Pole man Barry Webb was faster than Dan Eagling last year. Only two seconds covered the first 17 runners.

The Race

I have changed my technique at the start, but I am not telling you b*****s what it is. Suffice it to say that I got a pretty good drag from the lights, got past Russell Munns into Paddock and up the outside round Pete Richings at Druids. Adrian Brown has stalled off the dummy grid and started from the back so my 14th grid position had become 11th after half a lap. I was also challenging John Kelly who seemed slow at the places where it's tough to pass, Graham Hill and Clearways. So there was a bit of smug satisfaction at being in the hunt with the big boys, drivers whom I respect and whom I consider as superior (in every way guys), especially as we then kept on the tail of the leaders for 2 laps and then of Lester, Woodward and Payne for the rest of the race. Russell Munns was tucked in behind with Nick Bailey ready to pounce on him.

    The car was transformed since qualifying with proper air in the tyres, and it would flip from understeer to oversteer, or power drive, round Druids and Clearways almost at will. I continued to hassle John for half a dozen laps till Pete Richings started hassling me. Up the outside at Paddock one lap, then up the inside, for good, on the next. He then pottered around in front of me for a while (my fastest lap was half a second faster than his (and than Howard Payne ahead of him) for a while and I started hounded him again. The in-car video (contact me for a copy) of this part is excellent as we both tried the various lines round Clearways, his bottom swishing past my nose fragrantly and frequently.

    I then started getting a bit more feisty, notably on the approach to Druids each time. Lap 13 or 14 out of 17 I nailed Paddock well and popped up on Pete's left approaching the 50 metre marker board for Druids... whoa, big pressure from Pete, dinking away from his right hand line and towards me, under full braking. As he said afterwards, he left me some tarmac. One should be grateful for small mercies (as Ian Crombie's car had been in the gravel at Paddock since Lap 2). But the tarmac he left me was covered in the marbles of the outside of the Druids hairpin and I locked up briefly as I struggled to get back on the line. Nick Bailey was through on the inside in a flash and I had lost a position when I thought I was going to gain one.

    So I hung on to Nick while he put pressure on Pete and John Kelly, still there ahead of us. At last, on lap 16 of 17, John left a smidgen of a gap at Clearways and Pete drove through. Nick Bailey followed, and dragged down the pit straight on John's right. Approaching Paddock Hill Bend, the fast adverse camber right hander, I followed Nick through, leaving John lonely on the outside of the bend... all three of us had got past in two corners. Back to 11th place. Chequered flag, yippee.

    Wonderful fun. I had worked hard on the car and it paid off. I seem to be stuck outside the top ten this season but then today none of the leaders came off the track and we all had to work hard for our points.

Statistics: Qualifying
 

Circuit	Brands	Fastest test lap	no testing
Conditions	Dry 22°	Previous personal best	50.92 (2002 race, same car)
Fastest qualifying lap	51.077 = 86.42 mph	Qualified in position	14 out of 23

Statistics: Race
 

Finishing position	11	Number of cars at start	22
Average speed	84.23 mph	Number of cars finished	21
Conditions	Dry 24°	Fastest race lap	51.345
Number of laps behind	same lap		Battle with John Kelly, Pete Richings and Nick Bailey. Won one, lost two. Great racing

Paddock Chat

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