Blast from the Past

#316 James Auld

British Driver in US Stock Car Racing!

Got your copy of the Summer of Speed book yet? See what its all about at: http://www.trafford.com/06-021 |

Blast from the Past

Blast from the Past

Moments from nearly two decades of racing in different cars and races, as told by James Auld

Ford F-150 Pro-Challenge truck, Aaron's Sales & Lease 50, Lanier Speedway, 2006

At Lanier Speedway, I made my Aaron's Pro Challenge debut in a race counting towards both the US National and the Georgia state points series, but struggled having not driven the racecar before the 'on-the-day' practise session. I made it to the finish in 19th without brakes and with radio problems on a tough night. Since then I has maintained a 100% finishing record and results were all in the top ten, with a best result of 3rd at Watermelon Capital Speedway, Cordele. Much of this has been thanks to work on the #316 car in the workshop by Boots and Kyle Mitchell (who won the 2006 Aaron's Pro-Challenge Georgia Series after hitting a mid-season winning streak, and was champion again in 2007). A steady run to 6th place at Senoia gained more points, but the following race, again at Cordele, I was lucky to finish at all after having to make an emergency pit stop having been hit by a spinning car while avoiding a dramatic melee when oil was spilled on the track by a blown engine. 10th was a fortunate result and the points gained enhanced my Georgia points position. Being forced to miss a few races due to some schedule changes affected my position, but another top 10 finish in the final race of the year at Peach State Speedway sealed my Aaron's Pro-Challenge Georgia Series position of 6th overall.

After finishing as runner-up (vice-champion) in the 2005 AMS Thursday Thunder Legends Series, I moved up to race the #316 truck in Pro Challenge for 2006 with Mitchell Motorsports.But first, there's some last minute business at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Legends race, the night before the NASCAR Golden Corral 500...

Legends race (Ford Coupe), NASCAR Golden Corral 500, Atlanta Motor Speedway, 2006

Its 'draw and run'... no practise, no qualifying, the drivers each draw a number for the starting grid line-up and race in front of the NASCAR crowd... Excitement and action are guaranteed, and I managed to draw a starting position at the back, in Pete Horne's Legends of Georgia car I'd never driven before. The green flag flies and Ronnie Poland Jr and I raced up the order from the back. The laps pass, we're into the top ten... and we collided! Locked together, we spun in turn 1 and come to rest in turn 2. The yellow caution flag is out and we were pulled apart and will restart at the back. At the green flag, I climbed up the order but there was contact with the #2 car of Fred Miles! In an instant I had two wheels on the track and two on Fred's roof... I steered left, right, braked and accelerated but couldn't get off and we smashed into the turn 2 wall! Fred's car took a pounding against the concrete and crashed down the track. But I was fired on top of the wall itself, and with no wheels on the ground was helpless as my car skated along at speed, threatening to roll and tip over, first to the left and onto the track, then roll right and into the floodlight posts... Mercifully, it ended up back on the track, the right way up, but with smoke from the front I was out of the race. Thankfully neither of us were hurt.

Legends (Chevy Sedan), Thursday Thunder Legends Series, Atlanta Motor Speedway, USA, 2005

Drama in Turn 1 as Billy Fulson, 18, crashes back down to earth after running into the back of, then climbing on top of my car, 316, with bodywork flying! I'm running wide to get Billy off my car but Johnny Rucker (white car, hidden) is already there trying to avoid us both! Very tough racing on the oval in Legends.

Legends (Chevy Sedan), Thursday Thunder Legends Series, Atlanta Motor Speedway, USA, 2005

Heading for the chequered flag to take the race win and series points lead in a dramatic Thursday Thunder Legends event in summer 2005. Action and incident on a damp track, with a restart with just two racing laps remaining! Really hard work, took the win from Aron Brook (2nd) and RS Senter (3rd).

Swift SC93R, Monoposto, Brands Hatch, England, 2004. Two championship races on same day.

First race, went from last on starting grid to first, then alternator wire came loose... Storming first lap in second race, last to first in the monoposto class in half a lap on a wet track, passing several cars each corner, inside, outside, but later went off passing a former champion in a Formula 3 car around the outside at Clearways corner.

