On the weekend of the 17th and 18th of June we attended the famous Brands Hatch Circuit for rounds 3 and 4 for the EuroNASCAR season, supporting our sponsored athlete Jack Davidson.

These rounds were attached to the popular American Speed Festival which drew in MASSIVE crowds meaning there were tens of thousands of eyes on the track throughout the weekend. A weekend which proved to be a rollercoaster of emotions for Jack and his team.

We took a pair of our Prime Cockpits down to the event and they proved to be a massive hit with the visitors to American Speedfest. With prime positioning alongside the victory lane and the official EuroNASCAR merchandise stand, we attracted thousands of visitors! 

The quality of the experience spoke for itself and we had many repeat visitors over the weekend.

We want to send a special thanks to our friends at PCSpecialist, who have worked with us to provide a high end PC for our setup.

Kicking things off with practice, Jack immediately set a blistering pace and demonstrated his familiarity with the home circuit. With this confidence on the track, Jack’s team were able to devote their focus to fine-tuning the car setup for the upcoming races. Everything was very laid back on this practice day and all was looking well, until the final practice of the day…

While out on practice, Jack gives live feedback on the condition of the car to the team via radio. During the final session of the day it became apparent that the tyres were overheating and performance was starting to take a dip. The team decided to take a lap to cool down and get back into the right operating window before pushing. Heading into the push lap, Jack pushed the boundaries of the braking zone and went in too hot, sending him spinning out of bounds and slamming into the barriers.

With this being the final session of the day, it left the mechanics with a long night ahead to fix the rear end of the car and have it ready for the qualifying sessions the following morning.

Putting in a truly herculean effort, the team of engineers and mechanics stayed with the car until 5am to get it back up and running. With the car back to 100%, a 9th place finish during practice and Jack’s confidence at an all time high, the atmosphere in the pit was electric. Qualifying in heat 2 meant that Jack got time on track with the other drivers in the top half of the championship. A valuable opportunity for the team to compare their strategies and skills to their closest rivals.

As qualifying came to a close, Jack found himself starting his first race of the weekend from P9 on the grid. A great lap with time lost in two key turns held him back from challenging for a top five spot. Overall Jack and the whole team were delighted with the qualifying session after the late troubles from the crash during practice, which at this point seemed a distant memory.

Jack got off to an adventurous start, with lots of bumping from behind in the first lap, but he kept calm, maintained his composure and held on to his position. Fighting from the middle of the pack, Jack put in a solid performance; pressuring the cars ahead and defending his position from the people on his tail. Fellow Marko Stipp Motorsport member Nick Schneider’s race ground to a halt when his gearbox broke causing him to come to a stop in the 5th Lap forcing the lap to end under a yellow flag and leaving Jack as the last man standing under the Marko Stipp banner.

Jack took full advantage of the restart, managing to place his car alongside Riccardo Romagnoli and after a fierce battle during the first two turns, Jack saw his opportunity and slid past the veteran driver to claim position 8 on the third turn. This joy is short lived however, after he receives a false start penalty of 5 seconds the next lap around.

As it approached the end of the race

the Safety Car is deployed yet again, with a single lap remaining. The decision was made that 2 laps would be added onto the restart, giving Jack an ideal opportunity to repeat his performance after the previous restart. The goal was clear: Go all out and push forward up the rankings.

The restart was called, engines roared to life as the remaining pool of drivers made their final gambit for glory. Austrian driver Patrick Schober struggles to find traction in the first turn and begins to slide, then mistakenly downshifts to first gear causing him to slow down suddenly. This error during the chaotic frenzy of the restart caused Jack to slam into the back of Patrick’s car sending both drivers into the barricades.

The race ended in a cloud of dust and a shower of metal. Thankfully both drivers walked away with only minor strains and pains. The car however, was not so lucky.

Going to bed with complete uncertainty on whether or not he would be on the track tomorrow was the reality we all had to face. The wheels of fate had truly turned in Jack’s favour though, as on Sunday morning the car was back in top shape and ready for practice.

Due to exhaustion from the night before, Jack's mechanics on the Marko Stipp team weren’t able to repair the car. Not wanting to see Jack’s dreams dashed, his mother, Audrey took things into her own hands and pleaded with the team at Hendricks Motorsports, asking if they could fix it. Thanks to the Hendricks team Jack was able to get back out onto the circuit and he didn’t waste this opportunity.

Overcoming all of the challenges thrown at him over an intense weekend, Jack cemented his position as the top Rookie driver and set himself up nicely for his next stop at the Autodromo Vallelunga Piero Taruffi.