Posted on 6th October 2016 by Track Group

Two Cars for Creventic 24 Hours of Dubai

track-club – the motorsport division of track-group have confirmed their first multiple car attempt on the Dubai 24 Hours in January 2017. Experienced GT Professional Jamie Stanley will lead the attack on the SP3 Class in the track-club Lotus Evora GT4 which has been modified to suit the demands of both Endurance racing and the SP3 Class Regulations – joining Jamie will be three other experienced Lotus racers – Glenn Sherwood, former Lotus Cup Champion Adam Knight and Lotus Cup and Caterham race winner Adam Balon.

The Cambridgeshire based team are also running an A3 class Seat Leon Supercopa also with an experienced line up comprising of Simon Atkinson, Bob Drummond, Stuart Ratcliff and Marcus Jewell. The Seat finished 5th in the Silverstone 24 Hours and the team whilst light on 24 hour experience have their sights set on a podium.

The Supercopa on the way to a 5th place finish in the 2016 Silverstone 24 Hours

track-club Team Principal Stephen Docherty reflected that endurance racing whilst expensive offers drivers better value in terms of seat time and means that drivers need to bring more than just pace; Stephen said “good club and semi professional drivers now want more than just a few 20 minute races spread over a weekend and they also recognise that they can contribute fully to a team not just through sheer pace but through consistency, teamwork and being able to focus on the bigger picture – I don’t want 4 young hot shots for a 24 hour race if they all want to compete with each other for bragging rights – I want 4 level headed consistent drivers that wont make mistakes!”

“track-club took the chequered flag in Dubai in 2016 but were outpaced by the Ginetta Supercup cars, the Evora has been upgraded since then and we’re going for the win in 2017” added Jamie Stanley

The track-club Endurance team in Barcelona

The team is planning a full campaign in the Creventic run 24H series in 2017 and will have options in the Lotus Evora and also in the TCR Class while the team are also evaluating a Porsche 991 Carrera Cup Car in Endurance spec.

Interested drivers should contact Stephen@track-group.com to discuss options for the 2017 season including a 24 Hour race at the Circuit of the Americas, the US Grand Prix Venue.

Posted on 9th November 2015 by Track Group

Race of Remembrance 1000km – track-club Victory and Class 1-2

In pretty shocking conditions at Anglesey even by Novembers usually fairly harsh standards the track-club run Lotus Exige V6 Cup R of Bob Drummond, Rob Myers and Adam McKay took a convincing victory in the 9 hour endurance race that is set to become one of the club calendars classic races.

With a full 45 car grid on the Anglesey International Circuit and a 3 hour night race into parc ferme followed by a 9am restart and the unique pause for the moving Remembrance Sunday service this really was a special race.

track-club ran in class F, the top class for professional and semi professional entries which was evident with the presence of some high level professional drivers including ex Touring Car ace Tom Onslow-Cole in the KPM Golf which won last year and current Touring car ace Jack Goff in the SW Lotus run Exige.

With two Exige V6 Cup R entries and the quick Lotus 2-Eleven being handed over from father to son (Ken Savage bowed out of Lotus Cup UK this year and the car will be raced by son Ryan in 2016) there was always likely to be a track-club car on the podium and this years stand out Lotus Cup UK Discover Alex Reed soon put the marker down with a dominant pole position.

Sadly, this wasn’t to be his race and a flawless 2015 run with zero retirements and a trophy at every round came to a halt courtesy of the worlds slowest fire service with a drive belt failing and taking out an oil line causing a fire just 100 yards from the pit entry.

Snapping on his heels in any case were the Golf, the Honda factory run Civic and the SW Lotus not to mention subsequent star of the race Scottish Formula Ford Champion Adam McKay.

McKay was in the other track-club V6 Cup R alongside new driver Bob Drummond competing in only his second race and former Elise Trophy driver Rob Myers.

Left right -Rob Myers, Bob Drummond, Adam McKay. Behind the stunning navy blue number 63 Lotus Exige V6 Cup R

Despite a strong challenge from the Savage 2-Eleven and the other class F entries the pace advantage of the V6 was able to overcome the fuel disadvantage that the car had by making clever use of the safety car periods to minimise the downside of the thirsty V6 engine and the normal 55 minute running time was stretched by the wet weather conditions that at times were horrific and ultimately led to the race being declared run around 45 minutes before it should have ended by which time the number 63 Exige had built a 3 lap lead. All three drivers played their part with strong stints from each in the dark and a stunning group of laps from Adam when the race restarted to reel in the 2-Eleven and take the overall lead which the team then never lost.

