Subaru Pro-R Time Attack: Shimmin slides to serial seconds
Although ‘neat and tidy’ is generally thought to be the fastest way around a race circuit, Subaru-Pro-R backed wheelman Ben Shimmin racked up two hard-fought podium finishes despite a little ‘crowd-pleasing’ along the way at the most recent Time Attack round at Anglesey.
The weather at the beautiful circuit started well on the Saturday with bright sunshine and high track and ambient temperatures. Running on the longer ‘International’ configuration, with its longer hairpin section and extra straights, power – or the relative lack of it – was always going to be an issue as Shimmin prepared to battle his season nemesis, Richard Marshall, in the superbly prepared Nissan GT-R. Marc Kemp was also looking very competitive in his Mitsubishi Evo, setting the scene for an epic battle of Japanese AWD awesomeness!
Practise looked promising for the Cross Roads-prepared car with Shimmin skilfully negotiating the course within 0.8 seconds of Kemp, who was the quickest in the session. In qualifying it was Marshall that proved to be quickest, but the Orange-and-White hued STi was still very much in contention, being just over 0.7 seconds from the top spot.
The Saturday final itself was to be a nail biter, with the quickest cars swapping fastest times almost every lap and the crowd left wondering until almost the very end who would be the ultimate victor. In the end, it was Marshall’s superior power, combined with a great drive that saw him take top honours. Having battled hard for the entire session, Ben piloted ‘Shirley’, as the team has affectionately dubbed the car, to a superb 2nd place, dispatching Dave Coe to 3rd and Kemp to 4th.
Sunday’s racing was not quite such pleasant viewing for the spectators. After the sun and warmth of the previous day, the morning dawned with much cloud cover and the threat of rain – something that was to come all too real later in the day. While it did little to appease the crowd, it was great news for the Cross Roads team, offering a more level playing field and the chance for Shimmin to showcase his forte for wet-weather driving. Running on the shorter ‘Coastal’ route and with the desired damp conditions, all eyes were on the Pro-R team to see whether lack of traction would suit them. A fastest lap in practise certainly set the scene well that perhaps, it would! Bringing the car home 0.783 seconds ahead of Kemp, Shimmin then went on to perform a similar feat in Qualifying. The track was drying rapidly before the Final, making it hard to predict the outcome from such a great start for the team.
In the final it was clear to see that Shimmin and Kemp were keen to notch up a good time early on, but both drivers were able to improve throughout the session as the surface dried. Marshall stayed in the pits until almost 8 minutes into the session before blasting out for one out lap and one blistering quick lap on a quiet circuit. His 1.15.210 time looked impressive, but not unassailable. Well, that was until it began to rain again, making it difficult for either Shimmin or Kemp to improve drastically on their earlier times. Despite some huge sideways moments from Ben as he tried to wring every ounce of speed from the Subaru, and even though the times came tumbling down every lap, it was to be Marshall once again that took the top step. The time differences involved in this incredible final set a new record in Time Attack history, with Ben’s hard charge putting him just 0.014 seconds behind Marshall – and Kemp just 0.012 seconds behind him! With the entire podium time spread being just 0.026 seconds; it may be one of the closest finishes in MSA history, too – revealing the sterling effort put in by all protagonists.
Commenting after the race, Shimmin dedicated his trophies to his team. ‘This has been an epic effort from the Cross Roads and TDRacing technicians and these trophies are really as much for them as they are for me. It was frustrating to be so close to the top step in that last race, but the car has been faultless all weekend and I can’t thank them all enough for the incredible job they have done. We’re feeling good about the last rounds at Snetterton now, so bring it on!’
The Pro-R team were also there, supporting the Help for Heroes charity by offering passenger rides in the fully-accessorised 4 door Subaru WRX STi 340R, complete with last year’s Club AWD Jon Mathers at the wheel, once again. Local Pro-R dealers Silverstone Autosport also did a roaring trade in Pro-R merchandise and had a great display of club cars on its stand.
Time Attack finishes the season in style at Snetterton on the 22nd and 23rd September.
For more information on the Pro-R range, visit pro-r.co.uk or visit your local Subaru dealer.
