First race of the year, at least after testing we had a clue what was going on and where we needed to be by when.
Staying over at a local travellodge meant that getting to the circuit for the requisite 8am wasn't as bad as it could have been. On arrival we set to work tidying the last few bits on the car (install rollcage padding, yet more sponsor logos, internal cable tidying)
10am came around quickly and it was off for scrutineering, as we were one of only 3 or 4 cars which had been entirely home built on the grid Phil and I were both extremely nervous, had we done things the right way to satisfy the MSA's safety standards? With huge relief we passed through scrutineering with flying colours, only needing to add a little yellow piece of tape to the negative battery terminal to satisfy the judges.
A long wait until qualifying at 2pm seemed to go in a flash, the weather one minute sunny, next minute pouring with rain made any concept of setting up the car for the race total guesswork. 15 minute qualifying kicked off and with 18 BMWs on track it was difficult finding space for a quick lap, I just managed to start to clear some space to put some repeat quick laps in when the chequered flag was out and it was back to the paddock. We had qualified 14 out of 18 which although before the practice I would have been overjoyed with, I knew I could go a lot faster given some clear track and a bit more time. (note to self for next qualifying, get right into it, don't faff about!)
First time on a racing grid start in my life didn't go too well, the lights went out so quick I
was still in neutral with no revs, so immediately lost a place or two with Steve Longworth screaming past me
off to a flyer and Dave Arrundale looming large in my mirrors. After 3 or 4 laps of sitting on Steve's tail
and Dave threatening to overtake me all the time he squeezed past on the outside around Devils Corner and
managed to make it stick up the short hill into the Hairpin. Kicking myself I attached myself to his rear
bumper for another lap or two and chortled loudly as he tried to pull the same stunt on Steve infront but
overcooked it and ended up beached rear-end in on the hairpin.
Dave seemed to be stuck in the gravel and in a dangerous point of the circuit and so the race was redflagged at this point. Much to my dismay the race results show Dave ended up infront of me in the final results so they must have taken the positions from a lap or so before.
The grid was reset for a second part of the race, the drivers didn't have a clue what was going on and the new grid positions seemed somewhat odd in that they weren't the original grid positions nor were they the positions at the end of the stopped race, so thats still a bit of a mystery.
At the restart I was much better prepared for the off, so much so that I forgot there was a green-flag touring lap before the restart proper and charged off through the field only to realise halfway round the first bend that we weren't racing, cue sheepish braking and letting other cars past to get back to my proper grid position. The real restart went really well and I got off to a flyer, immediately overtaking 3 or 4 cars into Chessons Drift things had started to feel much better with the corners tripping off nicely until Chessons the second time around.
Nigel Goater had lost control a few positions ahead of me on the other side of the track and tagged Simon Foden causing
him to spin around by 180 degrees, for a moment I thought this would be a great opportunity, the cars on the outside
of the track would be stuck behind Nigel and I'd be able to slip through on the inside. Nigel however had other plans, and managed to spin across the track parking directly infront of me, with cars down my outside there was nowhere to go but
slam the anchors on and pray I didn't smash him too hard up the rear bumper. I stopped without about six inches to spare
but now was so close to him I couldn't pull around his stationary car until the field had passed, meanwhile Simon
who'd been knocked around by 180 degrees was running in reverse down the back straight with a pack of cars
following him waiting to see what he did next!
Back on the loud peddle I managed to pull back to Steve again and fought for a few laps to take him, eventually managing to pass him around the outside of the hairpin (have a look towards the end of the video below for footage). By this time my next target Keith Barker was a third of a lap infront, I put the peddle to the metal but with only a lap or two left wasn't going to catch him.
Completing the second race in 12th was an ok result, especially as I know I can do better, asta-la-vista baby, I'll be back!
The grid lines up for the first start of 2 races
 Tussels at Devils Elbow again with Steve, just can't get past |
 More Elbow action with Paul Golding |
Nigel spins off infront of me pinning me to the kerb, Simon meanwhile
after being hit by Nigel is reversing down the main straight!
A video (33Mbytes!) of the second half of the race is available, this
show some interesting action of the wipe-out on lap two and an actual successful overtaking attempt
by the altoHiway beemer towards the end (we overtake the video car)
A video (45Mbytes!) of the first half race is also available, less action
in this one though