John's Motorsport Diary - Chapter 5: Round 2 Oulton Park
In my previous and admittedly very long entry about the first round of the series in Navarra, I hinted towards the end of the piece that I might have struggled to enjoy my first weekend of racing in the UK Ferrari Challenge Series. Fortunately, a less eventful and more successful finish in race two allowed me to embrace the brilliance of what I'm partaking in.
For round 2, things would (in theory) be a little easier for various reasons. Firstly, we're back in the UK, and secondly, we're racing at a circuit I've driven many times before, Oulton Park.
The Problem with Oulton Park:
Oulton Park in Cheshire is one of the UK's most iconic circuits. As a venue, it has hosted multiple race championships since the 1950s, including F1 in the 1970s on a previous circuit layout. Today, the circuit is used for BTCC, British GT and British Superbikes, to name just a few, and it's also a firm favourite for track day drivers who want to enjoy driving their own car on the track. That's where my experience of Oulton Park stems from. I've driven the circuit a few times in my own cars and have enjoyed it every time. It's a staggeringly pretty circuit on the grounds of what was once a grand country estate.
Scenic pleasantries aside, Oulton has some very challenging aspects to it, too.
The Driving Line
If you're on the correct driving line, you're having a great time - it almost feels like you're driving your very own rollercoaster with cambered corners, fast chicanes and undulations that temporarily reposition your internal organs. If you're off the line, it's a very different kind of theme park ride - less of a rollercoaster, more of a ghost train.
It's Bumpy
Even with the ideal driving line achieved, Oulton is a bumpy circuit. If you veer off-line, the bumps will induce jumps and lunges towards perilously short run-offs and tiny gravel traps that might (if you're lucky) slow down a lightweight Mazda MX5 - but probably not a Ferrari doing 140+mph.
It's Narrow
Another slightly terrifying aspect of the circuit is its width. Oulton is very narrow and has only a small selection of safe overtaking spots. The circuit was designed at a time when racing cars were small and narrow - the polar opposite of a 700hp Ferrari Challenge car. Even the best and most experienced drivers in the world will tell you that Oulton Park is probably the last on the list of UK circuits they'd like to drive in a Ferrari 296 Challenge car, especially when surrounded by 20 other amateur drivers.
It's Complex
The circuit is 'busy'. There are just two short straight lines at Oulton Park, which means there is almost always something to do. At the previous round in Navarra, there were two long straights, which allowed for a momentary gathering of thoughts, a stretch of the fingers, and a reminder to breathe before firing back into the fast and challenging turns. At Oulton Park, there is no such luxury. The entire lap is a sequence of corners which require pin-sharp precision and accuracy. Get turn number one wrong, and you've got a whole lap of frustration ahead.
At least we can practice, right?
The cherry on the top of Oulton Park's cake of many challenges was the amount of practice time drivers had to learn the circuit, set up the car and come to terms with other (considerably wide) racing cars around the lap. Unlike at Navarra, where we had three full test days ahead of the races, at Oulton, we had none. Two 40-minute free practice sessions would be all we could utilise before driving as hard as we dared to set a qualifying time on Race Day 1.
Thank Goodness for the GeekaPC Simulator
Our simulator has proven to be a superb weapon in our arsenal for learning the circuits and honing in driving lines ahead of the race weekends. Test days, if available, aren't cheap, so the luxury of having an accurate simulation of the car and circuit with the ability to learn the hard way (read as - occasionally getting it wrong) is priceless. Have a crash whilst testing in real life, and you're looking at a potential bill equal to that of a semi-detached house in the suburbs of London. But with a crash on the sim, you sigh a breath of frustration, press the brake pedal, tap the reset button and go again.
In the week leading up to the race, I spent every spare minute I had on our simulator. Using a Ferrari 296 GT3 as our test mule (the Challenge Car isn't available yet on iRacing), I was able to work my way from 1:45 laps down to 1:34. If I could get even a couple of seconds away from that time in real life, I'd be a very happy man.
