Formula Vee Association of Victoria (FVAV)
June 2021 Newsletter #3
|
|
|
|
|
Welcome to Newsletter 3, 2021 of the FVAV. We hope you enjoy it! Please let us know if there’s anything you’d like to have included in the next newsletter. We have lots of info in this edition, including:
- New Members
- Winton Round 2 Wrap
- Phillip Island Round 3 Wrap
- Some General Housekeeping
- BlendlineTV
- Safety / Rain lights
- Seating Position Requirements
- Driver Profile – Nicholas Grigg
- Vee Trivia
So, let's get started!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, VSCRC Rounds 2 (Winton) and 3 (Phillip Island) have now taken place. If you were there, or tuned in to Blendline TV, you’d know there has been plenty of action, both on and off the track.
The Winton round, which doubled as Round 1 of the Australian Formula Vee Championship, saw a field of 30 cars take to the track. There were incidents aplenty spread over the weekend. Some substantial car damage, engine changes and many contact incidents led to frenzied activity in the garages. All this effort still saw all but two cars complete the round – an amazing result which came down to the ‘many hands make light work’ ethos of the Formula Vee community.
Things settled down a bit at Round 3 at Phillip Island although the inclement weather was front-of-mind for most competitors. However, except for the very first practice session on Friday morning when a full track of oil and rain made for interesting driving styles, we were fortunate, as a class, to have relatively dry conditions all weekend. There was lots of close racing, as usual, and we witnessed drivers improving both times as well as their position in the championship.
In this newsletter, we will update you on new club members, some important safety matters, a driver profile, and some trivia.
The FVAV Committee wants to draw your attention to two very important safety updates in the newsletter. Please read and act on the information concerning seating position and its relativity to the roll bar clearance and rain light placement. They concern your, and other driver's safety when we are on the track. Please make sure you read them, and make changes if required.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Members
We are very pleased to announce new members/racers who have joined since our last Newsletter before Winton. Please make welcome:
- Joshua Munro Car #76
- Aaron Back Car #13
- Damian Spinello Car #49
Also, three existing members have recently renewed their memberships after a few years hiatus. Welcome back!
- Calin MacLennan
- Brett MacLennan
- Ash Quidington
All members, please make yourselves known to our new racers. This reinforces the fact that we have the best and friendliest club in Australia. As you may be aware, drivers who haven’t raced in the class before qualify for the “Rookie of the Year” award!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Winton Round 2 Wrap
Doubling as Round 1 of the Australian Formula Vee Championship as well as Round 2 of the Victoria State Racing Series, Winton Raceway saw a large field of 30 cars roll out for qualifying. After an unfortunate incident on the penultimate corner, Brett Burden rolled his Sabre 02, ending his weekend. Thankfully, after a full check at the local hospital, Brett returned to the track, a bit sore and tender, but otherwise ok.
This incident re-enforced the safety of our category but did highlight the fact that the rules concerning roll hoop height are extremely important and that, as a category, we should be ensuring entrants are adhering to them. More on this later in the newsletter.
QUALIFYING:
Of the 30 cars and drivers to make the trip to Winton, we were very excited to see three female drivers qualify for the grid – Kellie Egan (VIC), April Welsh (WA) and Claudia Lennox (VIC). The shortened qualifying session, where only 3 or 4 laps were available to most competitors, saw three interstate drivers, Michael Kinsella (P1), Daniel Reynolds (P2), and Aaron Lee(P3) head the field. Hot on their tales were the three in-form Victorian drivers Heath Collinson (P4), Reef McCarthy (P5) and Jake Rowe (P6).
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RACE 1:
After an even start by the field, Kinsella and Reynolds pulled away leaving a 1.5 second gap to third place runner, McCarthy. Over the next few laps, McCarthy closed the gap on the front two setting the fastest lap of the race in doing so. However, he was unable to clear them and the three crossed the line within half a second of each other with Kinsella leading Reynolds home. Rowe’s engine failure and some gardening near the sweeper by eighth qualifier, Ash Clifford, were two notable events during the race. Post-race activity was impressive considering the speed with which the JRD boys removed Rowe’s engine in readiness for a transplant that would see him complete races 2 and 3 on Sunday.
