JLT Motor Club Le Mans 2003 - Race Report - 14th June, 2003

Radical: (definition): extreme or fundamental changes in habits of mind etc.

And after a week and more than 1,000 miles behind the wheel of a Radical SR3 LM sports car you can add changes of motoring perspective as well.

It took on French roads, gendarmes and even a Lamborghini - and beat them all.

Our introduction to the Radical was on the Alpine road course at Milbrook, where Mick Hyde, co-founder, demonstrated that the annual pilgrimage to Le Mans was going to be one to remember.

While Mick took care of flying laps and chauffeured some lucky people on high-speed passenger rides, Neil Walker talked us through the basics of the Radical followed by a short practice run.

It was clear that apart from a boost in performance the clutch was far better than
On any previous bike-engined cars we had experienced - low speed stop start and manoeuvring was a doddle.

Before our spot of French leave, the Radical was transported down to Top Gear's Studio near Guildford on a trailer so that the car could be used in that Sunday's programme.

Once the studio audience discovered our links with the Radical, we faced a continuous barrage of questions about the car which was the centre of attention - just as it was for the entire weekend.

The Stig - now un-masked as Le Mans driver Perry McCarthy - had managed to set the fastest road car time on their circuit at the show's Dunsfold headquarters.

But to relieve the Pagani Zonda's embarrassment about the fact that the Radical SR3 was four seconds faster, the diplomatic Top Gear Producers came up with a new "track day specials" category.

In spite of the knowledge we were heading for Le Mans in the Radical they claimed that the cars in this category were not a practical road-going proposition - thus effectively removing the SR3 from the top of the times.

Filming started at 2.00pm but it was six hours later before we eventually managed to escape onto the open road - still amused by Clarkson who is just as funny off-camera as on.

Thursday morning saw departure with a support car, a brand new Mercedes ML 270 CDi - very kindly supplied by Lancasters, loaded up with emergency equipment following and a couple of spare wheels just in case though luckily the run was puncture-free.On the open road with the

Radical for the first time it had no difficulty coping with trouble with the M25 traffic, speed humps or getting on and off the train.

Almost 100,000 Brits made their way down to Le Mans this year many of them in sports cars of some description or another.

But nothing was as extreme as the Radical and very soon the number of quick cars we were passing increased - but all with that great sense of camaraderie among genuine enthusiasts who return year after year.

This year the mantle of the British underdog at Le Mans was taken up by TVR following Morgan's brave attempt in 2002. And to mark the valiant effort nearly 1,000 TVR owners drove down to support the Tuscan's challenge.

Once into France we made quick petrol stop on the AutoRoute to Rouen, which brought down the average speed but allowed us the chance to inspect the collection of exotica in the car park including a UK-registered Zonda S.

Warned about the "flics" irritating habit of booking Brits at motorway toll booths we were ready and sure enough the gendarmes were waiting at the tolls to see whether the red light above the booth illuminated when our ticket was checked.

We passed the time test - and were grudgingly rewarded with admiring smiles as they waved us on our way.

Next we came upon the only car that gave the Radical a run for its money over the entire weekend, a Lamborghini Murciélago, £160,000-worth of Italian exotica versus £35,000 of the finest British race-car engineering.

The Radical had no trouble keeping up with the Lambo close to its top speed, no doubt much to the Lamborghini's driver's frustration.

He was only starting to pull away as the limiter neared in sixth gear when traffic intervened.

Since a turbo charged version of the Hayabusa is undergoing tests at the moment together with taller gearing, next year's trip could be interesting…

Another strike by firemen in France meant that the tunnel under Rouen was shut so all the traffic had to be diverted through the town centre.

Again the Radical did not miss a beat in the baking heat unlike a number of others which were sadly stranded by the side of the road.

Clear of Rouen it was time to test the Radical's overtaking abilities on the N158 as it dipped and soared across the open French countryside through a dozens of tiny hamlets and villages.

It was very soon apparent that whenever there was a gap in traffic coming the other way, it was more a question of how many vehicles could be passed in one manoeuvre than if a safe overtake was possible.

The engine makes a glorious howl under full acceleration and while the car feels rapid up to 6,000rpm once above that it is simply ballistic right up to the 10,500rpm limiter.

The gears are closely enough stacked to ensure that you are never out of the power band. All those overtaking in front very quickly pulled in to let us pass and gaps appeared between cars to let us back in just so that fellow travellers could gawp at the car.

After 12 hours of travelling, we rolled into Le Mans at 8.00pm and after dropping our belongings at our accommodation (no camping for this (soft?) crowd,) we headed for the circuit to catch the last qualifying session scheduled between 10.00pm and 12.00pm.

There was drama at the track as the JLT Group supported Welter Racing Team LMP 675 Car Number 24 was struggling to qualify.

Both French Formula Three driver Olivier Porta and JLT's Gavin Pickering had been caught out by the gearbox during the week and over-revved the engine knocking out one of the cylinders.

It meant that all three drivers had to qualify using a three-cylinder car which was not happy. No smart jokes please!

At 11.50pm Gavin finally managed to qualify with minutes to spare but only after he had to recover from the car failing at the exit of the pit lane and having to be rolled back to the garage with the clock ticking away.

Gavin's car was effectively a semi-works Peugeot car developing approximately 450bhp from a two-litre turbo engine with a traditional five-speed box weighing in at 700 kilos.

The Radical manages approximately 200bhp from a slightly modified Suzuki Hayabusa Engine with a six-speed motorcycle gearbox and weighs in at just under 500 kilos.

