Nolan Allaer: Heading in the right direction

Hello all,

When crossing over the halfway point of the season, as drivers we start looking for signs of improvement. A light, but strong grid of drivers sat in their cars getting ready for qualifying at the fifth round of the championship, Brands Hatch. Following an effective day of testing, I was confident rolling onto the circuit, and ready to extract the maximum from myself and the car. 

P5. 0.026 seconds off pole position. Our best weekend so far on raw pace. Knowing this, I was thoroughly motivated to make the most of it in the three races. However, I underestimated my lack of race experience at the circuit, and spent the first two races learning the high speed game of chess at Brands. I finished 7th in both of the first two races, but logged promising lap times compared to the front of the field. Going into race three, I learned more than ever before, but at the cost of falling down the order due to mistakes on track, and a 5 second track limits penalty. An unfortunate 8th. 

Despite the lack of position relative results at Brands, I saw it as a step forward on my understanding of extracting the most from the car. While I aimed to improve my results on track, I wanted to continue my momentum in raw pace. 

A short break and a train ride to Edinburgh later, and we were ready to go for round 6 of the championship at Knockhill Racing Circuit. Having done no running at the circuit before, the first few laps were “enlightening” to the characteristics of the track. The rumours on the rollercoaster nature of the circuit proved to be true. 

After qualifying P3, my best of the year, we watched the lights go out of race one out of two. I overestimated the level of grip on the first few laps, and found myself running in sixth quickly. Less than adequate defending had resulted in a subpar start to the race. However, not long into the race I noticed the two cars ahead received 5 second penalties for track limits violations. While being careful to keep the car within the limits of the circuit, we ended race one in 4th. 

Carrying a new mindset and understanding into race two, I was able to hold ground on fourth position from the start. After making a move for third place, contact with an attacking fourth place shuffled me down the order to sixth again. With a no longer straight wheel but still very quick car, we were able to make a move stick for fifth place. Nearing the end of the race, I saw a similar scene to race one. One of the cars ahead had received a 5 second penalty. Knowing this, I began to push to close the gap below the 5 second window. Crossing the line we were able to be promoted into 4th again, and take the second fastest lap of the race. 

Although two 4th place finishes were disappointing when podiums were on the table, I am again happy with the progress we have made in the past two rounds. These steps in the right direction leave me confident heading into the end of our season.

I can’t go without thanking the Ammonite crew, Martini, Lochmoor Promotions, my family, friends, and everyone involved in making this year a success. It’s been an incredible year and I can’t wait to use what we have learned in the final events. 

- Nolan