I tested on this BIG bit of Silverstone on Thursday. Not as big as the GP circuit, but we have all of Abbey, Bridge and Priory so we feel rather grown up. "Bridge" is a full throttle right hander underneath an eponymous bridge (dash they're original) and unsighted. Hang on and go. Testing was hot and sticky and I got a 1'32.2 or so. Four days later it had been raining and the air temperature was down to about 12°C. So it was tippy toey in the wet for a few laps, then the wonderful sensation of finding the limit at Copse and Priory... big tank-slappers from the rear stepping out. My car's suspension is softer than some and more predictable. The EBX cars and those set up with stiffer springs (Mike Evans was complaining afterwards) were even more difficult to control. I got down from 1'55 down to 1'51.496 (19 seconds slower than in testing in the dry) and was happy to have stayed on the road and to have got 11th on the grid out of 27 cars.

Pete Burnham, normally a midfield runner, forgot to put his slicks on and went out with wet tyres. He got pole position for his troubles! That's our story because we were dead jealous not to have done the same. Great strategy. Well done Peter.

The Race

As the sun broke through the track dried and we had perfect conditions for the race. My new gearbox obviously has a longer 1st gear and I was outdragged by three cars off the line. Then I got the squeeze at Copse and another two or three steamed past. Adrian Lester disappeared off into the distance in the immaculate and brand new Mallock Mk35. Freeman, Pouyanne, Madgwick, Jordan and maybe even Nick Bailey from 21st on the grid were all ahead of me when things settled down. Then Jim Lindley's engine let go and deposited oil and smoke on us honest midfielders, so we had a lap of Grandmother's Footsteps with our eyes as good as closed. In the meantime it's two and three abreast through the slow corners (Maggots, the hairpin at Abbey and Luffield) and hammer and tongs through the fast ones hoping that no-one is going to grab the inside line from behind when you're committed already. The spectators were loving it... half a dozen told me afterwards the midfield battles were wonderful to watch. I was within inches of Paul Freeman and Tony Pouyanne for 8 of the 10 laps, changing positions as we went.

I stress the spectator value of Clubmans to justify the title of today's report. We watched the Boss Formula 1 cars afterwards. Lovely noise. Matching tyre-warmers on the grid. Ohhhh! But then it's a procession with 50 metres between each car. As these nearly-new F1 cars as so valuable no-one can really race them. We found the spectacle boring.

Back to the real thing! When the smoke cleared and I started attacking the people who had overtaken me. My lap times dropped to a best of 1'32.690 as I got into the rhythm I had found in testing, but not quite as fast under pressure. After Pouyanne, Madgwick made it easy for me by taking a novel line through Copse on four occasions - up the grass on the left - and dirtying his tyres enough for me to get him a bit later. Paul Freeman made it frightening because he came screaming through Bridge on each lap and jumped on the brakes for Priory. Ugh? I nearly booted him up the rear three times, then realised he was doing this intentionally. I dropped back and planned an assault from a few metres behind and scooted past under braking for Brooklands. Nick Bailey drifted poetically away at Brooklands. Brian Jordan was unlucky with a spinner (I think it was Peter Burnham who had enjoyed his pole position but briefly) and fell in to my clutches. I got a good run on him through Copse to inch past him into Maggots on about lap 9. Then I was ahead of the rest of the midfield, in 10th place,  but 14 seconds behind Mike Evans and the rest of the front men.

I got a huge buzz from grappling back up the field after losing 5 or 6  places at the start. The drivers I mentioned above are all hard but fair. It takes a lot of mutual confidence to brake from 125 mph into a sharp corner and stay side by side, ducking and diving. From 16th back to 10th was very satisfying.

Howard Payne had won, first time out in the ex-Dan Eagling 2003 championship winning car, with Mike Luck and Matthew "sin wing, con gaz" Slinn on the podium. Veteran Barry Webb con nuovo licensio got 4th. Adrian Lester brought the new Mallock Mk35 home in 7th, his best. Rookie Graham Bates in Ian Megson's Mallock Mk18BW (immaculate despite having been driven by me in 2001) was not the slowest in qualifying nor totally outclassed in the race. Well done. The overall driving was excellent with only 3 seconds difference in fastest lap times across the first twenty cars. Great racing. Great credit to the formula.

Statistics: Qualifying
 

Circuit	Silverstone International	Fastest test lap	1'32.12
Conditions	Damp after rain 12°	Previous personal best	first time on this circuit as we usually use the National
Fastest qualifying lap	1'51.496 = 72.61 mph	Qualified in position	11 out of 27

Statistics: Race
 

Finishing position	10	Number of cars at start	27
Average speed	84.39 mph	Number of cars finished	25
Conditions	Dry 18°	Fastest race lap	1'32.690
Number of laps behind	same lap		Bad start, great battles in open combat

Paddock Chat

The other rookie Alex Osborne, supported by his dad, finished a creditable 18th but I did not get to chat to him so can't tell you how his race was. I'm looking forward to the official account. Mark Weyer is back, same as ever, but the car is day glow pink (picture right). Martin Covill was complaining of an early morning headache! But the girls love it.

That Mallock Mk35 of Adrian Lester is a REAL RACING CAR. He gave me a few laps at Mallory at the test day last month but omitted to tell me there was a slow puncture in the left rear. The fuel starvation he told me about. Nonetheless, in 3 laps I lapped Mallory a second faster than in my own car! I'm sure some folk will be reaching for their pockets. Not me for the moment because I feel I am improving fast enough with the present old dog that the bangs for the buck is as high as it'll get for some time still. But there is a future, and the future's not orange but grey with green trim. Congratulations from me to the whole Mallock team, Richard Sue and Charlie of course but also the conceptual of Mike and the skilful welding and graft of Tony Pouyanne.

As for the track day, everyone seems to have enjoyed it. We do still intend to make a report, including of the financial aspects and to circulate a questionnaire about your reactions to help us plan for next year.
 
 
 
 
 
 

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