the judges was encouraging - particularly noting the clear design choices and justifications made by the engineering team and the clever solutions found in the face of a relatively low budget (both financial and time). The cost team was complemented on its 'almost perfect' presentation, and particular interest was paid to the high quality of the suspension uprights (regularly photographed by judges throughout the paddock) and the 'different' plate wishbones (used for their low cost, accurate manufacture and short lead time). But back to the pits… unfortunately the team missed acceleration, skidpan and autocross - a massive blow for a team that has set its goals high this year, but shown every sign of acheiving them until the last minute. Undaunted, the team has set its sights on completing the endurance event tomorrow - this will vindicate the mechanical design of the car and stand the team in good stead for the German competition (provided a more permanent intake solution can be found in time). And so I sit here with a new intake plenum, ready to go on the car first thing in the morning and to put Full Blue Racing firmly on the road to acheiving its overall aim of a top half finish at Silverstone.