(photo: Danny Nash)

Porsche 924, 100km Series race, Snetterton, England, 2003

...2003... Frustrations, frustrations, frustrations... especially with certain drivers in the Auldsport team! Porsche burns at Snetterton as Neil Hodgson gestures one of our drivers to stop.

(photos: Susan Hunting)

Caterham, Int ADAC Nurburgring 24Hours race, Nurburgring Nordschleife, Germany, 2002

Epic race! Following the dangers (a top factory driver was killed in a crash) and dramas (we very nearly won our category) of 2001 we (Kenny Transport Racing; Adrian Watt, Mark Giles, Ross Buckingham, James Auld) returned in 2002 on the weekend of the Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee and fought our way up from the back of the 210 car starting grid to finish 1st of the 1600 sportscar category and 3rd in the 2-litre sportscar category! After that year, Caterhams were banned...

(photo: Susan Hunting)

Porsche 924, VdeV 4 heures du Magny-Cours, Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours, France, 2002

First place in category GT-serie at Magny-Cours 4 hours race sharing the driving with Dermot Healy. Despite loss of brakes, cracked exhaust, seat working almost completely loose, oil filler cap falling off and borrowing one from a van during the race, the subsequent foot race down the pit lane with Dermot and a damaging collision with a big Lola sportscar, we made it...

That year, with co-drivers Howard Hunt and Ian Kirkwood, I also managed to win the 100km Series championship for 2-litre sportscars. Some, erm, exciting moments there too!

Ford Escort XR3i, Sprinters Cup, Circuit Zolder, Belgium, 1998

Into the Jacky Ickx-bocht chicane, end of lap 2, fighting up through the order having started dead last. Having been quoted as 'A new British Eddie the Eagle' by a Belgian journalist after qualifying, I was really fired up in this race! An Englishman passing two BMWs and a Renault Clio Sport among other cars, in an old XR3i? Shouldn't be allowed, surely....

More pics and tales continually added, so please check back!