Track Walk
The Oulton Park round of the Ferrari Challenge Series occurred over two days, Friday and Saturday. I arrived at the venue on Thursday evening with my driver coach, Miles Lacey, to collect some hospitality passes for our guests and to walk around the circuit. With the blessing of race control, we embarked on an hour-long walk on the tarmac, analysing and building visual reference points from corner to corner. On the walk, the sheer gradient of camber, hills and bumps became very real. On previous laps of Oulton Park, the fastest car I'd have driven at race pace was a 2004 BMW M3. I could recall the occasional bump and rewarding line, but thinking ahead to my 690hp Ferrari, which relies on downforce, I suddenly felt like I was about to experience the circuit for the first time all over again.
After an hour of walking, talking and a fair share of expletives over realising just how tight some corners would feel, we made our way to our hotel for the night.
Friday - Race Day: 1
As is the new normal ahead of a race day, I slept terribly; however, what Ferrari does exceptionally well in support of its customer racing program is superb hospitality. Breakfast at the circuit is laid on for the drivers, along with an exceptionally welcoming Italian barista who has already remembered me well enough after just one round of racing that I love a doppio espresso (or three) throughout the morning. As you'd expect, the stuff is like rocket fuel, and any tiredness is expelled rapidly by the best-tasting coffee this side of Milan.
Knowing I had just 80 minutes of practice time in the car before qualifying, I was apprehensive. Fortunately, Miles helped talk everything through, and when the time was right, I jumped in the car to get to work and see how close the simulator was to the real thing. For FP1 (free practice one), I went out on a set of tyres we had used for testing at Navarra. The grip levels were past their prime but were fine for a circuit familiarisation activity.
As suspected, when on our track walk, I was taken aback by the width of the circuit from the perspective of the Ferrari. As I started to build speed, the small bumps turned into jumps, and the reality of just how much of a challenge this round might be became very real.
A Guide to Oulton Park in a Ferrari 296 Challenge
A printed map of the circuit doesn't look all that challenging; however, in reality, it is.
Turn 1, 'Old Hall', just after the start/finish line, is a fast right-hander which requires you to turn in much later than you initially think. A definitive positive camber near the apex is essential to hook you into the bend. Take the corner too slowly or turn in too early, and the best-case scenario is that momentum is lost for turns 2 and 3.
Turn 2 is 'Denton's', which crests a hill and immediately dips to the right before a challenging left. It's a section that requires some bravery as the crest is blind and fast.
Turn 3 is 'Cascades' - another on-camber corner, but this time, it goes left. Just like in turn 1, the speed and accuracy of the line are crucial. Too early, you'll be pushed out of the camber and spat out to the right. Turn too late; you'll miss the hook and head for the grass. Get it right, and it's like being fired from a slingshot along the first of two short straights called 'Lakeside'. Lakeside is fast and disappears within a blink, leaving you to consider your attack for turn 4.
Turn 4 is 'Island Bend' which looks like a large sweeping left-hander on the map, but at 140mph, it feels more like a short kink. Getting around Island Bend is achieved by a short, sharp (but gentle) dab on the brake pedal to hook the nose of the car close to the apex. Ideally, once past the apex, you then want to allow the car to push out and wide on the throttle to the middle of the circuit before scrubbing speed for the iconic turn 5 'Shell Oils Corner'.
Turn 5 'Shell Oils' is a hairpin with a huge camber gradient. The camber, along with some bravery and downforce, enables the car to slick to the tarmac and hurtle out of the hairpin towards the first of 2 chicanes.
Turns 6, 7, 8 and 9 are collectively known as 'Britten's Chicane'. Britten's is tight and requires hard, accurate braking to hit the entry and exit apexes. After Britten's is an uphill, crest and downhill straight appropriately named 'Hilltop'. The climb up the hill is steep, the crest makes the car feel weightless, and the downhill section is particularly hard on brakes, which are needed for the second chicane - turns 10 and 11 - called 'Hislops'.
Hislops is a little wider than Britten's and allows for more speed, but the following corner, turn 12 'Knickerbrook', is next, and it's a cruel off-camber right turn that makes the car understeer to the left. Knickerbrook requires a touch of brakes and a lot of patience with the throttle, which is needed for yet another uphill section for turns 13 'Clay Hill' and 14 'Water Tower'.