Gavin was hitting just over 300kph on the straights whereas the Radical hits the limiter in 6th at about 230kph, but if the gearing was changed…

We met up with Gavin after that final session and the relief of surviving the latest challenge very apparent, we had a tour of the garage and were introduced to the members of the team including Gavin's trainer, a northern gentleman by the name of Richard who you would not want to get on the wrong side of.

Gavin's team co-ordinator Andy proved to be a polished individual who seemed to know everyone in the pit lane and was to be our fixer for the weekend.

The car looked splendid in its shy and retiring yellow paintwork especially with the JLT logo prominently displayed on every panel.

Friday, presented an opportunity to savour the roads south of Le Mans and the finest French cuisine at L'Hermitiere in an exquisite restaurant deep in the forest while Gavin was on parade in the town centre trying to keep his eyes on the crowd rather than the Brazilian Dancers and the Hawaiian Tropic Girls.

After this we were allowed to drive the Radical along parts of the circuit which are public roads for the rest of the year.

The flow of traffic prevented us taking Arnage corner flat, it was a wonderful feeling to be on the racetrack. Maybe once the V8 is ready the Radical will be competing!

Then to Le Mans Airport in the hope of running the Radical with the WR Peugeot as it conducted speed tests on the runway.

But due to technical hitches the Peugeot team was only able to run in the middle of the night instead of the scheduled early evening run.

British fans lined the roads between the campsites and the circuit and their reaction to the Radical was extraordinary.

They went berserk whenever they saw the car and our progress was very slow as so many race fans instead on flagging us down to ask about the car and ask us to demonstrate the acceleration in the traditional way.

The general reaction was one of delight that we had made the effort to drive down to the race and disbelief that the car was indeed road legal.

We felt like royalty wherever we went as the locals and the fans alike hooted and waved at us continuously.

Saturday morning and the Le Mans Legends took to the track with all manner of fantastic machinery and famous drivers from previous events in the line-up.

Willie Green and Mark Hales had an epic battle for the lead before Mark retired while Jacky Ickx and Ray Bellm continued the theme in their GT40s.

On to the build-up for the main event when once again Gavin and his team mates, Olivier Porta and Terada - a veteran of 23 Le Mans starts - happily carried out crowd-waving duties from the back of a vintage Bentley.

Olivier took the traditional 4.00pm start with Gavin due to follow with a double stint.

When it comes to his turn he decides to take a leaf out of John Lloyd's book and tries a bit of off tarmac action - apparently the brake bias was adjusted wrongly.

But once corrected in the pits they set about challenging the Lehman car for class honours and battled hard well into the night, with just one brief drama when the gear stick disconnected.

However, disaster struck in the early hours of the morning just after Gavin had set the team's fastest lap when a stone holed the radiator, the engine temperature breached 130 degrees and the head gasket blew.

This meant a busy couple of hours for the mechanics and unless the Lehman car suffered a similar time delay the challenge for class honours was at an end.

Undeterred, the drivers battled their way to the finish to take third in class, a fantastic achievement. Gavin drove for almost ten of the twenty four hours following on from the theme set last year and will be back to challenge this year's victorious Bentley again next year - in an LMP 900 no doubt unless of course Richard Lloyd himself picks up the phone!

It was fantastic to see the Bentley's finish first and second at only their third attempt in front of a crowd of over 500,000 and countless millions watching on screen throughout the world.

It was a just reward for all the hard work that Apex had put in to develop the car.

After the race the motor club party decided to avoid the traffic jam to the north and drive west to Reims for a last look at the old Grand Prix Circuit. The Radical got even more attention with people crowding around the car at every stop, many insisting on having their picture taken with it.

The old Grand Prix Circuit is situated on the outskirts of the town and the buildings have stood untouched since 1972 but sadly they are soon to be levelled to make way for yet another industrial estate.

Everyone took it in turns to enjoy the Radical on what was left of the old circuit and needless to say the experience left them grinning from ear to ear.

The Radical did not miss a beat all weekend and left all who drove it in awe of its vast all-round capabilities.

The engine will pull from 30mph to almost 150mph in sixth gear without complaining, and of course there is the glorious howl as it catapults up the rev band to the 10,500 limiter in each gear.

Cornering speeds defy belief, the low centre of gravity, racecar suspension and sticky tyres enduring that very little can live with it.

Anyone who has driven a Lotus Seven will be familiar with the steering which is very direct and the brakes which are not servo-assisted but devastatingly effective.

The Radical follows contours of the road without ever trying to spit you off and the faster you go the better the car flows across any surface. It inspires confidence as it is almost impossible to reach anywhere its limits on the road - a humbling experience for the driver.

We would not recommend driving the Radical without a crash helmet, which makes conversation with your passenger almost impossible unless you are at a standstill.

This is obviously not helped by the fact that the noise the engine makes under full acceleration is highly addictive.

The SR3 LM represents a tremendous achievement for Radical who in the space of five short years have produced a car which is not only capable of lapping any circuit in the UK as quickly as the current Formula Three cars but one which is user-friendly on the road.

In heavy traffic in town, on the motorway or blasting along empty A roads the car is sure-footed, responsive and a joy.

When we very reluctantly returned the car to the factory in Peterborough just after 7.00am on the Tuesday, many of their fifty strong workforce were already at work and eager to hear how we had got on.

To a man, they are fiercely proud and enthusiastic about their machine. The Lamborghini story will no doubt only spur them on to bigger and better things with their engine developments and we can only look forward to the turbo charged version!

Our wholehearted gratitude must go to Gavin for allowing us such wonderful access to his team throughout the event. Lancaster's for supplying the luxurious Mercedes, Radical for loaning us the sublime SR3 and to JLT for their support of the Motorclub.

Paul Latimer
JLT Motorclub