	#316 James Auld British Driver in US Stock Car Racing! Got your copy of the Summer of Speed book yet? See what its all about at: http://www.trafford.com/06-021 \| It's all about RACING! \| 2008 Starts in Brazil - 100 Milhas \| US Pro-Challenge Series 2006/2007/2008 \| Driver 316, James Auld \| Blast from the Past \| The book, Summer of Speed \| Karting \| Contacts \| Links Blast from the Past Blast from the Past Moments from nearly two decades of racing in different cars and races, as told by James Auld Ford F-150 Pro-Challenge truck, Aaron's Sales & Lease 50, Lanier Speedway, 2006 At Lanier Speedway, I made my Aaron's Pro Challenge debut in a race counting towards both the US National and the Georgia state points series, but struggled having not driven the racecar before the 'on-the-day' practise session. I made it to the finish in 19th without brakes and with radio problems on a tough night. Since then I has maintained a 100% finishing record and results were all in the top ten, with a best result of 3rd at Watermelon Capital Speedway, Cordele. Much of this has been thanks to work on the #316 car in the workshop by Boots and Kyle Mitchell (who won the 2006 Aaron's Pro-Challenge Georgia Series after hitting a mid-season winning streak, and was champion again in 2007). A steady run to 6th place at Senoia gained more points, but the following race, again at Cordele, I was lucky to finish at all after having to make an emergency pit stop having been hit by a spinning car while avoiding a dramatic melee when oil was spilled on the track by a blown engine. 10th was a fortunate result and the points gained enhanced my Georgia points position. Being forced to miss a few races due to some schedule changes affected my position, but another top 10 finish in the final race of the year at Peach State Speedway sealed my Aaron's Pro-Challenge Georgia Series position of 6th overall. After finishing as runner-up (vice-champion) in the 2005 AMS Thursday Thunder Legends Series, I moved up to race the #316 truck in Pro Challenge for 2006 with Mitchell Motorsports.But first, there's some last minute business at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Legends race, the night before the NASCAR Golden Corral 500... Legends race (Ford Coupe), NASCAR Golden Corral 500, Atlanta Motor Speedway, 2006 Its 'draw and run'... no practise, no qualifying, the drivers each draw a number for the starting grid line-up and race in front of the NASCAR crowd... Excitement and action are guaranteed, and I managed to draw a starting position at the back, in Pete Horne's Legends of Georgia car I'd never driven before. The green flag flies and Ronnie Poland Jr and I raced up the order from the back. The laps pass, we're into the top ten... and we collided! Locked together, we spun in turn 1 and come to rest in turn 2. The yellow caution flag is out and we were pulled apart and will restart at the back. At the green flag, I climbed up the order but there was contact with the #2 car of Fred Miles! In an instant I had two wheels on the track and two on Fred's roof... I steered left, right, braked and accelerated but couldn't get off and we smashed into the turn 2 wall! Fred's car took a pounding against the concrete and crashed down the track. But I was fired on top of the wall itself, and with no wheels on the ground was helpless as my car skated along at speed, threatening to roll and tip over, first to the left and onto the track, then roll right and into the floodlight posts... Mercifully, it ended up back on the track, the right way up, but with smoke from the front I was out of the race. Thankfully neither of us were hurt. Legends (Chevy Sedan), Thursday Thunder Legends Series, Atlanta Motor Speedway, USA, 2005 Drama in Turn 1 as Billy Fulson, 18, crashes back down to earth after running into the back of, then climbing on top of my car, 316, with bodywork flying! I'm running wide to get Billy off my car but Johnny Rucker (white car, hidden) is already there trying to avoid us both! Very tough racing on the oval in Legends. Legends (Chevy Sedan), Thursday Thunder Legends Series, Atlanta Motor Speedway, USA, 2005 Heading for the chequered flag to take the race win and series points lead in a dramatic Thursday Thunder Legends event in summer 2005. Action and incident on a damp track, with a restart with just two racing laps remaining! Really hard work, took the win from Aron Brook (2nd) and RS Senter (3rd). Swift SC93R, Monoposto, Brands Hatch, England, 2004. Two championship races on same day. First race, went from last on starting grid to first, then alternator wire came loose... Storming first lap in second race, last to first in the monoposto class in half a lap on a wet track, passing several cars each corner, inside, outside, but later went off passing a former champion in a Formula 3 car around the outside at Clearways corner. (photo: Danny Nash) Porsche 924, 100km Series race, Snetterton, England, 2003 ...2003... Frustrations, frustrations, frustrations... especially with certain drivers in the Auldsport team! Porsche burns at Snetterton as Neil Hodgson gestures one of our drivers to stop. (photos: Susan Hunting) Caterham, Int ADAC Nurburgring 24Hours race, Nurburgring Nordschleife, Germany, 2002 Epic race! Following the dangers (a top factory driver was killed in a crash) and dramas (we very nearly won our category) of 2001 we (Kenny Transport Racing; Adrian Watt, Mark Giles, Ross Buckingham, James Auld) returned in 2002 on the weekend of the Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee and fought our way up from the back of the 210 car starting grid to finish 1st of the 1600 sportscar category and 3rd in the 2-litre sportscar category! After that year, Caterhams were banned... (photo: Susan Hunting) Porsche 924, VdeV 4 heures du Magny-Cours, Circuit Nevers Magny-Cours, France, 2002 First place in category GT-serie at Magny-Cours 4 hours race sharing the driving with Dermot Healy. Despite loss of brakes, cracked exhaust, seat working almost completely loose, oil filler cap falling off and borrowing one from a van during the race, the subsequent foot race down the pit lane with Dermot and a damaging collision with a big Lola sportscar, we made it... That year, with co-drivers Howard Hunt and Ian Kirkwood, I also managed to win the 100km Series championship for 2-litre sportscars. Some, erm, exciting moments there too! Ford Escort XR3i, Sprinters Cup, Circuit Zolder, Belgium, 1998 Into the Jacky Ickx-bocht chicane, end of lap 2, fighting up through the order having started dead last. Having been quoted as 'A new British Eddie the Eagle' by a Belgian journalist after qualifying, I was really fired up in this race! An Englishman passing two BMWs and a Renault Clio Sport among other cars, in an old XR3i? Shouldn't be allowed, surely.... More pics and tales continually added, so please check back!