The uphill climb on Clay Hill is fast and blind. The famous reference point for getting the driving line right is to look for the top of the tallest tree in the woods. Aim for the tallest tree, and you should be on the right line, but you'll know for sure as you crest the undulations on the way up if you've got it right. If you're off-line, the car goes light and glides to the right, and it feels like something very nasty is about to happen. Get it right, and it's less eventful, but it still gets the adrenaline pumping.
Turn 15 is 'Druids', another iconic corner with two apexes. The key to Druids is to go faster than you think; you need to slow the car for the first apex and, once past it, get back on the throttle for the second. The pace is key here as you want to get the most from the downforce; however, bite off too much, and you'll be fired off into the tiny gravel trap and fencing on the left side. Assuming you've got it right, you'll head along the second short straight 'Warwick Bridge'.
Warwick Bridge ends with a big stomp on the brake pedal to slow for the penultimate corner, turn 16 'Lodge Corner'.
Turn 16 ‘Lodge’ is another cruel one, with the apex and exit of the turn on a very sudden downhill drop. If the line is wrong, it can be very easy to lose the car's back end and spin.
The 17th and final turn, 'Deer Leap,' is around 10 metres before the start-finish line on an exceptionally bumpy section of the track, but in the moment, you can't think about the bumps because it's time to get the car to the left, suck in a dose of bravery and get the line right for Turn 1 all over again.
Learning on the Job
I finished the first 40-minute practice session with the old tyres, a great way to learn the grip and lines. The session flew by in what felt like 15 minutes, but I'd gathered enough data to sit down with Miles, work through the footage and prepare for the second practice session only an hour later.
In the data room, Miles and I worked out where I could adapt the driving line, brake a little later, and work on techniques for the challenging (cruel) bends.
For FP2 (free practice 2), I went out on new tyres, installed them appropriately, and worked on shaving off some time. The second practice session flew by as quickly as the first, but it finally felt like it was all starting to come together this time. Just as well, as my 3rd session in the car would be for Race 1 qualifying.
Race 1 Qualifying
Without any reference laps or even a reassuring set-up check from Miles in the car, I was heading out to set a qualifying time, which would determine my grid position for the race. For qualifying sessions, drivers must use a fresh set of tyres, which must also be used in the race. Once my new tyres were up to temperature, I pushed as hard as I dared and qualified with a time of 1:37. It was my fastest lap so far and put me on the 3rd row in 6th position on the grid for the race.
Race 1 - The Race
I've concluded that the race starts are my least favourite part of motor racing. 20 Ferraris all rolling toward the start/finish gantry, eager to find the best possible line through what is arguably one of the most tight and complex circuits on the season calendar, is not the sort of chaos I'd call fun. Perhaps, if I were a multi-multi millionaire with enough money to shrug off the loss of a £450,000 Ferrari, I'd feel different, but the reality is, I'm not.
As we all rolled over the start line and the buzz of 20 Ferraris droned through turn 1, I was happy to be in one piece. Two cars up front had made contact, and plastic parts were sent flying, reminding me of my altercation with car 88 in Race 1 at Navarra. I was safe, though, and had made it through the debris. Turns 2 and 3 were also clear within a blink, but I could see that up at the front of the grid, all was not so well.
On the Lakeside straight, a car had veered off to the right and onto the grass, but it was still pushing at pace. It was car 12, driven by Joe Dean. Once on the grass, Joe did what he could to bring the car to the left and back onto the tarmac, but physics had long decided Joe's fate. His car rejoined the tarmac, but the newfound grip fired him into the barrier on the left side of the circuit just before Shell Oils Hairpin, which caused his car to spin and ride the barrier backwards. I knew it would be a red flag, so I took my foot off the throttle and radioed it in to Miles. "Big crash at Shell Oils, Joe has hit the wall. It's going to be a red flag."
As the surviving cars proceeded around the circuit, the inevitable red flag was shown. All cars completed a lap under guidance from the safety car, and I was relieved to see Joe out of the car and talking to the marshals where he'd had his big crash. All the cars came to a stop on the starting grid, and we waited for the cleanup operation. It was reassuring to see that Joe was fine, but the car didn't look good. It was another stark reminder of just how badly things can go wrong.
