Episode 3 The Racing Set

These teenage racers aren't old enough to drive on the roads...

I'm 15 years old, driving race cars, there's nothing better than that.

As soon as the engine starts, your mind's in gear.

But, at the weekends, they tear up the track.

COMMENTATOR: He's through on the inside,

Chadwick up into fourth place!

This season, two teams go head-to-head.

COMMENTATOR: To the track and flag, two out of two!

One is brother and sister...

We're both competitive and we both want to beat each other.

-The other, a team of mates.

-OK, all of us are going to win.

Racing's my dream.

It's a tough fight, and we'll be with them all the way.

Expect the unexpected. There's no guarantees in this sport.

So, who will be crowned winner of The Racing Set?

None of my school friends are doing anything as cool as this.

Previously on The Racing Set...

Ollie's riding high after a decent start to his season,

but his sister, Jamie, is reeling after crashing out.

COMMENTATOR: There's the disappointed Jamie Chadwick.

It's really...just devastating.

Golden boy, James, is still top rookie in the pack.

It was like a dogfight out there. It was absolutely crazy.

But, cash worries are never far from his mind.

I've always got that thing in the back of my head...

Bring the car home with no scratches or it'll cost my mum and dad.

You know, there isn't a tree at the bottom of the garden

that we can go and pick money off of.

The brick wall is looming.

Today, the weather turns against them.

COMMENTATOR: Oh, that is a big hit!

It's a day of drama on the track. Who can stay the course?

The car can be repaired, but I can't...

so, I'm just happy that I'm OK.

I'm just really a little bit angry at the minute.

It's midway through the racing season,

and team-mates James and Harry are chilling out.

All right, it's time for one of my rides now.

Cool.

Experienced driver, Harry, has won every race

so far in this year's Ginetta Juniors.

And nothing fast fazes him.

Whoa!

And after several rookie wins, James is feeling on top of the world, too.

Oh, that was amazing. Unbelievable. Really, really cool.

Unbelievable. I've never felt a rush so like it.

My heart was going so much, but it's been really good.

Isn't it nice to do something different instead of racing?

Well, you know, it's still quite a lot of fun.

Racing's still right up at the top, but this comes close.

All in all, it's been a great first season

and hopefully we can continue like that.

-I think for the next race, you can go faster, really.

-Faster?!

-Well, OK, I'm always trying to go faster.

-Well, you can go faster.

Even faster? OK, I'll try it.

Across the country, James' main rival, Jamie,

has come to the England versus Spain hockey internationals.

Jamie recently decided to pursue her racing career

instead of playing hockey for England.

But, that doesn't stop her enjoying being a spectator.

As the match finishes, Jamie has another treat in store

and she's introduced to sporting legend, Dame Kelly Holmes.

-Hi, Jamie. So, you've got a scholarship?

-Yes, for racing.

-For racing?

-Yeah, race car driving.

-Wow!

-It's a bit different.

-How old are you? Are you allowed to drive?

-15.

Hang on a minute, we'll talk about the licence. OK.

Oh, brilliant then.

So, what's your aim...what would be your ultimate aim

now you're in the sport?

Formula 1 is obviously the pinnacle of motorsports,

so that's the aim.

But, I guess it's a very difficult and long journey to get there.

-Like all sport.

-Exactly, yeah.

What's it like being a girl at such a high level of sport?

What advice could you give me?

At the end of the day, if you're talented enough it doesn't matter

what you are, it's who you are as a person and what you want out of it.

You just have to say,

"I want to be that person who puts my sport on the map."

And you're going to be the one to be the one that does it,

-and just believe in yourself more than anything.

-OK.

-But, good luck, and really lovely to meet you.

-Thank you.

I hope things turn out fantastic. How cool!

After an inspiring chat from a sporting hero,

Jamie is ready to face the races head on.

It's been an up-and-down season so far for everyone.

There's no pressure. Whatever happens, happens.

I can go for wins, I can go for manoeuvres

which I wouldn't have I've done a few weeks ago.

I've never had a top rookie win or a top four finish so...

it just appears everything...

or anything possible to rob the Chadwick family of a good finish

seems to happen.

But as they all gear up for today's races at Crofton, Yorkshire,

James is feeling confident.

Hopefully it's going to be a good race,

and hopefully I'll be on the podium and get first rookie.

With the first of two races minutes away, everyone is getting into gear.

They're on the grid.

Harry is first, Ollie is third, James is fifth

and Jamie's at the back in ninth.

From the off, Harry and Ollie are battling it out for second place.

Whilst Ollie slips into third, his sister Jamie is at the back,

and as she takes the next corner, another rookie crashes into her.

Success can quickly turn into failure in this sport,

even when you're doing everything right.

COMMENTATOR: Oh, disappointment for those two youngsters.

Luckily, no-one's been hurt.

COMMENTATOR: Most importantly, Jamie's out of the car and she's OK.

This race is over for Jamie just minutes after it began.

But, for everyone else, it carries on.

In car number 13,

James is fighting for that rookie cup as he pushes his way through.

COMMENTATOR: This is what it feels like

to be put under pressure in a Ginetta Junior.

But, as he desperately tries to get ahead of the car in front,

he comes a cropper...

he's clipped the car and lost part of his bonnet.

It's a terrible start to the day all around.

Back at the front, Ollie's barely hanging on to second place

before the car behind steals it away.

COMMENTATOR: Side by side, passes Ollie Chadwick!

Fumbles his way on the inside...very physical!

As the race comes to a finish,

the unrelenting Harry takes first place again.

