Engineering Tested at Speed
From CAD to the Circuit

This season, Solid Solutions is supporting Fish Fabrications and Sam Fish in classic touring car racing, using competition as a place to test design decisions in public. Not in theory. Not in isolation. On real circuits, against real cars, under real pressure.

Engineering proves itself under load. At speed. With consequences.

Snetterton Circuit
The First Test

Last weekend, the first test took place at Snetterton Circuit, racing on the 200 layout, inside a race meeting defined by variety. The grid brought together machinery from different eras and philosophies. Lightweight specials. Touring cars. Rear wheel drive classics. A field that demanded judgement as much as outright speed.

Sam Fish returned to the circuit in his Alfa Sud, prepared over the winter and now ready to be measured properly. This is where design stops being abstract and starts becoming accountable.

Qualifying
Laying the groundwork

Qualifying established the baseline.
Tenth overall. First in class.

A solid position on paper. But qualifying only tells part of the story. What matters next is how a car behaves when boxed in. How it reacts to turbulence and traffic. How consistent it remains when grip changes and rhythm disappears.

That question was answered quickly.

Race One
Strategy becomes instinct

As the lights went out, several rear wheel drive cars launched harder off the line. The Alfa Sud lost places early. Momentum slipped away.

Composure did not.

The remainder of the race became a controlled push back through the field. Overtakes planned, not forced. Pressure applied where the track allowed it. Trust placed in a car that responded cleanly to inputs and stayed predictable under load.

This is the kind of race drivers remember. Not chaotic. Not desperate. Just hard, honest racing against a grid that offered no gifts.

Racing in its purest form.

Race Two
Adapting on the fly

Motorsport always finds new ways to check attention.

A late timetable change, communicated digitally rather than trackside, meant the second race began with a scramble and a pit lane start. Not ideal. But familiar to anyone who spends enough time at circuits.

From there, the only option was forward.

Execution replaced expectation. Heads down. Lap by lap. Space taken where it appeared. The car improving with every tour as understanding deepened. The lap time came down. Confidence came with it.

The result was seventh overall, third in class, and a fastest lap 1.5 seconds quicker than qualifying.

Not recovery alone. Progress.

Two races. Two trophies. And a car that ran without issue throughout the race meeting, attracting attention in the paddock for both performance and preparation.

Why This Matters to Solid Solutions

This partnership exists for a reason.

Sam Fish does not use SOLIDWORKS as a styling exercise or a theoretical step. It is part of the competitive process. Parts are designed with intent. Adjustments are made with deadlines. Components are printed, fitted, and then asked to survive vibration, heat, sustained load, and repeated use at speed.

Motorsport leaves little room for explanation. If something is wrong, it reveals itself quickly. If something works, it earns trust just as fast.

There is no hiding behind assumptions.
No tolerance for “nearly”.
No space for good enough.

If a solution survives here, it stands a chance anywhere.

From Screen to Circuit

In the weeks ahead, new components will be developed for the Alfa Sud. Ducting. Brackets. Dashboard elements. All designed in SOLIDWORKS. All moved quickly from model to part. All intended to be used, not admired.

We will continue to follow that journey as a working process. Design decisions made. Evaluated on track. Refined again.

Engineering measured properly.

What comes next?
Oulton Park

The next round of competition takes place at Oulton Park, racing at the Touring Car Rewind North meeting on 16th and 17th May, with testing scheduled for Friday 15th May.

The grid tightens. The period becomes more defined. Ford Capris. Triumph Dolomites. Familiar shapes, familiar rivalries. A circuit that places a premium on balance, chassis confidence and commitment through fast, cambered corners, rather than reliance on straight‑line speed alone.

Different track. Different demands. The same principles.

Engineering does not stop at the drawing board.
It finishes on the circuit.

Watch the Races

Further onboard footage and race content can be found on the Fish Fabrications YouTube channel.

Follow Fish Fabrications:
https://www.instagram.com/fish.on.track/
https://www.fishfabrications.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/fishfabrications