“Round 3 of the Armed Forces Race Challenge brought a different format, with a single 45-minute race featuring a mandatory pit stop.

“Having never driven the circuit outside of the simulator, qualifying was always going to be a learning experience. Unfortunately, the session was heavily disrupted by incidents, resulting in multiple yellow flags and a red flag, limiting us to just two genuine flying laps. Despite this, we secured P6 overall and P1 in class with a 2:19 lap time. Both the car and I had more pace to find, but given the circumstances, it was a solid result.”

“The race got off to a great start. A strong launch allowed us to move from P6 to P4, passing two cars before Turn 1 before making another move on the guest Caterham to take P3 heading into the second hairpin.

“We settled comfortably into third place and were showing strong race pace before technical issues began to emerge. A low coolant warning appeared, with temperatures gradually increasing. Initially, this reduced engine boost, causing us to lose ground, before eventually removing boost entirely.

“From that point, the focus shifted from fighting for positions to managing the car and ensuring we reached the chequered flag without causing further damage. While several other Class B competitors also encountered issues and retired, allowing us to finish P1 in class, it was disappointing to lose what had been shaping up to be a very competitive result.”

“The positive takeaway is that the car clearly has the pace to run at the front, and the root cause of the issue has now been identified. We can address it, move forward, and come back stronger for the next round.

“Another major positive from the weekend was the performance of the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ braking package. The combination of the RP-X front pads, Bluestuff rear pads and ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ discs performed flawlessly throughout the event. Even under repeated heavy braking for the duration of the 45-min race, there was no sign of fade, and pedal feel remained consistent from start to finish. That level of confidence allowed me to progressively push my braking points later as the day went on, knowing the brakes would deliver the same performance lap after lap, the T51 Racing bespoke brake cooling kit also played it part and helped to keep the whole system temps down throughout.”

“A huge thank-you to everyone who came along to support, help prepare the car, and make the weekend possible. There were a few challenges leading up to the event, and at times it looked like we might not make the grid, but thanks to the efforts of those around me, we got there.

“Finally, a massive thank you to ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ, Karlyone Care Ltd, and the Army Sports Car Racing team for their continued support throughout the season. Your backing is greatly appreciated, and we’re looking forward to coming back fighting at Brands Hatch in August.â€�

“This weekend, we attended Rounds 1 and 2 of the Armed Forces Race Challenge at Silverstone National Circuit.

“Making the results even more special, this marked the very first race weekend for the car and myself, making it a huge milestone after 18 months of work preparing the car myself to get it race ready.”

“The weekend proved challenging from the outset, with intermittent boost issues that unfortunately remained unresolved throughout both races. Despite the setbacks, we kept pushing and were able to bring the car home in both races, securing a strong P3 in class during Race 1 and improving to P2 in class in Race 2.

“A huge positive from the weekend was the performance of the ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ package. The RP-X pads paired with the Bluestuff pads and discs performed flawlessly throughout the weekend, delivering consistent stopping power with zero brake fade and remaining sharp and reliable across both races.”

“Massive thanks to the Army Sports Car Racing Team, ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ, and KARLYONE CARE LTD for all of their continued support throughout the weekend. Your backing makes it possible for us to keep pushing forward, even during difficult race weekends.

“We’ll regroup, resolve the boost issues, and come back stronger for the next round at Snetterton 300 on the 20th of June.�

“A really positive and productive shakedown at Donington Park’s National Circuit for the car’s first outing, with lots of positive feedback from coaches and passengers that came out in the car.

“The car performed exceptionally well straight out of the box for its first outing, with only a couple of small niggles that were quickly identified and are easily resolved ahead of the next outing. Overall, balance and confidence in the car is very high, and it’s clear we’ve got a strong platform to build on.”

“Grip levels were outstanding throughout the day, allowing us to push harder with each session and really start to explore the car’s potential.

“A big highlight was the braking performance. The new ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ setup, running a combination of RP-X and Bluestuff pads, was absolutely faultless. Consistent, confidence-inspiring, and strong under all conditions, I am yet to actually reach the limit of the brake setup; they performed perfectly all day and are a massive step forward for the car, I am currently adding a brake cooling setup to help keep performance at its optimal level for the races.

“I am now tweaking the couple of bits that needed attention and giving the car a once over ready for the first race of the season at Silverstone in May.”

The 750 Motor Club Armed Forces Race Challenge (AFRC) was developed to bring together four-wheeled motor racers from all across the Armed Forces. The challenge allows a level playing field of competition irrespective of car performance by rewarding consistency during races, so the focus remains on the driver rather than the machinery. Find out more by .