RP-1 and RP-X-Equipped Team Schnell Achieve Class Win in 2021 MSVT Trackday Championship

“Going into the last round leading the Class D championship is pretty nerve-wracking. The smallest of margins of just a couple if points meant we needed a near-perfect showing here.

“A test day on the Thursday before raised confidence levels a bit, with a solid day of back-to-back testing setups and even brake pads. Starting the day on EBC RP-1s and moving on to the RP-Xs in the afternoon so we could better understand the two compounds. Both mated with Ultimax discs, and still utilising the EBC Bluestuff compound on the rear with a plain disc – which has lasted all year with no crumbling, pad wedging, or deterioration over long stints, as well as very little wear.

“We opted to run the RP-X pad up front as it was nice and dry, and the little extra retardation and temperature window would help us over 45 minutes of hard racing. Both compounds have their place in our arsenal though, and we now better understand what conditions and scenarios they would be best in going forward.

“Qualifying was a straightforward affair; Henry went out and within three laps had established a good ‘banker lap’ at 57.0 – which was three tenths under last year’s pole time – a good demonstration of the rate of development within the class. Kev jumped in and late in the session put in a 56.9, putting us P2 just behind our main competitor by less than three hundredths of a second. Game on for the race!”

“The race start was extremely busy, allowing us to maintain position with our main competitor in the BMW Z3 dropping back to third.

“After a couple of laps, a move round the outside at Druids enabled by some of the latest of late braking put us leading the class, leaving P2 and P3 battling it out and losing time behind.

“A late safety car meant diving into the pits at a moment’s notice, with Kev having to jump in at the drop of a hat. All seemed ok, but upon trying to tighten the seatbelts back up, one of the tethers had become stuck in the buckle! This cost us an extra eight seconds in the stops and putting us back out in P2 behind the Z3!

“Kev went out like a man possessed, clearing traffic with some staggering moves deep on the entry into Paddock Hill, closing the gap lap by lap and gaining the fastest lap of the race in the process, ensuring that all-important extra point!

“As the chequered flag dropped, we finished a tenth behind the Z3 in second place after the best battle all year in the closing laps. Neither the Z3 of Jamie Jeffries nor ourselves knew who had won the championship.

“It wasn’t till two hours after the race that it was confirmed – Team Schnell (Fiesta Club Racer), 2021 Class D Trackday Championship champions, by 4 points after our dropped round!”