This is my first time racing at Thruxton but I have done a track day and some schooling here at the end of 2000, including the ARDS test for my racing licence. So I should know the track a bit. The track is fast, the fastest road track in the UK. I have no experience of being on the edge at high speed, 120 to 130 mph throughout the back curves and up to 140 mph up the hill back to the chicane. So we shall see how we do.

We had the biggest grid of the year, thanks to 5 guest drivers from Sweden and a high turn-out of the regulars before putting the beautiful machinery away for the winter. 29 cars started qualification and 27 were on the starting grid. Busy! The picture shows the second half of the grid streaming into the Complex on lap 1 led by Mike Luck pressed by Tony Pouyanne, Arf Dickens and Brian Jordan. Another dozen cars have already gone through! I look like third last here, but I was ahead of the white car with a blue nose (Simon Kelly) 200 yards later.

Practice

Having been a bit over ambitious in qualifying in the last few meetings, I went out a bit more smoothly and got some temperature in the tyres. I found I loved the circuit, but you do have to remember the turning points religiously. Any error tends to send the car out, dangerously near the verge, at the exit of the corner, especially at Allard, Village and Church. My progression in qualifying, lap by lap, was 1'40.21, 1'34.74, 1'35.01, 1'32.34, 1'31.01, 1'29.95, 1'29.04, 1'28.12. In the last lap of the race I got down to 1'26.823. So that was all quite satisfying.

For the second meeting in succession James Lindley came screaming up the hill behind me, launched into the chicane a tadge fast, and spun in front of me. Afterwards he asked for a clearer hand signal for which side to overtake, and will get it.

Race

Some of our front runners complained that some of the Swedish guest drivers (over here for a one-off race in their similar cars) were baulking the fast men on their hot qualifying laps, and they were relegated en masse to the back of the grid. That presented some danger for me because with their more powerful engines they would normally come through at the complex where traffic is so dense that backmarkers almost come to a standstill three abreast. In the event it did not turn out too badly. I was in the thick of it and got quite a firm push at the left rear as I braked behind Jamie Champkin. The scar of battle on my side pod afterwards did not show the colour of the offender well enough to identify the late braker, but it did show the circular abrasion from somebody's wheel!

It was a blur for the first two laps, but wonderful fun. I latched onto Alan Avery and we kept up with Peter Burnham and Ian Mitchell for a while. A few laps later Alan stumbled for a split second and I out-dragged him into Church (at about 120 mph!).  The photo shows my brief moment of glory, ahead of Alan Avery No.18, Simon Kelly No.29 and Brendan Herd No.43.

Then it started raining at the back of the circuit and I was having problems holding Alan off. As we approached the Club chicane on lap 6, Mike Luck was cruising in. He was well to the side but he arrived at the first right hand apex just as I did. In correcting I had to change line and nearly spun at the left hand apex. It was enough for Alan to power past under acceleration, followed smartly by Brendan Herd. Neither of them miss a trick. But the whole race felt like a tremendous tussle with these two and we had wonderful fun. The rain stopped on the last lap and I though I could get back at Brendan. My best lap of 1'26.823 was the result... 97.7 miles per hour average for the lap.

Another finish, more points. The Swedes were competing ex-championship so the 20th place on the road counted for 16th out of the championship runners and 5 points, subject to confirmation when I see the official championship table. Incidentally, Peter Johansson No.62 from Sweden finished 2nd ahead of Eagling and Mallock, who had entertained the crowd at the complex all race. Three Swedes were in the top ten, which is a great performance.

Statistics
 

Circuit	Thruxton	Fastest test lap	No testing
Fastest qualifying lap	1'28.121 (96.24 mph)	Qualified in position	23rd
Conditions	Dry qualifying, damp race	Number of cars qualified	28
Fastest race lap	1'26.823 (97.7 mph)	Number of cars at start	27
Finishing position	20th (15th excluding guest drivers)	Number of cars finished	23
Number of laps behind	same lap	Average speed	94.67 mph

Paddock chat

Well... the big news is that I have bought a car. Having rented Ian Megson's car for this my first season, I have taken the plunge and invested in my own race car. It is a Mallock Mk.26/27SG built in the early 80s as a hill-climber... so it's extremely light. Previous owner include Nick Spears, Callum McGregor and Allan Elphick since 1986 from whom I have bought it. Click here for an early picture and details.

I was very well supported by family and friends. Susie's sister Vicky, Tom, Lucy and Matthew. Tim and Jonathan Hammond, internet wizz kids and future K Sports champions, with ladies and mum. Richard Sas-Terlerki from Conchango one of the companies who have made pledges for Macmillan Cancer Relief. Chris's school chums Rees and  James Norman with his parents, uncle Tony (who raced Clubmans in the late 60s) and a basket of brown baps with ham and fresh mint. The rain held off until we were all safely in parc fermé after the race, so a good time was had by all.

The 66 points I have won in the championship now represent the total for calculating contributions from friends and colleagues who pledged support for raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Relief. Details on http://www.ndirect.co.uk/mbicknell/racing/3relief.htm . I'll be e-mailing those who made pledges this week and will announce the total before the Clubmans Dinner Dance.

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