FP3 starts and a busy run plan for the one hour session, each driver is getting a run and it is a chance to see if the overnight changes on setup have improved the car. Robbie is out first on old rubber and testing the different fuel maps, then its Tor he spends two laps cleaning up the used rubber that has been impregnated with the grit beads from the painted lines in the pit lane – this is a big problem in the pit lane for everybody. During Tor’s run we get the call on the safety radio that it is raining at Turn 15 so we pit Tor and put John in the car while we see what the weather does, it’s only a short shower but it gives us a chance to scrub a couple of sets of wet tyres.

The track is quickly back to fully dry so we can back on with the program of giving John a run on new tyres and low fuel in preparation for qualifying. A good lap puts the ADR-Delta Oreca Nissan to P4, John got blocked on the lap so feels there is another 8 tenths to come, not quite the one second we would need for P1, but it’s a good base point.

Qualifying is a 20 minute mid afternoon burst with just the LMP1 and LMP2 cars running it’s about finding space and hoping you don’t catch somebody on a slow down lap. John’s first hot lap is good enough for P2 just one tenth off pole position,  Chief Engineer David Leach gives the call to hold back on the next lap and push for one more lap, John gets the split times on the dash so he can see as he attacks the lap if he is up on his previous best. Sector 1 is fastest overall, Sector 2 is John’s best but not the best overall, it’s looking really tight but John knows from the dash he has had a good final sector, deep on the brakes into the final chicane with the car wriggling on entry John heads for the line and takes the provisional pole by just 0.04 of a second. Six minutes left of qualifying so John returns to the pit and we all watch the screens to see if anybody can beat the time……. its over, the team’s first pole position in sportscar racing.

John Martin celebrates pole at Spa

A great job by the whole team in being the fastest LMP2 car in the 18 strong field, however tomorrow is another day so we will take nothing lightly and see what happens.

An amazing circuit steeped in history with over 100 meters elevation change over the 7km circuit.

Watching on the TV just does not get close to giving you an idea of what it is like.

Drivers across the world love the circuit and the ADR-Delta trio of Martin, Kerr and Graves are no different. All have raced here before in other formulae and were reminiscing of those times during our 2hr track walk.

The team has made some steps forward in understanding the Oreca chassis since the last event in Sebring, so Day 1 was always going to be about getting the drivers and car dialled in to the circuit. With 3 hours running split over two sessions the team set to work, John started in free practice 1 (FP1) and quickly reported back ‘the car is completely different to Sebring’. Not all good news as it meant we were starting afresh with the direction of the car.

John as always, quickly found his groove and posted some quick laps, with Tor up next, who was told to just break himself in gently as the team made changes to the chassis to get a good handling balance.

For FP2 it was Robbie’s turn to have a run, with more improvements to the chassis between sessions by Chief Engineer David Leach.

It did not take Robbie long to post the fastest time in class, before Tor had his time with a free reign to push.

Tor posted some impressive lap times, even on full fuel load, matching some of the pro drivers running on track at the same time. Robbie’s time fell 4 tenths off second place in the Oak Chassis. So with some more ‘tweaks’ he was sent out to complete the last 15 minutes of the session.

However, while making room for a clear lap at the final chicane he was attacked by a Porsche, turning him around. As he set back off the session was red flagged for a big accident at Eau Rouge.

Overall the team end Day 1 knowing that they have made good steps forward and have the potential for pole position tomorrow.

A long night ahead before an early start in preparation for FP3 the final run before qualifying – and who knows what the weather is going to be …

It was shaping up that new Oak chassis in the hands of experienced Sportscar ace Olivia Pla had the outright class pace with x-Peugeot works driver Stephane Sarrazin in the Honda close behind, with the limited time the ADR-Delta team had running the #25 Oreca the target was to be the best of the Oreca’s.  So with some good times in testing the team was hopeful of a top three qualifying position, John Martin qualified the car but got bulked by traffic on his hot lap putting him fifth and when the session was cut short with a red flag due to a Level 5 car off at Turn 1 John did not get a chance to better his time.

John Martin - ADR-Delta, Sebring Qualifying

Friday was a long night of pre race preparation for the team working through until the early hours to ensure the 25 car was at it’s best come race day – which is more than can be said for some of the team who were battling with serious ‘man flu’. Race day was probably the hottest day we had during the whole week so it was going to be a tough test to get through the 12 hour race for both man and machine. John started the race and was quickly into his stride setting fast lap times and ending up glued to the back of the Pecom Oreca  which he was clearly faster than, however the short straights and narrow track means over taking is hard and when John got closed out at Turn 7 he had no option than to take to the old circuit loosing track position and causing the front end bodywork to become dislodged making the handling of the car far from ideal over the rest of his stint. Next in the car was Tor who had proven during testing that he could run fast consistent laps and after a disturbed start with radio issues Tor settled into his first double stint, we were nearly four hours in by the time Robbie got into the car but he quickly got into his usual quick groove. The race progressed relatively trouble free with the team trying to make up the early time lost in an extended and additional pit stop, after moving into fourth position and closing down on the top three the crew noticed a deflating tyre while Robbie was in the car, he was quickly radioed into the pit for a tyre change but it slipped us back to fifth. Try as we did to move back up the order there always seemed to be something keeping us in this position, either a safety car or an extended stop required for service.

Overall coming away from Sebring with Championship points and encouraging pace should be applauded but the ADR-Delta team is used to winning so we will be pushing hard to get to the podium at the second round at the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium the first weekend in May.