James Wins Double in Wales!
Rounds 9 and 10 of the National Club Formula Ford Championship saw James travel to Anglesey in North Wales. After mixed fortunes in the previous two rounds at Cadwell Park, James was confident of a good result. Anglesey, known for its inclement weather, provided excellent sunshine for the majority of the weekend, setting the scene for some exciting racing.
The Friday test day provided a separate challenge for James, having been offered to test a MCR Race Cars Sports 2000 car. Although requiring a different driving style to the Formula Ford, the test went extremely well with James showing good potential in the heavier, more powerful car. He hopes to compete with MCR in the future.
Qualifying on Saturday morning was to prove more challenging than expected. Jumping back into the Formula Ford from the Sports 2000, James was keen to put the experience of driving a faster car to good use. Progress was hampered briefly by a red flag after only one lap, with rain clouds looming, it was going to be vital to get a quick lap in early on after the restart. He went straight out to get the tyres back up to temperature, managing one flying lap before the rain fell. James did exactly what was asked of him with an excellent lap putting him fourth on the grid for race one.
Race One in the afternoon and sunshine had returned, forcing away the dark clouds. James knew it was going to be a tough race with quick drivers due to come through the field after falling foul to the qualifying conditions. As the cars lined up on the grid, he knew he had to get a good start to stand a chance of getting on the podium. The lights went out and James performed a text book start getting alongside third placed drive Graham Carroll. After a couple of laps he had gained 3rd and was looking forward. A late braking move into the hairpin caused James to run wide and Graham passed, demoting him back to 4th. A gap now opened up between the top three cars and James, it was crucial that he got his head down and caught back up. Putting in some very quick laps, including fastest lap of the race, he closed the gap and was now hot on the heels of Peter Barrable, now in 3rd. Again proving good on the brakes, James dived down the inside of the hairpin to take 3rd. Consolidating his position James was right on the gearbox of 2nd placed driver, David Grady. Following him for a few laps, James was looking for the right place to pass; the penultimate lap provided the opportunity, again down the inside at the hairpin, and James was in 2nd. Graham Carroll was now in the lead just over a second ahead. James closed the gap on the last lap to half a second but that’s as far as he could go, finishing the race in second place and 1st in class. An excellent result and a fantastic four-way battle for the spectators.
Race Two and James started on the front row after his previous result. Another well judged start and he was side by side with Graham into turn one and two. The BRDC Rising Star driver showed his experience and pulled out a gap for the lead, James was left to keep the pack behind for 2nd. With Championship leader David Grady pushing hard, James again focused on putting in a series of quick and consistent laps to pull out a three second gap. A less eventful race but a great result nonetheless. Two class wins and 2nd overall in both races means his position in the championship is greatly improved, up to 6th place, and proves that James has what it takes to compete at the top.
James will race with Team West-Tec for 2008 in the National Formula Ford 1600 Championship.
This season James has committed to racing in the newly created National Championship for the Formula Ford 1600 cars.
After competing in the Midlands South series last year it was felt a national campaign was essential to broaden experience and race on some different tracks.
James had a choice between running with his team from last year, Marque Cars, or the championship winners from last season, Team West-Tec.
Serious consideration was given to both and in the end it was decided that moving to a new environment would be a good choice, again to provide more learning opportunities.
James is looking forward to this new challenge and hopes to be on the podium before too long!
To find out more about the championship and when James will be racing please visit www.clubformulaford.co.uk
James Rigby successfully competed in the adidas Silverstone Half Marathon raising vital funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.
After 5 weeks of intensive training James was fully prepared to compete for Macmillan Cancer Support. His target was to complete the 13.1 miles in less than 2 hours and something which he was confident of achieving. However the main reason for accepting the challenge of the Half Marathon was to raise much needed finance towards the aim of Macmillan, to provide care to everyone affected by cancer in the UK by the year 2010.
The run went well and with the impending rain holding off for the entirety of the race, the conditions were almost perfect. A slow start meant energy was reserved for later in the race, as James and his friend Miles found their pace. The pair reached the half way mark in less than an hour and were holding up well against the large numbers of competitors. ‘The water and lucozade stations at every few miles made all the difference to our energy levels, that along with the atmosphere made the actual event easier than training’, commented James.
After the 9 mile point the pair decided to split up for the remaining four miles to maximise their individual performance. With breaking the 2 hour mark firmly in his sights, James set about increasing his pace and gained roughly 2 minutes per mile. The official timing screens at each mile marker, counting towards the 2 hours, spurred James on. A sprint finish to the line and he made it with a few minutes to spare!
