Sunday 26th April saw the opening of the Greenpower Formula 24 season at the Goodwood Motor Circuit. This first event on the F24 calendar, sponsored by local Sussex company Fordingbridge plc, was well attended with 23 teams arriving ready to test out their cars prior to the main qualifying season later in the year.
When the air horn sounded at 11am signalling the start of the race it was TSR-2 from Trinity School in Croydon who took the early lead with their second car TSR-4 settling into third place. Between the two Trinity cars, Fire Blade from the Phillip Morant School slipped into second place determinedly chasing TSR-2.
It was not a great start for Chichester High School for Boys with their car, Flamin’ L, returning to the paddocks on the rescue vehicle. However, the team soon set to work and the car returned to the track later in the race.
At the half way point in the race all the cars were out on the track. Newcomers Littlehampton Community School and St Helen’s School were catching up the rest of the field having received time penalties at the start of the race for forgetting their driver’s licences.
As the race entered the final fifteen minutes, there was a real battle for first place. Throughout the event the top three places had swapped between TSR-2, TSR-4 and Fire Blade and it was a nerve wracking time as the cars approached the finish line. However, it was Fire Blade who took the chequered flag just ahead of TSR -4 with Trinity School’s second car TSR-2 taking third place.
Carbon QT from Sandbach High School achieved the fastest lap during the race of 4 minutes 25 seconds but the technical difficulties the team experienced at the beginning of the race prevented them from placing in the top three.
The team from Wyke Farm took the IoM3 award for most Innovative Use of recycled materials for their fantastic use of a large number of various recycled materials to construct their car.
An excellent insight into what’s to come in the 2009 F24 season.