Check out the Race 1 footage here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07j97bfyJ1U&t=1s
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RACE 2:
Race 2 saw an even start by the field but it wasn’t long before the first incident took place with Russell Saunders looping on the back straight. Smoke started appearing from the Sabre of Heath Collinson slowing him considerably. Shortly thereafter, on lap 2, Nicholas Kerr got a bit sideways out of turn 11 only to be collected by Gary Ogden. Kerr was able to continue while the damage to Ogden’s car left him stranded on the circuit, necessitating a safety car for 3 laps.
By this time, Jake Rowe with his replacement engine, had steamed from the back of the grid to be 10th
and looking to move further forward. When the field took the restart, Rob Vile misjudged turn 1 taking out John Cassimaty, with neither of them able to continue.
McCarthy appeared with a dramatically skewed nose piece after, obviously connecting with something hard. We found out after the race that he'd lost his brakes in the incident. He continued in a dog fight with Reynolds who ran wide at the flip-flop allowing McCarthy into the lead with a healthy gap, by Formula Vee standards anyway. However, his brake issues slowed him and Kinsella took the lead at turn 10 on the last lap, and the chequered flag. Rowe, miraculously, crossed the line 4th
behind Wade McLean! Was it the new engine or his frustration at his starting position that saw him climb from last to 4th? Quite a drive!
Take a look at Race 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRrCO8r6BmE&t=1s
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RACE 3:
McCarthy was on the front row looking to stop Kinsella finishing the weekend with a trifecta. While the race started very evenly again, we saw Reynolds flying off the road at turn 2 and ended up head-on in the tyre wall. This brought out the Safety Car for the second time on Sunday, this time for only 2 laps.
McCarthy knew the opportunity to try and dominate the rest of Race 3 hinged on the restart. He muscled his way past Kinsella round the outside of turn 1 and it was on! Kinsella paid McCarthy back at the start of the next lap but as they climbed the hill near the old start box, the two collided and both went directly to the scene of the accident – the inside wall. And, that was it for both cars. The safety car almost led the most laps on Sunday, even though it tried to join the other cars off the track with an excursion at turn 10….but was quickly saved.
The restart, with McLean leading Rowe, Lee and the Pace duo, followed by Williams, came with 4 laps to go. Right on their tale were Hutchinson, Collinson, Kerr, and Clifford rounding out the top 10. The first 6 went off to have a battle royal which resulted in Mclean winning from Lee, Rowe, then the Pace boys, Williams following by Clifford, Kerr, Hutchinson, and Buttigieg in P10.
The results from this round are still pending investigation by VSRS. We hope to have an update for you by Sandown.
See it all here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrCYadvk9-c&t=1s
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Phillip Island Round 3 Wrap
QUALIFYING:
A messy and slightly damp qualifying session, which was red flagged, saw Ash Quiddington return after 6 years away from the category and qualify second. It was as if he’d never been away. While he couldn’t match Reef McCarthy’s pace, 2.4 seconds clear in (P1), Ash out qualified Ashley Clifford who equalled his best qualifying result (P3), and Dave Hutchinson getting his best result, (P4). A returning Shane Purvis, followed by Nicholas Kerr rounded out the top 6. Brett Burden had re-appeared in Mark Mitchell’s Sabre 02 after his dramatic roll at Winton and it would be Hutchinson’s last race weekend in the category for a while as he heads to Queensland for his career. Claudia Lennox returned to her own car after racing in Ken Filbey’s Sabre 02 for Rounds 1 and 2. Ken returned now that travel restrictions had relaxed. Phil Gardner didn’t know it yet but he was heading into a top 8 result by the end of the weekend after a disappointing qualifying session. Neither Darren Power or Russell Saunders set a time during the unusual session with the latter spinning and Power connecting with him. Saunders needed a new steering rack while Power had to source a new wheel. Both would race well and score in all three races.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RACE 1:
McCarthy shot out of the blocks with Clifford slotting into second by turn 2. The three JRD cars of Clifford, Quiddington and Collinson formed a train for a few laps until Quiddington and Collinson broke free and set out after McCarthy. Kerr and Hutchinson, running 5th and 6th, were caught by Ken Filbey and Purvis after a couple of laps for a four-way battle for 5th with Purvis prevailing at race end. Rob Vile was running 9th
after picking up 5 places on the first lap but had been overtaken by Lucas Khawam by mid-race. Brian Buttigieg and John Cassimaty were looking for a way past too but, at turn 2, Buttigieg clipped the back of Vile and ended up retiring in the kitty litter. Cassimaty had quietly slipped past into 10th. After only 5 laps of racing, McCarthy led home Quiddington by 3 seconds with Collinson, third, only .01 behind.
