Nippon challenge - Snetterton race report

Dixcelbrake

Advanced Member
Messages
475
All Nippon Challenge Race 1 and 2 report –

After a depressing year with engine reliability problems with the B20 engine, Hybrid racing and DMF Performance who were willing to Sponsor us a K20 engine with the full conversion kit approached us. During this winter break we understand as a private team we needed a fully equipped workshop to take our car to the next level, so in January 2009 I finally decided to setup my own race team. Found a new workshop within 3 weeks, so after 6 years of racing and trading with high performance car parts, Dixon Motorsports was finally officially up and running in February 2009.

Now we have a fully equipped professional running race team, racing is now an official part of our business. In the winter break we managed to find few more sponsors to support our racing in 2009.

We built our car from scratch again from new paint work, engine, roll cage, chassis upgrade with full K20 conversion, we started our new project in mid February our car was completed within 2 weeks. With our new engine from DMF performance fitted and mapped by Artech tuning. The engine was pushing 242bhp and after a testing session at Brands hatch we were happy with the new car.

So the first race event is up, we got to the track on Friday afternoon with everything setup on the track and we settle down for the night ready for the battle on Saturday.

Saturday –

Qualify –
With the new regulations we are only allowed to run either Toyo R888 or Silverstone tyres for this season, unfortunately only Toyo have an available size for our needs so we had no option but to go for Toyo’s this season. We have never raced with R888’s in the past 5 years of racing, this is our first race with these new tyres and the grip level was completely different to what we have used before so I had learn how to drive the car all over again.

We only managed 1 mins 24 secs in qualifying which was about 3 second slower than what we achieved with our old engine, pretty disspointed but we still qualified 7th in the overall class and 2nd in our GT250 class.

Race 1 –

Had a pretty good start and a good fight with the ex-touring car Honda Accord, after 5 laps of good battle I was finally able to outbrake him under the bridge at the back straight and got up to 2nd position in my class and 4th overall and I finally managed to feel the grip levels from the. The Best lap we had in the first race – 1 mins 22 secs so we gained 2 secs from the morning qualify session.

Race 2 –

Had a good start again, pulled away from the Accord and managed to stay in 2nd for the rest of the race, seeing Kris was only 4-5 secs in front of me but my car was suffering understeer from the R888 tyres so at the end we finished in 2nd and overall 4th in the class.

Not a bad start this season with no mechanical problems at all during the whole race weekend. After the first race, we now understand how competitive our car could be and we will continue to develop our car better for the next race at Pembrey.

Special thanks to the following, without their help we would never have been able to make it to the first race with a competitive car –

Camskill - tyre support
Opie oils – engine oil, gearoil, brake oil
Dixcel brake, for our full carbon disk and pad
DMF performance – K20 engine
Hybrid racing – full K swap conversion kit
HEL – Brake hose
Carbonetic – carbon 1.5 way clutch diff, twin plate clutch
DM Carbon – custom carbon diffuser, panel
Dyno Tech – Dyno tunning
Artech Tuning – for supply K pro ECU and mapping
Buddyclub - Wheels
Dixon Motorsports for the whole build and race car setup

Team support -
Japanese performance
Wincy Horological


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybYfqgfnm_w





Thanks

Team Dixon Motorsports.
http://www.dmsracingltd.com
 

Chris-DC5

Advanced Member
Messages
744
Do you know where to get tuning parts for the H22 engine, i have had a look about but not found too much,

Cheers
 

Initial D

Advanced Member
Messages
201
Good write up dude. Good start to the season :) car looks good with all the stickers on. Good luck for the next race :)
 

Paul G

Members
Messages
713
Dixcelbrake said:
It was an Ex Btcc car, running H22 tuned engine. Pretty quick on the straight!
Well done Dixon :) Sorry i was not there to have some fun with you :( I,ve
been doing a fair bit to mine as well over the winter, i think we could have had some very close racing :wink:

The Production class Accord was running very well, esp since he had no 3rd gear all day :eek: 2nd to 4th changing must have slowed him down alot.....

Looking forward to Silverstone !!

Paul.
 

Chris-DC5

Advanced Member
Messages
744
Who was driving the DC5, i will have to pop allong to one of the events to see you all in action,

was thinking of pemberly.
 

Kris!

Member
Messages
22
I believe it was Nigel Aines in the DC5, its still a heavy car as its used in Britcar/Tin tops etc so has to try and follow quite a few different sets of rules. He was running A048's so wasnt able to take any points in the Nippon, but I believe he was doing 6 seperate races over the weekend :eek:
 

MJ Type-R

Advanced member
Messages
1,578
Just to clarify for peeps.... Nigel's car is not an ex TGM car :!:

I made that mistake when I had a chat with him and father last year to Combe :?

Additionally, Nigel's car is prepared for endurance racing i.e. Production Britcar rather than shorter sprint racing i.e. less than 20mins.

I was also surprised, when I looked at the Lap Times on TSL-Timing ( making notes, on DC5 lap times... so I have an idea what to aim for... in what every series I go into 'eventually' ), the Tin Tops had more Honda cars out than what raced in the Nippon :eek: ( 3 x DC5's, 2 x EP3's, 1 x Accord, 1 x CRX > tin tops verse 1 x DC2, 1 x EK4, 1 x Civic, 1 x Accord, 1 x CRX > Nippon )

Mike
 

Kris!

Member
Messages
22
The Nippon will get busier dont worry, 2 Hondas pulled out at the last minute due to problems and I know of another 3 that will be joning very shortly, not bad for its 2nd year 8)
 

MJ Type-R

Advanced member
Messages
1,578
Kris! said:
The Nippon will get busier dont worry, 2 Hondas pulled out at the last minute due to problems and I know of another 3 that will be joning very shortly, not bad for its 2nd year 8)
Kris

Yes... I do know of 'others' that will go into the nippon from the Honda fold... and yes, for a second year it is good.

Anyway.... one of those might just be me ( in time )

Mike
 
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