First season of racing complete. It had everything from extreme highs and extreme lows. A class win, multiple trophies, lots of learning, great competition, mechanical challenges and of course a scary crash. 🙄
The question people often ask is, 'Why go racing?' There are many reasons not do. Cost, safety, time, ego, environmental impact, business relevance...
There are however, many positive reasons that far outweigh the negatives:
Product development: Both car and driver were fitted with multiple prototype Bluetooth/ANT+ sensors, detecting everything from heart rate, R-R intervals, temperature and sheer force Nm on suspension components. RF engineers will understand the challenges of broadcasting 2.4GHz around large solid objects. Try doing this on a car travelling 120+ MPH in torrential rain with extreme vibration.
Teamwork: I could never have raced on my own. You need a team. Led by former racer, Callum MacGregor and chartered engineer Henry Stephens MEng CEng MIMechE, the team kept the car in top shape, making intricate setup adjustments from my feedback and making last minute strategy calls that resulted in a class win. The cliché 'you win and lose as a team' is so true.
Networking: Possibly the most overused business phrase. We didn't go racing to make a name for ourselves or join a network of motorsport professionals. Yet, in one season we formed close relationships and learnt from people in different industries and have started a R&D project with an established motorsports facility (more on than to come). All because we shared a common interest.
Competition: There is nothing more competitive than business, even racing. We face increased competition from larger/lower cost OEMs every year. Sometimes its good to remind yourself how important competition is. You don't just want to beat your competition, but also learn from them, respect what they do well, drive motivation, understand how they overcome similar challenges and ultimately remember - healthy competition is good.
Our 2024 Castle Combe Hot Hatch Championship campaign was ended early due to a major mechanical issue. James MacGregor finishes the season in 3rd place in Class B. We logged a tonne of valuable data from both car and driver and look forward to racing again next year. Thank you to all the great people we met this season!