Check out the Race 1 footage here: https://youtu.be/bhWRsbqoIbA?t=4736
RACE 2:
The battles that had started in race 1 continued in race 2. On lap 1, Vile spun approaching the braking area of Honda and, while he didn’t hit anyone, he did end up at the back of the field. Unfortunately, Dave Stuart in the Stinger stopped on the approach to Honda leaving the stewards no choice but to call a safety car. While he didn’t score points in the race, he had consistent results in races 1 and 3 for a solid weekend. The restart saw Purvis and Kerr tag onto the back of the 3 JRD cars who had let McCarthy back into the lead. Unfortunately, half way around the lap Kerr had a spark plug issue which resulted in a DNF. Just into the next lap, Cassimaty spun leaving turn 2 which left the following Khawam nowhere to go and the two collided. They had been racing closely all weekend but this was too close. Khawam was the third DNF of the race. Cassimaty was able to make the chequered flag in last place, but the points he gained would see him finish 11th for the weekend. With a great midfield battle between Burden, Grigg, Fisher, Vile, and Buttigieg for 9th position, the pack was only separated by 2 seconds by the end. McCarthy, once again, finished P1 with Collinson in P2 and Quiddington, P3. Clifford came home a strong 4th with Purvis right on his tail.
Take a look at Race 2: https://youtu.be/ZOEl---xevw?t=4224
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RACE 3:
The final race of the weekend, offering more points, was scheduled for 8 laps. The weather, while it was overcast, looked like it would stay fine and provide a slipstreaming battle that the category is know for. Midway through lap 1, the order had settled in with three pairs of Sabre 02’s heading the field (McCarthy, Collinson, Quiddington, Clifford, Purvis and Filbey) with Hutchinson, Phil Gardner, Vile and Burden rounding out the top 10. But, by the end of the lap, Kerr, having started at the rear of the field, had made his way up into 10th place! The group of Gardner, Hutchinson, Vile and Kerr started working well together chasing Filbey until, on lap 4, Vile left the circuit at turn 2 returning rear of field. Behind, that group, pairs of cars (Cassimaty and Grigg, Burdon and Buttigieg, Fisher and Lennox, Khawam and Saunders, Stuart and Power) were all having battles of their own. Cassimaty, too, had worked his way from the rear of grid into 10th by this stage. The Hutchinson group soon caught Filbey and they battled all the way to the flag with Hutchinson holding off Filbey, Kerr, and Gardner, all separated by around half a second. But, it ended up being a clean sweep of the weekend for McCarthy just edging Collinson to take the win by 2/100 second. An excited Clifford took his first Formula Vee podium just holding off Quiddington in fourth.
Kellie Egan and Darren Power both scored points in each race of the weekend, showing that staying out of trouble is rewarded. Similarly, Mick Fisher has emerged from a period of mechanical woes to score three points finishes. Nicholas Grigg’s weekend turned around too and finished 10th after an average qualifying. And, while only scoring in two races, Kerr ended up 9th for the weekend.
