2024 Season Review
Hello and welcome to the JB Data Engineering 2024 end-of-season review! This year has flown past and we can’t believe that we’re already deep into planning for 2025.
2024 has, as ever, been busy and demanding and we are very grateful to everyone who has employed our services or bought products from us in 2024. When we started the company back in 2016, we had no idea that, nearly nine years later, JB Data Engineering would have worked with clients across the globe and be supplying products from the world’s leading data gathering and motorsport electronics companys.
We hope you enjoy this brief summary of 2024 and if we can help with your planning for next season with either support during testing or with systems from our range of leading suppliers, please call us on 00(44) 7717 562169 or email jordan@jbdataengineering.co.uk. We’d be delighted to help.
British GT
(The #44 car in the hands of Kavi Jundu and Dan Vaughan - Photo: British GT)
The opportunity to work with Toyota Gazoo Racing UK (Speedworks Motorsport) resulted from a request to provide some systems support. What started out as a day in the Speedworks HQ turned into an offer to join the team for the season to work with Team Manager Danny Buxton and Race Engineer Geoff Kingston in support of the team’s #44 Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo driven by Kavi Jundu and Dan Vaughan.
Over a season which saw both successes and challenges, the relationship between Race Engineer and Data Engineer grew to one of the utmost trust and respect and demonstrated how effective it is when those roles work closely together. Decisions on strategy calls and set-up direction require clear communication and sound decision-making, disciplines that paid huge dividends for the team as the season progressed.
This was never more prevalent than at Donington early in the year where we took the decision to bring the #44 car in for a pit stop just ahead of the safety car being called out. This well-timed call effectively gave the team a free pit stop and allowed us to lead the GT4 class before a pit lane infringement resulted in a penalty.
(The #44 Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra at Brands Hatch - Photo: British GT)
The final round saw a change of drivers with Michael O’Brien and Benjamin Tusting taking over the driving duties for Brands Hatch. The car sported a new matt camo wrap for the final weekend in support of the British Army Motorsport Association. Formed in 1960, the Association provides members with an opportunity to participate in motorsport in the form of competitive events.
Unfortunately a stone through the radiator during the race meant that O’Brien and Tusting were unable to show the full potential of the Toyota GR Supra but they did set the fastest GT4PA lap time so the pace was there even if luck was not on our side.
The British GT Championship is regarded by many as the most competitive domestic GT championship in the world and it was an honour and a pleasure to compete in the 2024 season with Toyota Gazoo Racing UK.a
Fun Cup Endurance Championship
Photo: JB Data Engineering)
One of the highlights of 2024 was our support of Morpheus Motorsport throughout the Fun Cup Endurance Championship. Fun Cup has grown in popularity over the last few seasons and by the final weekend in October, the grid had grown to 28 cars with teams already signing up for 2025.
Morpheus Motorsport began the season with a three-car entry which included the #195 car driven by Neil Burroughs and Ted Bradbury, the #101 Axiametrics-backed entry with Christopher Weatherill, Jonathan Railton and Greg Evans and the #157GMR/Eco entry with rising star Gracie Mitchell and Rob Croydon behind the wheel.
By the end of the season, the team had grown to five cars, ensuring that everyone within Morpheus Motorsport had to be on the top of their game to ensure the cars were well-prepared and that the drivers were getting the correct support from the Race and Data Engineers.
(JB Data Engineering in conversation with Morpheus Motorsport team members - Photo: Fun Cup Endurance Championship)
For JB Data Engineering, the Fun Cup season demonstrated that focus and excellent time management meant that you can still provide effective support to a large number of drivers by highlighting the points where the most time can be gained, rather than concentrating on every last tenth of a second. The season also demonstrated the value of data, allowing decisions to be made with precise information rather than opinion.
(The #195 car of Neil Burrougs and Ted Bradbury - Photo: Fun Cup Endurance Championship)
The season had its share of highs and lows but outright wins for the #195 car, top ten finishes for the #103 car and seeing the progression of all the drivers as the season developed meant that the value of data analysis and feedback was proved time and time again. Morpheus Motorsport’s Gracie Mitchell was awarded ‘Best Newcomer’ at the recent Fun Cup awards evening so her progress has not gone unnoticed.
