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Snetterton, Norfolk - 12th & 13th August
2006
After a hectic few
weeks in the build up to their first SEAT Cupra event with
Andrew Jordan, the whole Team arrived at Snetterton fired up
and ready to go.
The weather had a significant impact
on the event, with conditions changing almost hourly at the
Norfolk circuit throughout the weekend.
A
reasonable Friday test saw Andrew and the Team make
improvements to the car, but with this being his first
ever race at Snetterton, they knew there were more
improvements to be found from the car and
driver.
Saturday mornings first qualifying
session was dry and despite still struggling to get the
best set up for the car, Andrew put in his fastest lap
time of the weekend and qualified 12th for his first
race.
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The second qualifying session started dry. As the rain
started the drivers that stayed out on slicks were still
improving their lap times. Andrew felt he could get a quicker
time still on slicks, but conditions worsened and as he exited
Coram on his flying lap the car swapped ends and made contact
with the tyre wall. He got the car back to the pits with only
minimal damage and switched to brand new wets, but with only
time to get two flying laps he had to settle for 12th place in
race two.
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"The new
wets made such a massive difference, I just wish I
could have had a few more laps as I'm sure there
was at least another one and a half seconds to be
found, which would have put me up in the top five"
Andrew said afterwards.
Sunday morning saw the first race
starting in atrocious weather conditions. From 12th
on the grid Andrew could hardly see a car length in
front as he started the 16 lap race.
"I prefer racing in the wet" said Andrew, "The
first lap was pretty interesting with all the
spray, but we'd made some changes after qualyfying
and the car felt really good in the
race".
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With a good steady pace throughout, Andrew finished
his first Blaupunkt SEAT Cupra race in ninth.
"Andy showed a real maturity in the race", commented
Team Manager Gordon Wardle. "The conditions were incredibly
demanding with a lot of spray and glare, yet he kept his cool
and drove superbly finishing up in the points in his first race
at Snetterton".
Motors TV commentator Simon Hill said: "For a
young man of 16-17 year's old he's dealing with his
first race very, very well. He's been doing Rallycross
[which is a] very different kind of racing. He's got a
big future".
Sector time analysis for race
one showed that Andrew was fifth fastest through the
demanding second sector of the Bombhole and Coram, with
his best sector times putting him seventh fastest
overall.
Race two took place on a sunny, dry
track and once again Andrew started from the sixth row
of the grid.
"I didn't get such a good start, but
made the places back up in the first couple of corners"
commented Andrew.
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Andrew was pressuring Adrian Churchill for position,
but while the pair scrapped Vaulkard managed to pull up onto
them. The trio enjoyed four laps of nose to tail racing, with
just half a second separating them.
"Andrew held on to eighth place really well and
defended against the more experienced Vaulkard for the majority
of the race", said Gordon Wardle.
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Vaulkard eventually squeezed past on
lap fourteen, but Andrew was unable to retaliate as
moments later his second points finish of the day was
snatched away when coming out of Russells chicane the
car cut out. He managed to coast the car back to the
pits where the problem was later diagnosed to be a fuel
pump fuse blown.
"It's incredibly frustrating", said Gordon Wardle,
"Andy had put in a really solid performance and then a
two pence fuse blows his race!"
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The next round of the Blaupunkt
SEAT Cupra Championship takes place at Knockhill, Scotland on
2nd & 3rd September.
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