Ayrton Houk: In the swing of things

BRACKLEY, United Kingdom – I’ve now had a few weeks under my belt in the UK, and I’ve enjoyed every minute! The time has been packed with racing, exploring and meeting some exceptional individuals. Andy Low, owner of Ammonite Motorsport, has been an amazing host to me and Jack. From picking us up from the airport to finding us housing, it has been great having someone like Andy to help us get our bearings.

‘The other Ayrton”‘s F1 title-winning McLaren MP4/6 from 1991.

Our adventure began just after landing at Heathrow International, navigating through the airport to find Jack, being picked up, and heading straight to the Ammonite shop to meet the team. Immediately, we were in the cars being fitted for our seats in preparation for our first test at Llandow circuit in southern Wales. The following day I had my first taste of racing in the UK when Jack and I, along with 2022 Team USA Scholarship winner Elliot Budzinski, went to spectate the British Touring Car race at Silverstone. It was a great opportunity to watch a race on the same track we would be competing at in a week for the National Formula Ford Championship. I was even able to tour the Museum and see some amazing vintage Formula One cars! I especially appreciated the opportunity to see the car that Ayrton Senna won his final World Drivers Championship in, the MP 4/6.

It’s been fun fending for ourselves.

Since then I have begun adjusting to life in the UK. Jack and I have been sharing an AirBnB and we are getting along quite nicely. I have had to start thinking about groceries and planning meals as opposed to the strict takeout-and-fast-food diet I followed at Purdue. Something new to me is the supermarket meal deals. I can go in and get a main food, snack and drink for three UK pounds! I had never seen this before, yet it comes in quite handy when I need a quick lunch while we are on the go or at the race shop. When Jack and I aren’t grabbing meal deals, I usually will cook lunch and dinner for us. I have made us various chicken and steak meals over the last week or so, and I am starting to teach Jack a little bit about cooking as well.

Our first race was at iconic Silverstone (Jakob Ebrey).

I got my first taste of a race in the UK on September 30 at Silverstone. We competed on the National layout, the same configuration we will run during the Walter Hayes Trophy. The weekend was full of learning and adjusting to the car. We were given six test sessions on Friday and those came in extremely useful; I need some getting used to the extended slip angle on the Avon tires. Qualifying brought another learning opportunity – the importance of a draft at Silverstone. I had gone out for qualifying and ran alone for it which secured me a P14 starting position for the first of two 20-lap races. I also got to experience my first standing start! The races went relatively smoothly, just still learning how to get this car rotated before the apex of corners to maximize the drive off onto such long straights. Race one brought a P14 finish and race two brought a P11 finish. Overall, I learned a ton about the Ray FF1600 and the Avon tires, and was exposed to the heightened level of competition over here. It was intense.

Jack and I enjoyed an educational evening with fellow American Kim Stevens and her partner.

We had a few days off after the National weekend to get sorted and hang out. Jack and I have purchased bicycles and have been exploring Brackley. I have found a great gym called B3 fitness where I am able to stay on top of my fitness goals, as well as fill up some of my off days. In addition to just hanging out, Jack and I had been given an amazing opportunity to meet with Kim Stevens, the Senior Trackside Aerodynamicist with the Mercedes Formula 1 team. The amount of engineering knowledge that she was able to share with us was astonishing. We had a great dinner at The Red Lion pub and learned so much about how racing cars are designed and how different components affect the car’s handling.

Searching for the limit at Castle Combe (Oliver Read)!

Our next adventure was to another track with a lot of history, Castle Combe, where we have just enjoyed another race weekend to help us prepare for the Formula Ford Festival later this month at Brands Hatch. We started on Thursday with a test day which went very smoothly. We were given a variety of track conditions, starting out wet in the morning and drying up for the rest of the day. I am starting to understand more and more how this tire likes to be driven. I got caught out by a red-flag situation in qualifying and only had a few laps to set a quick time, which resulted in a P7 start for race 1 and a P5 start in race two. Through the duration of both races I was getting more and more comfortable with letting the car slide and rolling more speed through the corners, and I ended up with two P6 finishes. The weekend was a very useful experience to help understand this car before we head to Brands Hatch on the 17th.

The unusual Pulteney Bridge in Bath.

In between the test day and race day at Castle Combe, Jack and I were fortunate enough to go and explore historic city of Bath. We were dropped off at Chippenham where I got to experience my first ever train ride! We took a train to Bath Spa station where we began our exploration. Jack and I quickly made it downtown and had an amazing day exploring some of the history from Bath Abbey to Pulteney Bridge and The Royal Crescent. It is a beautiful city and I enjoyed exploring many of the nooks and crannies.

In the upcoming week we have been invited to visit the Alpine and Haas F1 teams, and Jack and I are also planning a trip to London. I am very excited for all of the adventures to come!
-Ayrton