Rob Urquhart - Tuscan Challenge Driver
www.topcatsracing.com

Read Rob's Race Reports:

Thruxton - 14th-15th September 2002

Snetterton - 30th August 1st September 2002

Oulton Park - 17th and 18th August 2002

Rockingham - 20th and 21st July 2002

Hi Everyone
Now I have got over my terrible weekend at Snetterton I better get back to business, I have attached a picture which sums up my weekend! (No Laughing Please) But make sure your bonnet is down properly or it will blow off at 160mph as mine did! ha ha ha!

Right, As you all know I am a front runner in the TVR Tuscan Championship, I should have won races by now but have just had the most terrible luck. On the 12th September in The AutoSport Magazine you can nominate a Young Driver Of the Year. It would be fabulous if the TVRCC could get behind me and vote for me. I think that me coming back from a broken neck last year to do as well as I have done may give me a good chance!

So I would be ever so grateful if you could send out a bulletin to your members asking them to nominate me!
Thanks in Advance Rob Urquhart

Can YOU help? - Fancy being a Tuscan sponsor?

Rob Urquhart is a new Tuscan racer this season and after recovering from a broken neck from his last experience of racing, he is running 4th in the championship. Unfortunately he needs a little help with regard to sponsorship to continue to the end of the season. He has kindly allowed us to place a few TVRCC stickers on his car so that you can spot him on the circuit.

If you can help, no donation is too small, please do get in touch with Rob ROCKETROBTVR@aol.com .Next time you are at a Tuscan meeting do make sure you pop along to Topcats Racing and say hello to him and his team.

Look out for Rob at Oulton Park 17th-18th August, pop along and say hello to him in the paddock. Hopefully we will also see him attending Duxford and I know he wants to come along to the next Eclipse dinner at Donington!

Richard Mayoh - TVRCC

Rob Urquhart
Like many racing drivers Rob Uquhart has his sites set on Formula One. Like many drivers, Rob also has a mountain to climb if he is to realise his potential. He's taken a familiar route so far with success in karting from the age of sixteen. Subsequently a race team signed him up after he demolished the competition in a driving school competition which was contested by several established racing drivers.

Together they entered the World Formula Ford Championship in 2000 and Rob finished sixteenth out of forty-five drivers from around the world. In his second year in the Fords, he was tipped by some as the next Jensen Button. An horrific crash at Donington Park almost curtailed his racing career prematurely though. After breaking his neck in the incident he was advised that he'd never race again by the doctors. Determined not to let that impede him he made a strong recovery over the winter of 2001 and returned to the race track join the Tuscan series in 2002.

Rob's provided some impressive displays so far this year with a particularly good showing at Castle Combe. Given a few more races he's sure to be dicing with the front runners. One to watch for sure.

Here are Rob's Race Reports:

Thruxton 14th-15th September
Thruxton is one of the fastest tracks in the UK, with long sweeping corners it is a very daunting place, but I like it!!

Testing
I was straight out of the block and immediately adapted my driving to suit the TVR and Thruxton, I have raced here once before but only in a single seater. We ended up 6th quickest with the top 5 drivers having new tyres, so I was very confident for the race.

Qualifying
The ideal way in a single seater is to go out and set your fastest lap on your 2nd, 3rd flying lap, in order to save your tyres for the race. I went out of the pits and on my first flying lap went on pole by 3 seconds, unfortunately, after qualifying I was told that this isn't the way to qualify with the sticky Dunlop Tyres and I ended up dropping down to tenth on the grid as I had cooked my tyres! Very Disappointing!

Race 1 (The rained off race from Oulton Park)
I was to start on Grid 5 for this race, the lights went green and I got another good start, 1st gear, 2nd gear, 3 rd gear, 4th gear...4th gear. I couldn't select fourth gear as my stick was jammed in 3rd, eventually I managed to select 4th and Off I went but back down in 9th! I was quickly back on the pace and then a red flag stopped the race. I could hear a funny noise from my engine!

We lined back up on the grid, the lights went green and I got another great start and didn't have the gear change problem, I was quickly up to 5th place despite a very strange noise coming from my engine, and a lack of acceleration coming out of the corners. I eventually finished 5th with the 2nd quickest lap time in the race, I was quite pleased!

