Quarrydale Taste Podium Success

After being denied their place on the podium last year, when a tie was deemed to have occured after Race Day, Quarrydale School, from Nottinghamshire, made sure that they experienced the true winning feeling by overhauling last year's joint champs Kirk Hallam during the three Grand Prix races at the culmination of the 2006 Formula Schools event.

 

Race Day Winners Gallery The Stars Come Out For Race Day Full Results

Now in it's tenth year, Formula Schools continues to lead the way in providing an innovative and exciting solution to the delivery of an Engineering curriculum and this year continued the recent trend of hard fought thrilling Race Days with the outcome still in doubt as the qualifiers lined up for the final three GP races.

As Race Day approached, joint champs from last year, Kirk Hallam were slight favourites having acquited themselves excellently during pre-judging. Their superbly engineered car, which comfortably secured them the prestigious Engineering prize enabled them to take a slim lead into the race action over Fulbrook Middle and the National Schools. Prior to Race Day, Quarrydale were in fifth place and needed to make up ground on the three leaders to have any chance of retaining their trophy.

Despite the eccentricities of the British weather, Formula Schools stalwarts have been used to being treated kindly by the Silverstone climate, and indeed, this year was no different with a fine, hot day in store for all. The temperature was slightly down on last year's scorcher, but it was still hot enough to ensure teams would need to think very carefully about how to keep their engines cool.

A new format to the IC Challenge saw heats taking place in alphabetical order. Whilst this may have been a relief to some, it meant that one or two of the races were top heavy with a few of the big hitters clashing early on. Heats 3 and 4 looked to be particularly competitive on paper.

Heat One: Despite only five cars taking to the track this was a keenly fought heat between newcomers Blaengwawr and Carterton Community College. They both finished with the same number of laps, but Blaengwawr ensured that the new cohort of Welsh schools would not be returning empty handed across the Severn by posting the fastest lap of the two. The most disappointed team from the first heat must have been All Hallows who managed to win the Fastest Lap prize with a super quick 12.96 second lap but who failed to register enough laps to qualify for the Grand Prix Final.

Heat Two: Despite only a few cars making it on to the track, heat 2 provided two of the finalists, with both Fulbrook High and Fulwood managing enough laps to qualify. Indeed, Fulbrook's lap total was the best of all the heats.

Heat Three: After the first leg of heat three it looked as though there could be a big shock as reigning champs Kirk Hallam were clearly struggling, only managing 5 laps in their first race, trailing a long way behind winners Newbridge who competed 14 laps. Newbridge's joy at winning the first leg was shortlived as that was the end of their racing action as technical problems meant they failed to complete another lap in either the second leg or the three GP finals. Kirk Hallam came to life in the second leg, completing 14 laps to trail narrowly behing George Spencer, who also qualified for the final.

Heat Four: Heat Four was a really competitive heat with nine teams managing to register laps. From the outset, Quarrydale looked to be driving very smoothly, staying out of trouble and setting a good pace. Pennsnett, Ryeish Green, Serby Park and Shipston all completed significant numbers of laps leading to five schools from this heat going through to the GP.

Heat Five: Three schools managed to qualify for the GP from the fifth heat with St Dunstan's School winning both legs. Consistent drives from Kings and St Gregory the Great ensured that they joined them. St Gregory's total of 13 laps gave no indication of the success they were to achieve later in the final.

Heat Six: The first leg of this heat was completely dominated by Uppingham, who completed 18 laps, eleven more than their nearest rival. Things didn't go so smoothly for them in the second leg and they trailed well behind the National and Theale Green schools who both qualified for the final.

In all, eighteen schools qualified for the GP Final, which would consist of three separate races, with a precious 10 points going to the winner of each race. With second placed Fulbrook Middle School failing to qualify, the door was left open for both Kirk Hallam and National School to take the title, as they were well ahead of their nearest rivals, Quarrydale. However, neither looked particularly impressive in qualifying and they would need to improve their performances significantly to hold off their challengers.

Grand Prix Final One: The first GP Final set the tone for the others with Quarrydale turning the race into something of a procession. Their car went smoothly from the start, averaging an impressive 16 seconds per lap and never looking in trouble, winning by an extraordinary 7 laps. Kirk Hallam could only manage eighth place and two points which meant their lead over Quarrydale was down to only 6 points.

Grand Prix Final Two: A disaster for Kirk Hallam saw them finish out of the points, allowing a rampant Quarrydale team overtake them in the race for the title. It soon became clear that their car was super relaible and the only question was who would finish second in this race. As it turned out, the battle for second was a thriller with four schools battling it out; Pennsnett and Ryeish Green completed one more lap than St Gregory and Uppingham, but it was Pennsnett who narrowly grabbed second spot.

Grand Prix Final Three: It was all to play for going into the last race; could Kirk Hallam muster some reliability from somewhere to make up the four points they now trailed by? A much better effort saw them complete 12 laps, but it wouldn't be enough to gain them the points required to retain their title. Again, Quarrydale led the way, although they were pushed all the way by FS veterans Shipston and St Gregory The Great, who completed 22 and 19 laps respectively. Quarrydale finished with another 23 laps recorded to ensure that they would win all three GP Finals, a testament to their reliability, speed and driving skill.

As the prize giving took place, Kirk Hallam were resigned to losing their title, but they did manage a number of other prizes to compensate them. A varied number of prizes and awards were given out at the culmination of another memorable day.