What a weekend! See it all here: https://youtu.be/ZOEl---xevw?t=19927
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Housekeeping
- It was advised that old tyres had been left at the Phillip Island circuit, by a competitor. While don’t believe it was our category, please ensure you take your old tyres home or have Stuckey’s dispose of them for you.
- Round 3 of the Australian Formula Vee series is being run under lights at Sydney Motorsport Park on June 26 and 27th. The editor has received inside news that perhaps Victorians Brian Buttigieg, Reef McCarthy, and Jake Rowe are making the trek north. This should be an adventure and a half – under lights, the drive north AND potential COVID free restrictions. What we do for racing….:)
- Entries for round 4 at Sandown on 24-25 July 2021 are currently not out. Please monitor the club Facebook group for an announcement on when they are released.
- The Nationals Challenge is scheduled for October 23-24, and the weekend will be action-packed with 3 hours of Vee action each day, with practice available on the 22nd. Your committee is working hard on the event planning to make it a great weekend. Further information will be released soon concerning event entry.
- We're still trying to have the results from Round 2 at Winton finalised with VSRS. We understand they are important in providing an accurate state of the championship and we will endeavour to have them available prior to Round 4 at Sandown.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Blendline TV |
|
There has been much behind-the-scenes activity regarding Blendline TV coverage of our events and how these should be funded. For the sake of equality both within the club and across the greater Victorian State Racing Series entrants, a levy has been applied to every entrant’s round entry fee. This is $50 and is paid every round. (* Please see note below). Of course, we will review the coverage and the future benefit of the streaming for the club. There were a few technical issues with the coverage at Phillip Island which have been noted and improvements will be made for the coming rounds.
* This is an update from the VSRS
"We are aware that some categories are struggling to raise the funds to pay for the coverage and it makes life difficult for everyone to be running around collecting funds during the lead up to an event.
It was therefore agreed that the entry fee for future rounds of the Championship would be increased to $495.00 with no early or late fee. We believe that this will raise sufficient funds, along with a contribution from VSRS Inc, to adequately fund the live stream for rounds 3, 4 and 5. We believe that this is a fair and equitable method as everyone pays the same and gets coverage for all categories for all races."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Safety / Rain lights
Please ensure that you have a large and very bright rain light. While you may not think it’s important, it’s crucial for the driver behind you to see in the rain and spray.
The Motorsport Australia’s technical requirements “2021 TECHNICAL APPENDIX C” requires:
"Each Automobile be fitted with a rearward facing red warning lamp (rain light) which must be clearly visible from the rear and mounted not more than 100mm from the centreline of the Automobile.
Each lamp must:
- be of at least 15 watts or an LED lamp with FIA and/or Motorsport Australia approval may be used and may strobe;
- have a minimum surface area of 20cm2 and a maximum surface area of 140cm2; and
- be able to be switched on by the driver when normally seated in the Automobile."
The club expects the rain light to be very bright, visible from 100+ metres away in rainy/spray conditions, and not be blocked by any items (eg. muffler, bodywork). Looking back at Phillip Island, there were a few cars that, although they did have rain lights and are “compliant” with the regulations, perhaps they did not provide the required benefit – i.e. they could not be seen that well. If it’s not up to standard or visible from directly behind, look at getting it replaced or repositioned. We want everyone out on track to be safe, and that you are not hit from behind when your car can not be seen in poor weather.
When should I turn my rain light on?
- As directed by race control;
- If the track is wet;
- You are on track and it starts to rain;
- If others on track have it on, then perhaps you should as well.
Jake Rowe from GR Motorsport Electrics will be able to help you out if your rain light is below par. https://www.motorsportelectrics.com.au/shop-by-product/product/rain-light2
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Seating Position Requirements
A reminder to all drivers:
Driver Safety is the FVAV committee’s number one priority. This is a kind reminder from the committee to all drivers:
Formula Vee cars may be subjected to multiple regulatory compliance inspections, including the seating position requirement in Para 14.1 of Schedule J – Safety Cage Structure.