Afterwards we found that the exhaust manifold had sheared off the engine, so was costing me masses of time! The team fixed the problem and we were ready for the next race the following day!

Sunday Race 2
I woke up with terrible flue like symptoms, I felt awful. I had to race, and wanted to, as my times from yesterday were good enough for a podium finish. I parked my car on grid 10, way behind where I am used to. The lights went green and I got off the line ok, and was pushing the cars in front for a lap or two, then I seemed not to be able to go any faster and proceed with my charge to the front, I was then engaged with a race long battle with Darren Dowling, usually a front runner but was having as bad a weekend as me. I eventually finished 9th with some good scraps.

"that was the hardest race I have ever driven, my vision was blurred my nose was blocked and I suppose my concentration wasn't at its best, Dowling kept me on my toes but I was way slower than him. My Championship hopes have gone from bad to worse, when will I get some good luck?"

Next Race 4th-6th October
However I am going to be taking part In a Formula Ford Race at Donnington Park on the 20-22nd of September. The same track I broke my neck on and In the same car! Lets see how it goes!

Rob Urquhart
www.topcatsracing.com

Snetterton 30th August 1st September
A lovely day greeted us for testing at this picturesque Norfolk Circuit. We had the luxury this weekend of having a n hour testing before qualifying in order to dial the cars in to this high speed race track. We ended up 7th fastest in the first test and 6th fastest in the second test, but we knew where we were slow, so the team went to work to give me a better set up!

Qualifying Saturday 30th August
The weather was once again nice and sunny for the qualifying session on Saturday Afternoon. The cas assembled in the gathering area and where then called out on the track. "we were running quite quick straight away and were in pole position for most of the session, then, right at the end a few drivers went quicker and we dropped down to 5th"

Race 1 Sunday 1st September
I lined my Tuscan on to grid 5 with most of my real competition in the championship behind me. I got another great start and was immediately pressing for the cars in front of me who were packed up tightly. Gugliami, (the championship leader) had a great slipstream down the back straight and I had a great run on them both, It was 3 a breast going in to the esses and the move was mine until the concentina effect in the corner meant that I was squeezed onto the grass and fell back to 9th. After that I was quickly back on the case and was setting great lap times but unfortunately I got a little bit of the red mist and spun the car out of contention on lap 4! I was gutted, but we held the fastest lap until the last lap!

Race 2
As we didn't finish the 1st race I had to start from the back of the grid and I knew I had allot of work to do, the lights went green and I made a brilliant start, I was in 9th place by the end of the first sector and chasing the top guys, I made a little contact with the back of Richard Stantons car and that made the bonnet a little lose, this would pay divident at the end of the race. I kept fighting my way through the field setting fastest lap times and driving away from the people behind, I was up to sixth place from 19th!
On the last lap when I was getting a slipstream affect down the back straight on a competitors car, I pulled out from behind him and the wind caught the bonnet at over 165mph and it was ripped off and got stuck under the car, 3 cars shot past me on the run to the finish line and we finished 9th.

"what a terrible weekend, we had the pace to win races but as usual we had bad luck, we have probably dropped down to 5th in the championship now but 3rd is still in my grasp"
Next race Thruxton 14th-15th September

Rob Urquhart
www.topcatsracing.com


Oulton Park Race Report 17th and 18th August
Rob Urquhart TVR Tuscan Championship car number 37 Topcats Racing
4th in Championship

Testing Saturday 17th
Having never driven the full international track at Oulton Park in Cheshire, I was quite excited. I hadn't sat in the car for nearly a month from after the Rockingham race. The weather was very nice and the sun was shining down. Unfortunately during the practice we suffered from an accelerator cable snapping which meant that I got stranded out on the track and spent the whole session talking to two very nice Track Marshals, which didn't give me very long to learn the track.

Qualifying Saturday 17th
I was really up for qualifying, the sun was beating down hotter than ever and the track was nice and dry. The cars gathered in the assembly area ready to go out on track. Eventually we were signalled to join the circuit so a procession of mighty TVR Tuscans rumbled their way on to the 2.7 mile track. Immediately I was on the ragged edge and on my 3rd lap lay in 3rd position behind the Championship Leader and David Mason, another young challenger. Coming back over Hill top on which was going to be my fastest lap I ran over the curb as you are meant to there and my car came to screeching halt, the Drive Shaft had broken and I was once again forced to sit out the session, but did manage to befriend two Manchester United Fans which In ever fought I would do as I am a proud Leeds Fan! I fell down the order to 13th on the grid!