Thank You to all those who have donated towards this cause, we have raised an excellent amount of money but it is not too late if you still want to contribute. Please do not hesitate to Contact Us either by phone or e-mail. If you wish to donate online please use the PayPal link below.
James Rigby is to compete in the adidas Silverstone Half Marathon to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
To start off the year with a bang, James Rigby has committed to competing in the adidas Silverstone Half Marathon to raise money for the official charity of JRigby Racing Ltd in 2008.
James will run the 13.1 miles on Sunday March 9th with his good friend Miles Hurren, both of whom have begun training in earnest to be ready in just 5 weeks. The marathon takes place on the actual Silverstone circuit, running on the tarmac that has witnessed so many great sporting moments. This is just the first of many events working with Macmillan, aimed at raising the profile of the Charity and much needed finance towards their aim, to provide care to everyone affected by cancer in the UK by the year 2010.
If you would like to support the excellent work that Macmillan Cancer Support do by sponsoring the efforts of James and Miles, please do not hesitate to Contact Us either by phone or e-mail. Alternatively you can donate using paypal by clicking the button below.
JRigby Racing Ltd in Partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support
JRigby Racing are pleased to announce their partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support.
Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer. They are a source of support: providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support. They are a force for change: listening to people affected by cancer and working together for better cancer care. One in three of us will get cancer. 1.2 million of us are living with it. We are all affected by cancer. We can all help.
JRigby Racing has been affected by cancer directly as one of our directors suffered from the disease. During the time of treatment Macmillan provided essential care in many forms. This support made the difference between being unable to cope, giving into the cancer, and fighting the disease successfully.
Without such a vital system of care, our director may not have been with us here today. Macmillan aim to provide care to everyone affected by cancer in the UK by the year 2010. This is an achievable target but needs as much support as possible to become a reality.
JRigby Racing will be supporting Macmillan Cancer Support by donating funds through the sponsorship money we raise within Motorsport. If you would like to support Macmillan either on personal or business grounds, we can provide a number of options for you to do this whilst also gaining a business synergy in doing so.
Please feel free to contact us about our experiences and the work of Macmillan.
Many Thanks
Silverstone 4th November 2007
Rounds 1 & 2 of the Ginetta Winter Series
In his debut sports car race, James approached the weekend looking forward to gaining experience of driving a different type of car. Having experience of sports cars at the Silverstone Motorsport Academy, he was confident of a good result. Supporting the Walter Hayes Trophy event, over 20 Ginetta G20 sports cars were entered for the weekends racing, and with the weather promising to stay dry and sunny throughout all was set. Sponsorship was again provided by CBH Computers and Mary Penley Fine Artists.
Qualifying got off to a tricky start as the Ginetta’s were the first cars out onto the damp and greasy circuit. James went out with fellow single-seater racer Michael Broadhurst and team mate from Speedworks Motorsport. The pair set about setting as many laps as possible as the circuit became quicker and quicker due to improving conditions. In order to set a competitive lap in a Ginetta, it is essential to use drafting behind another car to give you those last extra tenths off your time. James put this to good use and achieved a commendable 10th qualifying position, giving reasonable expectation of a good result for his debut.
Race one was scheduled for 11.20 just after the morning church break, allowing little time between qualifying and the race for final adjustments. Due to the fact the weekend was fully packed with racing, a different start sequence was employed. This meant that the green flag lap, when the cars warm up their brakes and tyres, was to commence from the holding area which would leave the cars to form the grid only the once for the start itself. This in itself did not cause any problems but did help to improve the chances of beating other cars off the line at the start.
James made a respectable start holding his position only to make up a couple of places on the first lap. In all the commotion there were a few scraps for position which resulted in cars spinning in front of James, luckily he avoided any collisions to come out of the first few laps in 5th place. James then set about trying to catch the bunch of leading cars ahead of him. As mentioned previously the Ginetta’s require drafting to get the best lap times from them, due to the fact there was quite a distance between James and the leading pack it made it very difficult to catch up. He did his best to do so however but could not make enough progress to advance any further, consolidating his position with a comfortable margin to the car in sixth, and so James gained his first sports car result of 5th.
Race twowas set for later in the day, after the two Formula Ford semi-finals of the Walter Hayes Trophy. Using James’ second quickest time from qualifying he lined up in 9th position on the grid. Having gained confidence from the previous race James was looking to improve on his 5th place, aiming for a podium finish. This time his start was not as quick as he would have liked resulting in two cars overtaking him into the first corner. This gave much more work to be done in order to achieve that podium, and so James set about retaking the positions he had lost. Now back in 9th place and still in the main bunch of cars James worked his way up to 5th place, helped by a car spinning ahead of him once again. James was now in the same position he had been in during the previous race, however this time the gap to the leading bunch was much less. Over the next few laps he closed the gap to just a couple of seconds and was looking good to challenge for fourth place and possibly a podium position.