REF: (https://motorsport.org.au/docs/default-source/manual/general-requirements/2021/schedule-j.pdf.)
Please prioritise your safety and ensure full compliance. Any non-compliance may result in suspension from participating in racing. Scrutineers have been notified and will be looking for non-compliance.
If you have any questions or you need assistance, please contact the FVAV committee.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Driver Profile – Nicholas Grigg
Up until my involvement in Formula Vee my on-track motor racing experience has been fairly limited. I grew up in Mildura and did a little bit of karting in my early teens and then around 8 years ago I did some sprint days at Sandown with my Dad in his MX-5.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
At around 10 years of age, I started following Formula 1 and that's where my passion for motor racing started. My favourite driver was Niki Lauda and my dream was to one day be a Formula 1 driver, I thought my racing name could be Niki Grigg. I would often catch the overnight train to Melbourne and go to Sandown and sit on the hill at Dandenong Road to watch the F5000s.
At the age of 14, I was sent away to boarding school in Melbourne, then followed University, work commitments, got married and had 2 children. I was involved in athletics, played a bit of footy but the racing driver ambitions were still just a dream.
In 1996 I started working for a company which was involved in the set-up of temporary structures at the F1, Moto GP, Indy Car and V8 events. I did this for the next 15 years. One of the perks of the job was tickets to the events so I managed to see a lot of motor sport which started to fuel my passion again.
In 2017 the kids had grown up and at Christmas I read the Alan Jones biography, AJ. So, at the age of 54, I then decided if I was going to race cars, it was now or never. I did a bit of research and thought Formula Vee might be the way to go. In early 2018 I went to a FV information day at JRD. I went there to learn a bit more about FV. Ash let me sit in his car and I was hooked. I bought the Black and Red JRD Sabre there and then.
JRD got the car ready, helped me with my OLT, then I entered Winton for my first race in June 2018. The meeting was a baptism of fire for me, it rained all weekend and think the temperature never got past 9 degrees. My partner, Jane, wasn't too happy that the cars got the priority with the heaters instead of her. I survived and, more importantly, so did my car! I even managed a top 10 finish in the last race after everyone else had slid of the track.
Since then, I have been slowly improving, I'm really enjoying the sport and look forward to racing in the future, thanks to all the help from everyone at FV, in particular JRD, Ash and Heath.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vee Trivia
Have a go at answering the following FVAV related questions as best you can. We probably don’t have any real data on these all of these questions but I’m sure the answers will be entertaining. Most creative answer for each question earns a bonus point.
- Who’s broken the most wheels this year? 2 points
- What colour was Shane Purvis’ original Formula Vee? 1 point
- Who’s broken the most gearboxes this year? 2 points
- How many times have Beacham Racing won the Australian Championship? 1 Point
- Who’s set the most, fastest race laps this year? 1 point
- Who’s usually the last person to arrive at the dummy grid? 2 points
- How many races has Ash Quiddington won in his FV career? 2 points
- How many years did Brett MacLennan race for? 1 point
- What year was Davin Field’s first podium? 1 point
- What tyre pressures did Reef McCarthy run at Phillip Island? 3 points
Send answers to info@formulaveevictoria.com.au.
If you click on the link, an email will be created with all the questions listed – just type in your answers and send it.
The winner’s prize will be a visit to your garage, during a race weekend, by our esteemed club president, Nicholas Kerr! Good luck!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Keep safe and see you at Sandown for Round 4.
Regards,
The Committee!
President - Nicholas Kerr Car #96
Vice-President - Lucas Khawam Car #23
Treasurer - Brett Burden Car #11
Secretary - Ashley Clifford Car #17
General Committee - Rob Vile Car #7
|
|
|
|
|
|
Countdown till gates open at Sandown!
|
|
|
|
|