Qualifying
The Mallocks had brought
me my new anti-roll bar (see the first paragraph of my last
report to see why). Ian and Matthew helped my fit it. Donington has
been a problem for me in the past and I still found Redgate and the Old
Hairpin difficult to get right. It was cold too, about 8-10°C when
we went out at 11h20, and it took me forever to get the tyres warm. On
lap 2 I skated off the edge of Redgate but luckily avoided damage and the
kitty litter. Got warm my lap 7, got two in then the session ended! Any
drivers reading, please ask your pit crew to make a written note of the
start and end of the quallifying sessions, all of them, then the register
reps can take the persistent short-changing up with the BARC.
I ended 14th. No prove
the point about my incompetence at Donington, this was 5.2% slower than
Matthew against me usual 3% slower... but then he did break the lap record!
Race
No-one got a bad start,
damn. Alex Osborne was on my right shoulder throughout. Mark Cousins was
alongside me through Redgate and down the Craners as the two (and sometimes
three abreast) crocodile sped through the Park. The Old Hairpin was okay,
with me on the outside of Mark, two abreast with two behind us. The next
left hander up the hill was our undoing. I was not fully alongside him
but still on his left as he closed the door. We spun in perfect synchronisation.
The pack roared past, missing us (thanks guys and well done) as we rotated
on the grass on the inside. I smashed the right of the front nose cone
but it stayed on. Mark picked up a puncture and only lasted 6 laps, tough
luck.
As I picked up speed
it seemed that the car was driveable, and indeed by best on lap 8 was 0.6
seconds better than qualifying and a personal best. The softer anti-roll
bar was also working, the car controllable in slides and stable all over.
I was also angry enough to get the adrenaline going and the right foot
down.
Paul Freeman was 3
seconds ahead at the end of the first lap, half a second ahead at lap 4,
so there was life left in the race for me. Us two always have fun, although
I confessed to him that as I started to have a go I locked up at Coppice
and missed him by an inch. Adrian Brown, with the video camera, had spun
on lap 1 separately (on his own? difficult to tell from the video) and
was now beginning to catch me up as he got back in the mood. Russell Munns,
sporting pinky red flashes on the rear of his sidepods so we can tell him
from Crombie, had spun on lap 4, so he was no joining the fun from behind
too. Bjarne Mumm was toying with John Kelly just ahead of this nascent
gaggle, while Alex Osborne had got ahead (and never knew the fun he was
missing!).
We then commenced this
frenetic fight which lasted to the line. Adrian got past me, although I
havbe to say I did not struggle or blcok much cos he's faster and such
a nice guy!. Russell got past me (same comment). Adrian and Russell started
attacking Bjarne who had fallen to the charms of John Kelly. When
Adrian came knocking a lap later at Coppice, Bjarne moved aside as if he
thought Adrian was Barry Webb about to lap him (because the cars are similar
in colour and looks) or maybe he missed a gear or a braking point. I was
watching this from close, pleased to be keeping on the tails of Russell
and Adrian (but sad to be the wrong side of the camera, now there's a motivation
to overtake someone... oh vanity). Lap 8 was also my fastest at 1'18.951.
On lap 9 Bjarne did a 1'23 and I was through! Yippee, some success.
John Kelly was pretending
to be the chicane of the Donington International circuit which we were
not using. Adrian and Russell were snapping at his heels from both sides.
The view from behind was superb. Bjarne and Paul were on my tail again,
watching too. They were all holding each other and us up of course, and
some of the lap times dropped to 1'24, but never mind, we were having too
much fun. Bjarne got back on the pace again and triggered the most exciting
lap (11) when he got past me and put himself in the middle of the three-way
fight ahead. Lap 11 at Mcleans shows Russell on the grass, four abreast.
200 yards later at Coppice they all arrive together, Adrian, Russell and
John with their sidepods locked together, Russell in a tyre smoking power
slide. Where's Bjarne? He's through, Russell's ahead of him (heaven knows
how) and I am momentarily past Adrian to the right left at Goddards. I
through that was it but Paul was not done yet. On the last lap he got a
better Coppice, eased past on the straight, braked late for Goddards, entered
late and gave me the opportunity to get on the power early we screamed
across the line on Adrian's tail three abreast. I didn't make it! Last!
It finished Russell (13th), Bjarne, John, Adrian, Paul and me. Whew!
Statistics: Qualifying
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Circuit
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Fastest test lap
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Conditions
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Previous personal best
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Fastest qualifying lap
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Qualified in position
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Statistics: Race
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Finishing position
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Number of cars at start
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Average speed
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Fastest race lap
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Conditions
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Paddock Chat
Matthew wrapped up
the championship, nice job. I'm off to Silverstone Stowe on Sunday for
fun. Anyone joining me? Then it's Thruxton in two weeks for the championship
finale. Russell has now overtaken me for 10th place in the championship
(well done!) and will keep it unless I score top ten finish and he fails
to score. Some chance!
Championship
table Official
race report