However there were two competitors close on James’s tail who had other ideas and were challenging for the position. At this point in the race James felt less able to push the car as far as he would have liked, assessing the situation after the race it would seem the tyres went off slightly due to over heating. This caused the gap to fourth place to grow and although driving defensively, both cars managed to overtake James. It was as much as James could do to keep up with the pace of the other cars for the remainder of the race and hold onto his 7th position.
In conclusion of the weekend James said, “I have really enjoyed it, the racing was fantastic and considering I haven’t had much time in the car the results were good. The Ginetta Championship provides an excellent basis on which to provide close exciting racing for spectators while also catering for the media and corporate requirements of Sponsors”. James is looking forward to the prospect of racing in the Texaco Havoline Ginetta Championship for 2008.
James Rigby confirmed for Walter Hayes
Double Header of the Ginetta Winter Series
James has this week confirmed that he will drive a Speedworks Motorsport prepared Ginetta G20 at the first two rounds of the Ginetta Winter Series. Sponsorship has been provided by CBH Computers and Mary Penley Fine Artists.
The four round series kicks off with a double-header in support of the prestigious Walter Hayes Trophy Formula Ford event, held at the Silverstone National circuit on November 3/4. The Ginetta’s then move onto the Brands Hatch Indy circuit a week later for a further two rounds.
Having spent this season in Club Formula Ford, James will unfortunately miss competing in the Walter Hayes Trophy itself; however with his sights set on developing himself as a versatile driver, this is an opportunity not to miss. “I am planning to make a full campaign in the Ginetta Championship next season and progress myself as a sports car driver. Speedworks Motorsport have provided me with the perfect opportunity to get to know the car in racing conditions before lining up on the grid next year, and I am really looking forward to the Silverstone weekend,” said James.
James currently has sponsorship opportunities to join him for the Brands Hatch rounds of the Winter Series and for the Championship next season. Please click here to Contact Us
Snetterton Sunday 5th August 2007
Rounds 8 & 9 of the MS Club Formula Ford Championship
Driving a Marque Cars Racing prepared Van Diemen, James arrived at the Norfolk circuit looking forward to a good weekend after a mixed result in the previous two rounds at Rockingham. The weather looked to hold, providing ideal conditions for racing, and with new sponsorship from Heron Games the team were in high spirits.
Qualifying got off to a good start taking into account the fact James had not been able to attend the Friday practice. By the end of the session he had found good pace, recording his qualifying time on the last lap, putting him 10th on the grid for race one.
Race one was scheduled after the lunch break allowing sufficient time to prepare the car for the race, and the full heat of the midday sun. As the lights went out for the start, James made a good get away although initially losing a position, only to re-gain it by the end of lap one. For the next few laps he consolidated his 10th place and then started to work on taking the cars ahead. By lap nine James had made his away up into 7th place and was chasing the pack in front, although being closely followed by 8th place, Steve Mellish. James worked hard to close the gap whilst also defending from behind, unfortunately this meant he was unable to get the best pace from the car, and spent the final few laps keeping Mellish at bay. Successfully staying in front of Mellish, after a number of passing attempts at the Russell chicane, James crossed the line in 7th place.
Race two was to be the last race of the day, meaning the high temperatures seen earlier in the day had subsided. Starting from his finishing position of 7th in the previous race, James was beside his team mate from Marque Cars Racing, Mark Williams, on the grid. This was to make for an exciting race for as soon as the lights went out James was keen to get passed. Initially Williams moved into 5th place putting a car between the pair, leaving James to follow suit. On lap five Williams fell back to 6th place putting him directly in James’ path. The pair spent a good number of laps circulating very closely with a number of passing attempts and swapping of position. On lap ten, James made a move up the inside of Williams into the Russell chicane, unfortunately there wasn’t quite enough space to make the move stick causing him to drive through the bollards on the inside of the corner. This caused some damage to the car and although it didn’t cause retirement did hamper the performance of the car. James managed to drive around the problem and brought the car home in 8th place.
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JRigby Racing is pleased to announce the Partnership with Heron Games.
For the Club Formula Ford Midlands & South Meeting at Snetterton, 4th & 5th August
For more information about Heron Games please visit: www.herongames.com.