COMMENTATOR: Here he comes, what an incredible record!

It's been a terrible race for the rookies,

but Ollie takes a respectable third place.

Harry has won all of the races, but it's a really good championship

and we're still looking to win this year.

I'm hungry for that, definitely.

Ollie might want to win, but Harry is in no mood to lose yet.

Put my head down, and just concentrated

on trying to get into the lead,

and keep pushing until I... I do know that I'm champion.

James' team-mate, Harry may still be in the top spot,

but the rookies have taken a knock.

Back in their tent, James' dad is having to confront

the reality of the damage done to James' car.

Dad will just have to go back to work on Monday morning again.

Another £800.

That's racing for you.

Don't worry about it, OK? You did well.

-Just keep in there, keep pegging away.

-OK.

Don't get too down about it.

-All right?

-Hm.

It's a bill the family could do without.

I'm just really a little bit angry at the minute.

Over in the Chadwick's tent, their mechanics are desperately

trying to fix Jamie's car in time for the next race.

I just got to look up and I think the car can be repaired,

but I can't. So, I'm just happy that I'm OK.

And, she's concerned about the repair bill, too.

Any damage is expensive, and obviously

we want to keep the costs down in such an expensive sport.

But, obviously you've just got to keep your head up and keep going.

At home in Gloucestershire, Ollie likes to let rip

on his very own quad bike.

He won't catch it!

But, his dad has to keep a close eye on him.

At least in the Ginetta it's built with safety in mind.

You've got a roll cage, you've got a proper seat,

a proper harness, proper protection.

Ollie is even more confident here than he is on the track.

I don't think he's got any threshold of danger.

I don't think he realises that one day things might go wrong.

And while Ollie doesn't have a care in the world,

his sister Jamie is worried about how her season is progressing.

But, best friend, Yvie, is always there for her.

My family are doing a lot for me and so are the team.

Yeah, I'm just on a bit of a downer...

lost a bit of confidence because of it,

and I just don't really know how to come out of it, I guess.

Well, I don't know anything about racing,

but you're quite hard on yourself sometimes, I know that.

And I think it's cool that you do racing,

and that you're the only girl.

Yeah, I guess I feel it's important

to maybe do something a bit different.

You don't have to follow what every other girl does

and you can do your own thing, still enjoy it, and still get

involved and not feel threatened or intimidated by the guys.

And you definitely do that.

Back at the Croft race track,

the second day of races is about to get underway.

But, there's a problem.

The heavens have opened

and it doesn't look like the rain is going to stop.

But, despite the downpour, the show must go on.

Jamie's car has been fixed in the nick of time

and she's in ninth place again.

COMMENTATOR: Well, there we go, lights out, a very quick start.

Ollie gets into first place right from the start line,

but will he make it through the first slippery corner?

COMMENTATOR: Oh, Chadwick, is he going to... Oh, he did it!

Seconds after the start, and the rain is already causing havoc.

COMMENTATOR: Oh! That is a big hit!

It's a disaster for one racer but Jamie, James, Ollie,

and Harry have all steered clear.

Ollie is ahead of Harry and in the lead.

But, as he approaches crash corner again,

the rain takes its next victim.

COMMENTATOR: Off he goes, into the gravel.

That is the end of Ollie's race.

Ollie is out.

Harry now goes into first.

Meanwhile, Jamie is taking it steady at the back after her earlier crash.

James is keen to keep his car intact, but he's got himself

into a tussle for third place with a fellow rookie in the dark blue car.

He's not going to let anyone keep him from another rookie cup.

COMMENTATOR: Oh! I was going to say,

they seemed to have gotten through without any contact.

James is in front. He's in third place.

But, as the rain pelts down,

all the rookies are struggling to stay on the track.

COMMENTATOR: Whoa, there goes Jamie!

What a near miss for Jamie! It so easily could have been anther crash.

James is still in third

and moments away from a podium place and the rookie cup.

But then, all is lost.

And the long grass is hiding the damage to his precious car.

COMMENTATOR: Oh, look, he's holding his head in his hands.

He knew that was a podium that he's just thrown away.

The unbeatable Harry triumphs again,

and Jamie crosses the line in one piece,

and in front of James, at least.

Harry has won yet again,

but James, Jamie, and Ollie have got nowhere in the rain.

The race was pretty much over as soon as I hit the gravel trap.

It was pretty much beached in there.

It's heartbreaking because we would have easily won that race.

His sister, Jamie,

is upset that she has still got nowhere near that rookie cup.

I'm last in the championship, which in my eyes is awful,

but I think, at the end of the day it's my first year

and I've got to focus on it as a learning year,

and it doesn't matter about finishes and things like that.

As long as I'm still learning.

With things like this, I'm learning more than I would be

if I was having consistently good results.

But, yeah, obviously it's disappointing.

And James is coming to terms with his worst race so far.

With some great results behind him,

he's come to expect more from himself than this.

I'm really annoyed cos I was looking to third,

but I made a mistake at the end area there was my fault, so...

..couldn't blame anybody else but me.

Neither James or his dad know how much damage has been done

to the underside of his car,

or how this will affect the rest of his season.

Our rookies need the inner strength to be able to take

these set backs on the chin.

It's part of being a racing driver.

But, for today,

The Racing Set's golden rookie is going home defeated.

Next time on The Racing Set...

Both James and Jamie have to face the music.

I'm 15 years old. I'm going to have to start taking responsibility.

I think I need to become a bit more aggressive as a person.

We know it's there, you're just that far away from getting there.