3DR Driver Progression Continues...

Tuesday, 03 June 2008 10:58

3DR have been working hard over the last month to progress their drivers further through the field. With Danny out of action for 3 months following a scupper for the lead at Shenington 3 weeks ago, he has been working closely with the drivers to transfer as much of his knowledge as possible in order to improve their techniques’.

Dominic was racing at Shenington 3 weeks ago, and ran a good set of heats leaving him on row 2 for the final. The front row was taken up by Danny and Nathan Lawley. Danny and Lawley took off into the lead in the final, but Dominic, after slipping to 5rd at the start, fought hard with regular front runners Richard Hughes, and European championship contender Ben Eden. On his way to 3rd fastest lap of the race, he saw off the more experienced drivers and came home in 3nd. Danny won the race but was later demoted to 6th following a disagreement with the Clerk of the Course, moving Dominic up into 2nd overall.

‘Dominic is now showing pace throughout testing and racing that leads me to believe that he is a front running challenger to any other drivers in the class. After a near win at Whilton, and 2nd place here, I believe that Dominic can challenge anyone in the country. We will be working very hard with Dominic at Kimbolton, Shenington, Whilton Mill and Forest Edge over the next month to try and secure him that all important first win!’ Team Manager, Tom Smith

William Blackwell-Chambers had the benefit of being under scrutiny all weekend from Team Manager, Tom. The main aim with Will has been to get him lapping at a raceable pace, so that he can build his confidence and improve results. A dry Saturday saw the training day go to plan, with Will improving every session. In the end, a credible lap time of 47.8 was achieved, only 7 tenths of a second behind current British championship leader Edward brand.

‘Today has been very useful for Will, and for sure an improvement has been seen. We need to start working on his racecraft now, as this is an area which will really let him down as he starts to lap at the pace of the midfield.’ Team Manager, Tom Smith

Unfortunately Sunday brought rain, lots of it! With next to no experience in the wet conditions, the day was spent as an elaborate test day, with improving techniques and driving styles in mind. Will once again managed to progress, some 3 seconds per lap over the course of the day! It was a shame that Sunday was not dry, as the team feels that Will could have put in a credible performance, worthy of some praise.

The first visit for 3DR to Forest Edge occurred last weekend. Only able to be present on the Saturday, and with racing both days, we were going to have to work extremely hard. Junior driver Will Blackwell-Chambers, and a new edition to the team, Jorgen Tveit in Minimax both had 3 test sessions before the scheduled 2 heats and a final got underway.

Will showed good pace from the outset, around 5 tenths off the absolute pace, in the group racing for around 6th-8th. With emphasis on overtaking, the team worked tirelessly to try and teach him racecraft.

‘Overtaking is something that doesn’t come naturally for some people. It is a big step to fling yourself into a corner at 70mph faster than the driver in front, and it will take time for Will to learn the techniques and gain enough confidence to be able to do this properly. Nevertheless, today he has shown some willingness to learn and has made a few good passes,’ said Team driver, Danny Russell.

It is worth noting that Will took his best ever heat result of 6th in Heat 1, on his way to 12th on the grid, and 13th overall in the final. He definitely had top 8 pace, and the team are now working flat out to improve his confidence and ability as far as overtaking is concerned.

Will is also on a diet and fitness plan to improve his fitness for the sport. He has become noticeably more able and strong over the past two weeks, so praise goes to him from the team for being committed to improving away from the racetrack as well as on it! Will is next out with the team at Whilton Mill in 3 weeks.

Jorgen Tveit in Minimax has joined the team on a temporary basis at first, so that the team can spend some time to evaluate what help he needs with his racing. With 4 years experience in racing, it was obvious that Jorgen has a bit of experience on his side. He raced to 4th in the final on Saturday, and 3rd on Sunday with ease.

‘Jorgen seems to possess some good qualities, and certainly doesn’t lack in racecraft. He has done a sterling job this weekend, but a more experienced driver that won the races on both days have shown that there is plenty of room for improvement. We will be focusing on the preparation and setup of Jorgen’s equipment, along with cutting out the mistakes that he makes. All in all, Jorgen is a promising talent for the future. We are very happy and excited to have him on board,’ Team owner, Don Russell.

The team now have representation in 3 of the major Rotax classes, and are hping to be pushing for wins in both Junior and Minimax in the near future, to add to their dominance in Senior Rotax. Watch this space!