Saturday 30 August - Lydden (1)

As we turned up on Friday evening, the heavens opened.  By the time I walked the track some 90 mins later, there were streams running across it, and the bottom bend at the end of the start/finish straight had a lake stretching half way across the track!  And it kept raining for the next 3 hours!  It did not bode well.

Saturday was an early start due to scruitineering at 8am (as well as 1st time drivers brief and signing on), followed by qualifying at 9am.  Expecting a wet track, I was up at 7am inspecting the track to give myself enough time to change to wet tyres if needed.  As it turned out, there were no puddles in sight, and the track was dry in places, and just damp elsewhere.  I was in the first qualifying session on a still slippery track - this had after all been the first rain in August!  The course is only 1 mile long, with lap times of about 50-55 secs.  I seemed to lap most people during the record 18 laps that we had, and also avoided being lapped by Tim Gray (11), although I fear that a 19th lap would have put paid to that claim!  The 2nd Locost session had a slightly better track, and I ended up in 11th place with a best time of 51.66.  On pole position was "Big Al" Julien (31) with an amazing 49.96, just ahead of Tim with 50.12.

The race was split into an A race - the top 15 qualifiers, and a B race - the remaining 7.  I was near the back of the A race grid in 11th place - on a downhill sloping start line.  The race was over 12 laps.  I got a good start up the inside, and was 3 abreast for 9th place as we went in to the 1st corner.  However, I was off line, and my braking area was where the previous night's lake had been - and was still covered in mud.  Determined to finish the race and gain points, I backed off slightly, and resumed my 11th place.  The track is very narrow, and extremely difficult to overtake unless the guy in front makes a mistake, or you make a "suicidal lunge".  Not being keen on the latter, I had to hope for a few mistakes - and I was in luck.  Alex Hughes (29) went wide coming out of the horribly fast and off camber Paddock bend, allowing me to pass him, whilst Dan Stevens (69) succumbed to mechanical problems (battery master switch failure).  On the 10th lap, Brian Mitcham (62) and Justin Boak (46) got in each other's way in Chessons corner, allowing me past.  Brian re-joined quite quickly and started to catch me.  Determined not to make the same mistake as at Pembrey, I concentrated on my own race, whist ensuring that my elbows were as wide as possible, and that I did not check my mirrors when I should be looking for my braking point.  I held Brian off and finished 7th - my best yet.  Tim and Big Al had a great race, ending up almost 1/2 a lap ahead of 3rd place - the victor's spoils going to Tim who recorded his 11th straight win, and the championship.

Saturday 30 August - Lydden (2)

The grid for the afternoon race was worked out on the fastest individual lap times during the morning's pair of races.  I had improved slightly from qualifying, and recorded a best of 51.13 secs, good enough for 9th place.  Big Al was again on pole, with 49.74, with Tim close behind on 49.91.  

Another good start saw me catch the pair in front who had closed ranks, and blocked my way through.  I had to back off slightly, only to find Danny Cassar (24) and Alex Hughes (29) to my left and right.  I've no idea how we made it through Chessons, other than we did, and both Danny and Alex were in front of me!  Determined to make amends, I followed Danny for a couple of laps until I found a better line through the hairpin, and got a good enough run on Danny to take the line through Paddock bend.  With my sights set on catching Alex, I saw that he had got ahead of Simon Read (8) but Alex then collided with Brett (41) at Chessons, and ended up in the tyre barrier - he was fine, and the car only suffered minor damage.  So I was then left to follow Simon for the remainder of the exhausting 15 lap race - they may only be short laps, but 15 of them seemed very challenging.  Try as I might, every time I caught Simon up, he would pull away slightly.  Both of us seemed to be flat out, as our almost identical fastest laps showed - both recorded on the last lap - neither of us gave up trying until after the chequered flag!  I finished 10th which was a fair result, and another 9 championship points - I think that puts me up into 10th place in the championship.....  Next race Cadwell Park, near Lincoln on Saturday 27 September.