The race was restarted under safety car conditions, and I quickly found my flow in 4th place thanks to a fortunate start. And from that point onwards, that's where I sat for almost the entirety of the race. For the first 10 minutes, I had some pressure from car 23 of Bal Sidhu; however, the cruelty of Oulton took its toll on what had been a valiant drive for Bal by firing him off onto the grass, losing some pace. For the remainder of the race, I sat in 4th place, around half a second off of car 19 Heymandhra Pillai, who was in 3rd place and around 4 seconds ahead of any chasing cars in 5th. Whilst the race for me wasn't action-packed, it was safe, and I'd even managed to improve my best lap time with my tyres well beyond their prime.
I crossed the finish line in 4th place for race one, with some celebration to Miles on the radio. Race 1 at Oulton Park was complete, and aside from the double start, it had been a joy. My closing transmission to Miles on the radio was something along the lines of "D'you know what, I really bloody enjoyed that!"
Day 2
The second race day of each round is always a little less action-packed. There are no practice sessions, just qualifying and the race. For Qualifying, I knew I could do better than my 6th place start for Race 1. In the first race, I'd perfected my driving line into turns 1, 2 and 3, but Island Bend and Shell Oils Hairpin needed improvement - that's where I was losing time. The rest of the lap was also coming together nicely. I knew I could improve my time by tidying up the slower sector. As the time for qualifying approached, I wanted to do better. I had to.
Qualifying for Race 2 - Last Minute Heroics
As I did the day before, I went out on brand-new tyres for Qualifying. Installing the tyres took place over three laps, and I started to push by lap four. But it was to no avail. I simply couldn't link the corners like I'd done in the race on Friday. My lap times were okay, but only okay. There was no improvement.
I was looking for purple sectors, which, as the name suggests, is a bright purple indication on the dashboard that I'm driving each sector faster than before. Occasionally, I'd see the purple box light up for turns 1,2 and 3, but by the dreaded Shell Oils hairpin, I was back to black with no improvement on time.
Miles and I had also strategised not pitting in to adjust tyre pressures; we wanted to maximise the 20-minute window by staying out for as long as possible in the hope of getting a clear lap without other cars getting in the way. Miles radioed to let me know that I had only 2 minutes left in the session; I needed to do better, so on what would undoubtedly be my final lap, I pushed as hard as I dared over the start line and into turn 1.
As I exited from turn 1, my purple sector indicator lit up. "Okay, this is it. THIS is the lap." My line was perfect through turns 2, 3, and 4, and I carved my way around the Shell Oils Hairpin on the limit of grip; the purple sector was still shining bright, and I was almost half a second quicker than my fastest time so far. The purple stayed illuminated through both chicanes, up Clay Hill, through druids and along the Warwick straight. As I hit the brakes for the final turn at Lodge, I prayed that I'd got the line right, I had! I saw the chequered flag and crossed the line with the reward of a bright green box showing 1:36 - it was my new lap record, and it had landed me in 4th position for the grid just 57 hundredths of a second away from Callum Leatham (car 95) in 3rd. I was chuffed.
Race 2
After the eventful start of Race 1, I was prepared for all eventualities. I doubt I'll ever find these race starts enjoyable, but it must be done. In 4th place, I was in the second row with the pole sitter just meters ahead of me. We started the race, and with a deep breath, all the cars got through the first few corners without any incidents. I'd managed to hold my position, but on my second lap, I outbraked myself and missed the driving line through cascades. As a result, Haymandhra Pillai, in car 19, behind me in 5th place, was within spitting distance of my back bumper. I got around Shell Oils, feeling the heat from behind, and then, the click of the radio kicked in. It was Miles. "Okay, John, prepare for a red flag, a big crash at turn 1, almost certainly going to bring things to a stop."
It was Joe Dean again in car 12. This time, he was in a car borrowed from Ferrari while his own car, which had crashed the day before, was being analysed for repair. He'd gone off on the second lap at turn 1, went wide onto the grass, and, just like in Race 1, gripped his way across the circuit and fired the borrowed car into the barrier on the opposite side.
All the cars crawled to the start line under the guidance of the brilliant marshals. Miles clicked back through the radio. Turn it off, mate; we'll be here a while.
"Is Joe okay?" I radioed back.
"not sure yet, mate. Can't confirm anything at the moment."
