The First Test - Castle Combe
On the 16th August 2023 the first test day for the Werks Revival Peugeot 205 GTI race car took place at Castle Combe, Courtesy of Paddock life and Paddock speed shop.
The team arrived early on the day, well prepared with tools and plenty of fuel for a highly anticipated day of testing. After a short briefing and some sighting laps in a 72’ 911 ST and a 71’ 914/6 GT, we were finally ready to get the Peugeot out on track.
After a final check over, I took the car out for its first two warm up laps to get it ready for its rather ambiguous noise test. With this sound check complete it was finally time to start getting some laps in on track.
The feedback through the car was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. Aided by the lack of power steering and non servoed brakes, the raw sensation of feeling like you’re bolted directly to the chassis surged through the car. The noise of the engine revving out beyond 7000 rpm, the short throw gear shift, the immense level of grip and the ease of heel and toe was all so addictive. Getting on throttle long before the apex of the Esses to fire you flat out through Old Paddock Bend is certainly something I won’t be forgetting anytime soon. This endless feedback from the car made it easier for setup changes such as adjusting the damper rebound or tyre pressures. With lap times rapidly and successfully falling throughout the morning, the afternoon session was then taken over by team member Alfie Pauley.
After his initial installation laps a fundamental flaw with the car came to light... We had no alternator.
Considering the car’s history of racing in the time attack series, this seemingly obvious part to identify in the heavily cramped engine bay did not even seem fathomable to the team and was missed out on in checks. Thus, our remaining running time with the car was quickly limited as the battery was running on borrowed time. Just as Alfie started to get comfortable in the car - it happened; with no alternator to charge up the battery, it died. Disappointed with the abrupt ending of our running, and no way to recharge the battery in the pits, our time on track was finished.
Although bested in the moment, this defeat only strengthened the team by providing advantageous experience and valuable lessons, including the importance of checking for a fitted alternator...
We can confidently put down competitive lap times, communicate effectively together and act fast to potential problems that arise in the pit lane. We additionally gathered a vast amount of valuable data from the car, such as the suspension setups and fuel loads.
Werks Revival Racing Team will only come back stronger and we will continue to push and pursue our passion for classic cars and racing forward.
Written by Joe Jackson