Emily Glanvill has taken the next step in her motorsport career after making her endurance racing debut in the Citroen C1 Challenge 24 Hours of Rockingham. Driving for Weald Motorsport, Emily teamed up with co-drivers Scott Mitchell, Adam Wilkinson, James Hodgkinson and Lorn Murray who were all making their debut in the series. The weekend was full of challenges, including Emily’s first experience of night driving, however a great atmosphere within the team enabled the drivers to work together in order to reach their potential. Although a result of 29th position doesn’t fully show it, all drivers showed excellent speed over the course of the event to come away with fond memories from their first foray into endurance racing.
Following on from her success in the Junior Saloon Car Championship scholarship, Emily had previously only raced in sprint events, with races not exceeding 20 minutes in length. Arriving at Rockingham, Glanvill was first able to get a taste of the Citroen C1 in daylight qualifying where the team rotated between the five drivers over a 90-minute session. Strong lap times from all members of the Weald Motorsport team enabled the team to place 21st. This was followed by night qualifying where all members of the team had to experience the conditions in order to qualify for the race. Although Emily was only able to complete a handful of laps, this experience was vital with the majority of her first stint set to take place in darkness.
Image by Mike Savage Photography, Team Weald Motorsport #326
The team were optimistic heading into the race but knew they would face a series of challenges across the 24 hours. Scott Mitchell took the start and immediately moved the Weald Motorsport car up several positions. However, he was forced to pit at the end of the second lap following the failure of a drive shaft mount. This cost the crew around 20 minutes while the team did a great job to fix it. Emily took over from Scott around two and a half hours into the race and immediately settled into a rhythm. During her opening stint, she was able to race with cars who were solidly inside the top-15, improving on her lap times and adjusting to the characteristics of the car. Emily’s opening stint was arguably the most desirable as she inside the car as conditions turned from daylight into darkness, a challenging time as braking reference points can change with the reduced visibility. Nonetheless, it was an excellent opening stint from Glanvill who was able to complete a series of overtakes and negotiate the traffic successfully.
Progress continued into the night as Emily handed over to Adam Wilkinson who drove the car back inside the top-30. Unfortunately, a clutch change around midnight curtailed the progress of the team with a pitstop of just over an hour. Following stints from James Hodgkinson and Lorn Murray, Scott Mitchell set the car’s fastest lap of the race just before 8am as he handed over to Emily once more. With perfect conditions, Emily was immediately set her three fastest laps of the weekend in the opening 15 minutes of her stint.
It was set to be an extremely positive stint for Glanvill but contact from another driver at the first chicane led to the car being towed back to the pits with damage. The offending driver was given a penalty for causing the collision, with Wilkinson returning to the race after a further 20 minutes of repairs. Although the aim for the team was now just to finish the event, any on-track experience gained by the drivers would be of great benefit in future events to come.
Following on from Adam Wilkinson’s stint, James Hodgkinson and Lorn Murray enjoyed their second stint, their first in daylight, before Emily was chosen to take the final stint following her shortened daylight running earlier on. Glanvill’s final stint lasted just over an hour and featured one safety car period, with the aim of consistent lap times to the chequered flag. Emily was able to achieve this with Weald Motorsport finishing their first Citroen C1 24 hour race in 29th position, a spirited effort after multiple setbacks during the race.
Emily comes away from Rockingham with fond memories, having competed in the final endurance race to be held at the circuit. The support and guidance provided by Weald Motorsport was vital to Glanvill’s maiden endurance experience, with a positive team spirit remaining throughout the 24 hours. Driving the final stint was also a memorable moment as Emily took the chequered flag after a gruelling 510 laps of racing. Looking ahead to the future, Emily is interested to pursue opportunities in endurance racing, while also keen to explore additional events the Citroen C1 Racing Club has to offer following her enjoyable debut at Rockingham.
Article by Liam Redford (liamredford96@hotmail.co.uk)
With thanks to Emily's sponsors
House of Hearing, Rentec Autocare and GMP Print!