Ken and Ryan Savage finished 4th overall and 2nd in the Lotus Cup Class which was a great achievement for Ryan who was racing his 2016 mount for the Lotus Cup UK Championship. In shocking conditions and managing a supercharger issue for the last three hours Ryan put in a near 2 hour stint in horrific conditions in the open top Lotus.

We should not forget the reason behind this race and why we were all there please take a moment to visit these sites and find a way to support the racing and reason behind the racing. Yes, we won the race, one of our cars paid a fairly high price for trying but it’s nothing like the price that some of the guys on the grid paid doing their job for their country. It was an honour to be with them for this weekend.

http://www.missionmotorsport.org

http://raceofremembrance.com/index.html

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them………………

Posted on 15th September 2015 by Track Group

Alex Reed Wins at Silverstone – heads a track-club 1-2-3

Alex Reed took victory in the 7th round of Lotus Cup UK on the Silverstone GP Circuit on Saturday 12th September. He converted his third consecutive pole position in the track-club run Lotus Exige V6 Cup R to a dominant victory surviving a first corner drama all around him and taking fastest lap along the way.

Left to right - runner up Adam Knight, winner Alex Reed and third place Marcus Jewell - track-club 1-2-3 — Left to right – runner up Adam Knight, winner Alex Reed and third place Marcus Jewell – track-club 1-2-3

Reed won from Adam Knight also in an Exige V6 and Marcus Jewell in the Lotus 2-Eleven completing a track-club 1-2-3.

Championship leader Ken Savage was 4th surviving initial contact with Adam Gore and Adam Knight and doing a solid job with a compromised car suffering side panel damage and restricted air flow.

Reed who is hoping to graduate to GT racing in 2016 dominated the weekend timing his pole run in changing conditions perfectly and managing a tyre issue towards the end of the race. He was delighted with his result. track-club’s Stephen Docherty commented “Alex seems to be driving better every time he gets in a car at the moment. He’s very focused, takes his driving seriously and is probably now the quickest driver on the grid. This is his first season full seasons racing and there’s a lot more to come from him”.

The series now moves on to the final round at Snetterton in October where the championship title will be decided.

Posted on 27th July 2015 by Track Group

track-group Lead 2015 Lotus Cup UK Championships

Ken Savage runs a track-club built & run Lotus 2-Eleven and currently leads the Lotus Cup UK Championship.

track-club drivers are currently leading both the Lotus Cup UK Supersport Championship and Lotus Cup UK Production Championship in a strong year for the team. track-club drivers have won the overall title twice with Steve Train in 2012 and Adam Knight in 2014 – the team aren’t taking anything for granted however and whilst they lead the championship in 2015 there are three races remaining and every championship to date has gone down to the last race – often the last few laps of the last race!!

After a stunning 1-2-3-4 at Spa Francorchamps headed by a race win for the 2014 Champion Adam Knight the championship lead remains with Ken Savage in the newly built for 2015 Lotus 2-eleven. Knights victory is thesecond overall win for track-club drivers this year following the Donington victory for championship rival Alex Reed.

Adam Knights Lotus Exige V6 Cup R - the 2014 Champion — Adam Knights Lotus Exige V6 Cup R – the 2014 Champion

In the Production Championship track-clubs Stuart Ratcliff in his third season with the team leads along with co-driver Anthony Dunn in their Lotus Elise 111R.

Ratcliff & Dunn have had to fight hard for their points with a start from the pit lane enforced at Oulton Park and a fight through the field after contact early on at Spa where they were also compromised by the timing of the safety car.

Elise 111R of Stuart Ratcliff and Anthony Dunn

With three 60 minute races remaining and a dropped score to be taken into account both championships are very tight. The next round is at Brands Hatch on the Grand Prix circuit as part of the Lotus Festival on the 15th & 16th July. Given that there is a British GT4 test for the Supersport Winner and a Lotus Cup Supersport Test for the Production winner all the competitors are highly motivated to maintain reliability and results.