Hello All,
I was hoping to sneak through about 10 seasons without talking about results, but Alex has blown it. I�m not a good race reporter, but here�s a summary:-
Saturday
Qualifying
My first ever qualifying session � bless. I tried to keep at the back of the pack and �create my own space�. Martin Edwards advice to just get three good laps in the bag were ringing in my ears, so I just cruised �round to get a time. Started pushing a bit on lap 4, but then some of my fellow competitors started going off track. Two of them stayed there, one at Copse and the other at Vale (I think) and yellow flags shown from then on, so I didn�t feel as if I could really improve my time. Sure enough, I set it at lap 5 and ended up 34th.
ET Race 1
I was a bit nervous to say the least in the assembly area for my first ever race, but luckily had some company to see me through. Steve Edwards gave me some great advice on what to do at the start that really paid dividends, and allowed me to make up a few places straight away. The back of the field were a bit nervous at the start, and I took a few more places, especially at Vale and Village / The Loop. I was having such a good time that I forgot to drive properly coming out of Village on lap 2, put the power on too early and spun across the circuit. This overheated my rear tyres, so with no grip at the back I plodded along not cornering very well until they cooled down a bit. Once normality-ish had been restored, I caught up with a group of three cars 27, 36 and 2, and had a bit of a ding dong with them � finally coming home just behind 27, Simon Dowker, and 24th.
ET Race 2
The starting advice was going well, but everyone was a bit more on the ball this time, and I found myself in a bit of a pack. Still, I managed to gain a few places, and then trade some, getting to 24th on lap 6, when I forgot to drive again trying to out brake 28 (I think, but it was a bit of a blur) into Brooklands and couldn�t find 3rd gear. When I eventually did, the rear broke away and unfortunately I made a full right side glancing blow contact, and spun out. I then preyed that my pants would hold out looking back up the circuit, hoping that no one would hit me head on. Once back on the circuit I decided to call it a day, as I could not be sure what damage had occurred (luckily this turned out to be a bit scuffing, a bent rear rim, and the geo out a bit). DNF.
Sunday
Practice
Some fast Edwards magic action in the morning got the car ready for the practice session for Steve to have a go. Out he went on a very cold morning, on a track he had never driven before, in a car he had never driven before, and posted a time two seconds faster than my ET qually time the previous day (Good on yer Steve � I have got sooooooo much to learn).
Qualifying
It was up to slow coach me to set the qually time and start the race, so I was hopeful of getting to my race pace (with my better set of very second hand tyres on the back, due to the previous days contact) and starting a bit further up. I followed the previous days advice and got three solid laps in before the competitor excursions got the yellow flags out again, followed by the fast boys muscling their way past (as warned and expected). Result, same time as Saturday and 39th � Doh!!!
LCUK Race
I was nervous again as this was a rolling start, and of course I am now a standing start veteran of two races . The rolling start presented much less opportunities (for me anyway) to overtake, and I ended up in a train of cars. The larger number of cars at each slow corner give a much better chance of a major collision, so I calmed down a bit, and let the race settle down. Anyway, once this happened I found myself having a fantastic scrap with 15 (Adam Knight) as we continually swapped places, and went side by side in a number of corners � great clean racing. Anyway, Adam got fed up with this after a while, and gave me a light tap at Vale, where I had another pants moment - this time waiting for the Open / 211 / V6 leaders to hit me head on. Having survived this, I turned �round, carried on, and started to wonder where my pit board had got to for Steve to take over. Just about then I discovered that the pit lane window had now closed, and saw my board being waved just where you break and turn in for Copse (i.e. where I am not going to be looking sideways) � bugger. Penalty time, and less time for Steve. Meanwhile, back at the ranch�.
�.Steve gets his foot run over by Chris Mayhews� car � but without Chris or any of our squad involved!!! It was pushed over Steve�s foot by the garage next door-but-one, who were demanding more space (I�ll let Steve tell you about that)! The TV crew start getting interested on why the idiot newbie (me) has not come in to pit, and the support team quite rightly run away. When the coast is clear, I roll in, hand over to Steve, who then tries to carry on with a very bruised foot! Result, a three lap penalty and we finish last � otherwise we would have done OK � doh, doh, doh and doh!!!
All in all a fantastic time � a real dream come true for me. This was made very special by family, the Edwards boyz and their family, Alex and family (cheers, and great piccies), Chris Mayhew, and special appearances by Russ T and Andy Dolan. Wow, what weekend!
Cheers,
Clive.
. Everyone said that I was easier to make out (however, this will not be a problem for future rounds � wait unil you see the mess of vinyl I�ve got lined up for it), and liked the contrast. Therefore, as a tribute to your car, and the fact that I used to follow it around when raced by Russ T (and in a way Peskys car with the old colour scheme), I intend getting a close colour match and spraying both mirrors ‘Dynarod’. Yours is coming back � many many thanks.