British Endurance Championship / Britcar Trophy Championship
2024 marked the third year that JB Data Engineering has provided data scrutineering to the British Endurance Championship and Britcar Trophy. It will also be the last year that the series’ are run to the current regulations as big changes have been announced. JB Data Engineering would like to extend a huge debt of gratitude to Claire Hedley and David Hornsey for inviting us to be part of the BEC journey since 2022.
We would also like to thank all he teams who competed in the two series and who made the lives of the Data Scrutineering team immeasurably easier as the seasons have progressed. Initially there was the inevitable push-back when the data scrutineers made requests to the teams but by the end of the 2024 season, a professional, respectful relationship between the teams and scrutineers had been established to, we hope, everyone’s benefit.
(Photo: James Roberts Photography for Britcar Trophy Championship)
With tight timetables and a lot of racing packed into one-day meetings, the season presented its challenges but it proves again that with good time management and a supportive team environment, objectives can be achieved even under demanding circumstances.
We wish the British Endurance Championship the very best of luck as it embarks on its new era in 2025 and we hope we can be part of the team again when racing resumes at Silverstone next April.
GT Cup / TCR UK / Mini Miglia Challenge
(Jeff Smith celebrating winning the 2024 Mini Miglia title at Silverstone - Photo: Mini Miglia Challenge)
JB Data Engineering supported teams across a number of championships and series in 2024 and we were delighted to be asked to support Morpheus Motorsport when it entered the first two weekends of the GT Cup Championship. For the opening weekend at Donington, the team’s two-car entry comprised Stephen Walton and Chris Hart piloting the #69 Mercedes-AMG GT4 and Jon Currie and Phil Keen sharing thedriving duties in the #69 car.
The #69 crew left Brands Hatch 5th in the GTH standings with Jon and Phil two places behind.
Marcus Clutton replaced Phil Keen for the Brands Hatch weekend which saw another packed programme that resulted in two 4ths, a 5th and an 8th-place finish for the #69 car and a podium, two 4ths and a 7th-place finish for the #96 crew.a
(Jo Polley’s #306 Mini at Brands Hatch)
We supported teams in the TCR UK paddock and were delighted to help Matt Wilson and Brad Hutchison. It was great to see our friends at EDF Motorsports winning the Gen 1 Cup on its first running.
Finally, JB Data Engineering joined Pyro Motorsport and drivers Jeff Smith and Jo Polley for the Brands Hatch Mini Festival and the Mini Miglia Challenge at Silverstone.
Jeff secured the Mini Miglia title at Silverstone and Jo Polley drove to a 12th-place finish from the rear of the grid in Race Two, a fantastic result given the size of the field.
With both cars running the VBOX HD2 video data logging system, we were able to analyse on-track performance efficiently and both drivers benefited from quick, accurate feedback. JB Data Engineering has thoroughly enjoyed supporting Jo and Jeff in 2024 and we hope we can return to the Mini Miglia paddock in 2025.
CARTEK Motorsport Electronics
JB Data Engineering was proud to introduce the CartekMotorsport Electronics range into our shop in October.
Cartek is the go-to brand for motorsport professionals worldwide, from Formula 1 to GT racing and rallying. Known for its cutting-edge,solid-state technology, Cartek’s high-performance products, including power distribution modules, battery isolators and its world-famous rain lights, are designed to give you the competitive edge!
Shop the complete Cartek Motorsport Electronics range at JB Data Engineering!
Looking ahead for 2025!
As 2024 starts to wind down, the motorsport world looks ahead to next season and what promises to be another spectacular year of racing. Sportscar grids in the senior categories across the world are approaching capacity and that enthusiasm can only support and grow grassroots series and domestic racing.
The JB Data Engineering team is perfectly positioned to provide you with season-long track-side data acquisition and analysis services, equipment supply and installation from the world’s most highly regarded motorsport electronics companies or test day and on-call telephone support, whenever and wherever you need it.
If you are looking for advice or guidance, don’t forget you can book a telephone consultation (charges apply). We are available 24 hours a day to answer all your data engineering questions.
Call us now on +44 7717 562169 or contact us at jordan@jbdataengineering.co.uk to explore how JB Data Engineering can support your racing ambitions in 2025.
Jordan
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