Race 1 (the race which was cancelled from Croft)
I was to start 9th on the grid from the cancelled race from Croft which was cancelled due to Rain. I got a great start and was immediately up to 4th place behind a good starting Tim Hood, I followed Tim for about 3 laps in which he held be up badly and enabled the top two to break away, I eventually dived down the Outside into Cascades and took 3rd place, I immediately pulled away until Steve Gugleiami, the Championship Leader got passed Hood and was on my tail, "Steve was so quick today I couldn't do much to stop him getting past" I eventually finished 5th after a race long battle with 3 other cars.

Race 2
Starting 13th on the grid I knew I had allot of work to do, The lights went green and I got another great start and was up to 8th, I dived down the Inside of Richard Stanton at Cascades, a guest driver who is a front runner in the British GT Championships to take 7th, he then got me back going into the Chicane but then tried to over take 6th place man Hood into Lodge and both were taken out. I then looked in my mirrors and cruised the remaining laps to save my tyres, I eventually finished 6th.

The 3rd race was once again cancelled due to a heavy down poor of rain!
"We had an average weekend, we had to make best of a poor qualifying due to the drive shaft problems but we turned the weekend round and managed to keep our fourth place in the Championship. Thanks to all the people who came to support me"

Rob Urquhart
www.topcatsracing.com

Rockingham Race Report 20th/21st July
A rainy day greeted us at the Rockingham motor speed way for testing on Saturday morning. Rockingham, the only American style oval in the UK, what would it be like in the wet conditions as we exited turn 4 at over 140 mph. We were always going to be on the back foot this weekend as most of the other teams had tested at the track during the week, unfortunately due to the lack of funds we could not take advantage of the extra test. Nevertheless we ended up 5th fastest out of a 20 strong grid.

Qualifying Saturday 20th
By the time qualifying came the track was dry and the sun was shining, the crowds had packed into the fabulous facilities at the Corby venue and the atmosphere was brilliant. Off we went to qualify, within 3 laps a broken down car had forced the session to be stooped as they recovered his machine. On return to the track the extra test that the other teams had was going to play against us. I had never driven this circuit before in a TVR Tuscan and it was a matter of just learning the track and experimenting with racing lines and gears etc. The gear box on the car also seemed to be a little rough, I think this was probably due to experiments on the different gears for the different corners. All in all we qualified a disappointing 10th, half way up the grid. The team worked hard during the night to replace the Gear Box.

Saturday 20th (evening)
I was lucky enough to be invited to the Eclipse Motorsport/TVR Car Club Dinner at the Corby Hilton on Saturday. May I just say that I had a brilliant time and I met some very nice people who are now following my progress in the Championship. Thank you to all the people involved.

Sunday 21st Race Day
I knew I had a great deal to do during the race as I was so far back, but as I lined my Tuscan on to the grid I had all my rivals in sight. The lights went green and off I shot, form 10th on the grid I bullied my way past to 4th within a few bends. A recovering Richard Hay (2nd in the Championship) after a bad start was right on my tail as I pressured Darren Dowling for 3rd spot, Hay made accidental contact with the back of my machine which resulted in my rear Aerodynamic Splitter being ripped off. After this the car was very difficult to drive but I was still pressuring Dowling. An over ambitious move by Hay to over take me at the Chicane meant that he span off out of contention and I was left to hunt down 3rd. Due to by car being damaged Andy Britnell and David Mason were closing in on me although I was still hunting for a podium. Britnell, I think knew my car was damaged and was simply biding his time to get past me, and on the last lap he did, a dive up the inside of me at the hairpin saw him claim the 4th spot. This move my Britnell unsettled me a little and Mason was able to squeeze past and claim 5th. I was really mad with myself!

"Well, another race gone, we had a reasonably good weekend and didn't drop down in the Championship, I believe we are still 5th and I am learning all the time. It cant be long before we are on the podium"
May I take this opportunity to thank my family, friends and my team for the weekend. I have to say it was the most enjoyable race weekend I have had, the team bbq was fantastic. May I also thank the TVRCC for all their support over the weekend, I hope that we can have a long and fruitful relationship.

Rob Urquhart
www.topcatsracing.com