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Jakes Monza Moments by
Baz Scott
 Cardiff-born
racer, Jake Rattenbury, made his mark at the home of Italian
motorsport this week, when the Blancpain Endurance Series began
in earnest at the high-speed Monza circuit.
Racing as part of the MTech Racing Ferrari team (pic left) in
the sixty car grid, Jake came in tenth in class, despite a
blow-out that forced him to limp back to the pits and incur an
extra pit stop.
There were always going to be challenges
for the Wenvoe youngster; taking on Monza for the first time, in
a car he had never raced in previously, among some of the
world’s foremost GT racing teams and drivers – so the stakes
were high.
Coming into the weekend, Jake was ready
for the task ahead.
“Coming into Monza for the first time, I was taken by the
enormity of it all”, he said before the race. “You can feel the
history here, and almost hear the numerous Formula 1 legends
blasting down the straight. Racing here is
definitely the high point of my career so far.”
Technical issues during Saturday’s
testing sessions further increased the pressure on the Elite
Cymru-selected athlete, but rigorous preparation paid dividends
in keeping the situation manageable.
 “Jake
has put a great deal of effort into preparing for this weekend”,
commented Jake’s proud dad and experienced race driver, Ken.
“In addition to hours on the simulator, we’re proud to be
supported by Darren Campbell, who is providing a fitness
programme, and Pro Athlete Supplements, who provide all of the
nutritional requirements.”
“Being physically and mentally ready has
definitely made the difference”, enthused Jake. “The normal
issues that crop up during a race weekend are much easier to
contain and deal with.”
The main event – a three-hour,
adrenalin-fuelled, GT endurance race – started under perfect
conditions; the weather was dry and bright, a stark contrast to
the torrential downpour that engulfed the 2012 season opener.
Jake’s team mate, Andrew Danyliw took the first stint,
and progressed through the field to pit on the hour mark after a
relatively incident-free drive.
Hawkes Essentials-backed Jake took the
second stint, and continued to pursue and conquer the leading
cars until – just a few minutes shy of the mandatory minimum
time that Jake was required to race, the Ferrari 458 GT race car
suffered a blow out in one of the fastest corners of the
circuit. Lightning-fast reactions saved the
car from disaster, but the net result was a long and slow drive
back to the pits.
During the tyre replacement, Jake handed
control over to former BTCC star, Stephen Jelley, with still
three minutes of his own time to complete.
While Stephen was able to capitalise on the work done by Andrew
and Jake, he was required to do an extra pit stop three minutes
before the end of the race, in order for Jake to complete his
required time.
What would have very likely been a top
five, or even a podium finish, became a not-too-shabby 11th
place finish (later promoted to a point scoruing 10th place).
Nonetheless, the whole team were upbeat about the
performance over the weekend, and Jake was able to put a solid
tick in the Monza box.
The next round of the Blancpain Endurance
Series is at Silverstone, on 2nd June.
Jake will be joined by his home crowd, and will have
every chance of making good the support.
Jake is seeking support from local and
nationwide companies in order to the complete the season with a
wide range of packages available to suit all budgets. Contact
Baz Scott on 07971017737 or jrr@racedriversinc.com for further
information.
Follow Jake through his Website,
www.jakerattenbury.co.uk or on twitter @JakeRRacing
Images to Rebecca Boardman/RaceDriversInc.com
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