We’d hastily prepared a 1979 2 litre Porsche 924 for the HSCC 70′s Sports car series and entered the 750 Motor Club’s popular Birkett 6 hour team relay as part of a six-car team with the unlikely sobriquet of Ecurie Porumphorganda (EP) in order to test the car, so here I was in the assembly area on Silverstone’s Wellington Straight waiting for the first practice session to start.

There was however one nagging doubt in my mind. Was a 6-hour race with 61 teams, 300 drivers in a selection of the quickest club racing cars the most appropriate place to be in an untried race car?

In the event, my practice session went better than I’d expected and I settled into a good rhythm as soon as I’d learned which way the corners went, one eye constantly on my mirrors to keep out of the way of the swarms of indecently quick Caterhams & Radicals, all moving faster than a journalist at a free buffet. The good news was that the 924 showed no evil handling vices, with all temperatures normal and the 2 litre Audi 100/VW LT 35 engine running smoothly.

Just one glitch spoilt a relatively stress free 30 minutes. After only two laps my exhaust fractured just under my feet, where two manifold pipes run into one. I soldiered-on and completed the session to get as much practice as possible on Silverstone’s magnificent 3.64 mile historic grand prix circuit.

Once back at the team’s pit, I crawled underneath to survey the damage and cannibalised two lager cans to roll flat and curve around the damaged area of the exhaust, fixed at each end with jubilee clips. That would have to do until I could remove the system and do a permanent repair.

The 61st Birkett started promptly at 11:15, only to be red-flagged immediately for a start-line incident which eliminated 8 cars but fortunately not Matt Hammond, EP’s star driver in his 2 litre Focus! The restart was 27 minutes later, this time without incident, the 6-hour’s clock now running to 17:42 and dusk.

As well as a team driver I was also team manager so I spent most of my time on the pit wall timing and hanging out the pit-board. Generally, EP’s team of 6 ran reliably, with just one stop-go penalty for a yellow flag infringement interrupting the flow and a visit to the gravel – by the same car, forcing me to scramble another car onto the circuit out of my planned sequence.

Key to winning the Birkett is a favourable number of credit laps from the handicapper, who bases his calculations on the declared lap times of the individual team members. EP had secured 40 credit laps which seemed 4 or 5 too few and this proved accurate as one by one the 6 hours ticked by with EP steadily heading south in the result sheets, 15^th at the end of 90 minutes, eventually finishing 55^th on 118 scratch laps, 158 on corrected handicap.

I had successfully fitted in a 40 minute stint at two thirds distance, my hastily repaired exhaust still very noisy, reducing the power and giving me tinnitus but, all in all a satisfactory first event and I eventually left a cold and dark Silverstone with a long list of improvements for the car before the HSCC season opener in April 2012.

Ken Davies

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“This award is extremely important to us, and poignant in terms of business development.  We are highly focused on continuous improvement and, as business advisors, consider it paramount to demonstrate best practice” says Chris James, who launched the enterprise in 2003.  “We understand how valuable the IiP standard is as a business improvement tool and have seen the benefits not only in our company, but in other businesses with whom we have worked on achieving this recognition.”

This award follows other accolades achieved by CIOTEK and its staff over the past year.  Co Director Jayne Smith was awarded runner up in the UK’s SFEDI Business Advisor of the Year, and also finalist in the Swansea Business Life Women in Business Awards.  Jayne was also granted Chartered Marketer Status by the CIM in 2010 which again reflects CIOTEK’s commitment to CPD and to delivering the best possible service to their clients.    CIOTEK Ltd offers a range of business supports, training courses and multimedia design services.  To speak to one of their advisors or find out more information, contact 01792 874777.

About Steve:
Steve started working with CIOTEK after 30 years in technical sales, marketing and commercial management with an international manufacturer of industrial components.
Since joining he has used his experience of selling to technically demanding customers to assist clients achieve their targets in customer engagement, business growth and accessing new domestic and export markets.
Steve is a Welsh Government ITD (International Trade Development) advisor for the Energy & Environment and Advanced Manufacturing sectors.


Skills & Expertise:

• Contract Negotiation
• Key Account Management
• Training and Mentoring
• Sales and Commercial Management
• Pricing for Profit

Likes:

• Achieving Measurable Results
• Finding Creative Solutions
• Getting involved

Dislikes:

• Bureaucracy
• Negativity
• Taking a back seat!

Famous for:

• Cartooning
• Carrying a Camera

Inspired by:

• My father – to treat everybody with respect and do the right thing
  

Burning ambition: To gain a pilot’s licence


On my ipod:

• Classics from 50 years of rock & pop
• Anything from opera to punk

“You can and you should shape your own future. Because if you don’t, somebody else surely will.” – Anonymous

Does your institution need some entrepreneurial inspiration? Do you want to challenge your students to think business and exercise their enterprising spirit? CIOTEK Ltd has a long standing relationship with numerous HE and FE institutions across South Wales, having delivered business start up presentations, development modules in marketing, planning and finance, dynamo role model talks and enterprise challenges. Enthusing the young business minds of our future is key to promoting a knowledge economy – maximising the learning and skills acquired in education, and applying these to the development of strong, commercial start ups.

Contact us today if you would like to access any of the following services, some activities will attract funding from the Welsh Government, Dynamo Role Model Scheme or Venture Wales’ Graduate Support Scheme:

• Dynamo Role Model Talks – invite a role model to speak to your students about their experience of starting up a business.
• Taster Sessions – invite a business mentor to speak to your students about the pros and cons of setting up a business and what to think about when considering enterprise.
• Modules – if you have students who are interested in setting up their own enterprise but need some guidance – speak to us about running specific workshops in Marketing, Finance, Business Planning, Presentation skills and Team Building.
• 1-2-1 Mentoring – Our team of experienced business advisors are happy to meet with individuals looking to set up a business, to provide specific advice, guidance and support to take their idea from concept to commercialisation.
• Enterprise Challenges – The team of advisors at CIOTEK Ltd have supported various enterprise challenges in the past, facilitating the challenge, judging and providing feedback.