Fortunately, Joe was fine, once again proving just how safe the 296 Challenge cars are. Two significant impacts in the space of 24 hours would take their toll on most drivers, and yet, soon afterwards, it was confirmed that Joe was fine, out of the car and walking back to the pits.
What came next was an agonising 20 minutes of cleanup. I got out of the car in position and chatted with Miles and our Mechanics, Stephen and Bryan. Miles and I even got an interview with one of the series presenters, Amanda Stretton, who performed a second grid walk to appease the spectators and viewers watching from home. Amanda's interview helped me take my mind off the moment and settle my nerves ahead of the 4th race start of the weekend.
Before long, the cleanup was done, drivers were instructed to get back into their cars, and once more, the race would be restarted under Safety Car conditions. As it turns out, starting under a safety car is considerably easier than in grid formation as the cars proceed in a single file around the circuit and across the line to start the race. This means there's no wrestle or tussle for a line into the first few corners; it's safer, quicker and offers a better chance of a clean first lap.
We rolled across the line, and the race was back underway. Once again, I managed to hold my 4th place position, but Haymandhra in car 19 was breathing down my neck, and rightfully so. Haymandhra Pillai is quick; he'd finished 3rd in Friday's race, so despite qualifying faster, I was potentially going to be in his way.
Two laps into the restarted race, Miles could tell I was feeling the pressure. "Stop focussing on what's happening behind, and look ahead. You're quicker; go for Callum". Miles was right with his message. I was compromising my driving lines by thinking too much about the car behind me. I knew I could drive quickly; I just had to focus on the task. And so, I did.
I started to lock onto Callum Leatham (car 95), who was ahead of me in 3rd place. Unless something went wrong for Gilbert Yates or Pranav Vangalla in P1 and P2, there was no hope of gaining either of their positions. They're both experienced Ferrari Challenge drivers with a few seasons under their belt, so they were already a few seconds ahead. But Callum is a rookie like me. We drove together in the MX5 Ready to Race Program at Brands Hatch back in February, and we were consistently close in lap times. I knew I wasn't fast enough to pull off any bold overtakes, but he could always make a mistake. In Race 1, Callum spun his car at the cruel final Lodge corner. Would he do the same today?
As I thought about that, Miles radioed with a reassuring message, "Okay, John, there is no pressure behind you now; Haymandhra has gone off onto the grass and is now down a few places." I now had a similar buffer with only Bal Sidhu (car 23) behind me. Bal is also quick, but I was happy in my position. He couldn't quite close the gap to apply the same sort of pressure I'd had from Haymandhra at the start of the race, but I was closing the gap to apply the pressure to Callum in 3rd.
"Keep applying the pressure. Wait for the mistake." Miles commanded on the radio. With around 6 minutes to go, Callum missed a braking point on his way into Hislops. The gap between us closed dramatically; 3rd place was now within reach. I just had to stay composed, manage my tyres and wait for another mistake. But Callum pulled himself together brilliantly and held his position. On the following lap, as we approached Hislops once more, where Callum had missed his braking point just a minute and a half before, I did precisely the same thing as Callum. I out-braked myself, clambered a messy line through the chicane, and Callum rightfully drove away.
I drove as hard as possible for the final few laps, with the tyres feeling very much done. Even Pranav Vangalla, who was in 2nd place and is one of the season favourites, was having trouble staying on track. Our tyres were cooked. Despite my best efforts, 4th is where I remained for the finish. It had been another clean race with some fast laps. The car had run perfectly, and despite some sizable incidents, I had managed to complete the weekend unscathed.
I had gone into the Oulton Park round with a lot of apprehension, but on reflection, it was a much-needed challenge which proved once again that I was worthy of the seat.
Up next is Brands Hatch on the 21st and 22nd of June, a circuit I have experience driving and one that is not too far from where I grew up. Is a podium within reach for my 3rd round of motorsport? Only time, some practice, and a bit of luck will decide.
Maybe I'll see you there - Tickets are available here: https://www.brandshatch.co.uk/2025/june/ferrari-challenge-uk
words by John Marcar
photography by Henry Faulkner-Smith
to learn more about GeekaPC that kindly built our simulator - visit: geekapc.com