JRigby Racing at the Uxbridge Autoshow - Sunday July 16th
www.uxbridge-autoshow.com
Come and visit us on our stand
We are now taking bookings for Hillspeed Hot laps in the two seater Radical,
(SEE PDF BELOW FOR FULL DETAILS)
We are actively seeking business partnerships for the Formula Renault car and
the Radical for the 2007 Season
Awaiting Confirmation that BOTH CARS WILL BE ON OUR STAND
LET US MAKE MOTORSPORT WORK FOR YOUR BUSINESS
JRigby Racing are members of West London Business
Click here to download Radical 
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Snetterton Friday 28th April 2006
After a strong test last month at Snetterton
James Rigby felt he had the feel of the
circuit and hoped to further his progress
finding more time in the warmer weather.
After a month out of the car James needed to
get back into the swing of things and feel
comfortable in the car to move forward from
his previous achievement. The first session
was hampered by red flags restricting
running time so that he only managed to gain
ten or so laps before the end of the session
arrived. However it meant that the wheels
had turned and James felt back at home in
the car ready for the next session.
An hour later and the pit lane
opened for the second session, James was
straight onto the track and within his first
few laps was down to where he left off from
the previous test day. He then set about
pushing the car to go faster cutting his lap
times down lap after lap. The weather
although warmer than at the previous test
day was still providing strong gusts of wind
across the two straights. James overcame
this to go over a second faster than his
previous quickest time running consistently
for over twenty laps.
The afternoon session brought
more progress as James found more time in
the car going half a second quicker than in
the morning sessions. The final session of
the day gave the opportunity to go quicker
than his previous test day by two seconds.
With that target in mind he went out
determined to find more time. As the session
progressed the lap times decreased going
quicker with each lap until the point where
James had surpassed the two second target to
go just beyond it at 2.1 seconds quicker
than his previous best.
James continues to establish himself as a confident racer able to
utilise the limits of the car and run
consistently against other drivers. He has
proven that he has the ability to succeed in
Formula Renault and the wider motorsport
arena.
April 2006
JRigby Racing in association with
Silverstone - the home of British Motorsport and Formula Renault team
Hillspeed.
Invite you to attend our exclusive Business
Networking Event:
Racing for Business
Meet a select group of high profile business
leaders;
Taste the glamour and excitement of Motor
Racing;
Harness the power of networking.
Date: Saturday 22nd April 2006
Venue: Silverstone Circuit
Join us in our exclusive hospitality suite
overlooking the track to enjoy the
racing available from 9am to 5pm
Race day for the BARC Formula
Renault Championship
Contact Director James Rigby now to secure
your place
CONFIRMED BOOKINGS AND PAYMENT MUST BE
RECEIVED BY FRIDAY 14TH APRIL
Cheque and
credit card payments taken
Limited availability
Click here to
download the invitation
Click here to
download Adobe
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Snetterton
28th March 2006
Formula Renault driver James Rigby made a
positive start in the first official BARC
test day on Tuesday, which was also his
first outing at the circuit. Not having
driven the circuit before James had a tough
task ahead of him to be on the pace. He
began the day with the first session as a
chance to learn the circuit and learn the
limits of the car around Snetterton. James
made an excellent start going quicker
throughout the session.
The second session of the morning brought
faster times as the circuit improved. James
pushed further, continually finding more
time from himself as he learnt the finer
details of the track.
The afternoon provided good weather
conditions, despite the strong wind
continuing from the morning sessions. With
new tyres and a chance to prove himself, James set
about producing his quickest times of the
day.
James’s team principle at Hillspeed,
Richard Ollerenshaw commented:
“We continued the Pre-season test program
and have made considerable progress through
the month of March. We are now in a position
where James can run competitively in BARC
Formula Renault. The first race of the
season will still prove to be a steep
learning curve; however as a team we are
very impressed with the progress James has
made in pre-season testing.”
Brands Hatch
15th March 2006
James Rigby continues to make further
progress in Formula Renault with his team
Hillspeed. Utilising the BARC specification
James got off to a solid start, learning the
cars limits around the challenging track.
Aided by good weather conditions and feeling
that he could progress further, James went
out after the lunch break to make
significant improvements to his lap times,
going quicker with every round.
Running alongside the faster UK
specification cars allowed James to find his
potential much quicker than would otherwise
have been possible. This year is being used
as a development year and James aims to find
front running pace and consistency in the
Formula Renault BARC Championship, to ensure
a successful graduation into the Formula
Renault UK Championship in 2007.
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Business
sponsorship opportunities for emerging new talent.
JRigby Racing
Ltd is pleased to announce that its driver James Rigby has
tested successfully in BARC Formula Renault with racing team
Hillspeed. Making his transition from Formula Ford to
Formula Renault in such an effective manner James has
demonstrated his versatility as a racing driver and his
ability to adapt to new challenges.
This exciting
development presents enhanced opportunities for business
sponsors to support his emerging talent this season.
Sponsors will
achieve pan-European television coverage with a twenty-two
month package.
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BREAKING NEWS: January
2006
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