There are 3 tracks that can be used at Oulton Park.  Last year we used the shortest, Fosters, at 1.6 miles.  This year we used the longest, International, at 2.8 miles.  Lap times were going to be around 2 min 8 sec for the best drivers, and a 15 min race was just 8 laps.  I went up early, and had an afternoon of testing on the Friday afternoon.  We had 3 x 30 min sessions which were exhausting!  I quickly got down to 2 min 11 sec and even managed a 2 min 10.8 sec once, but was consistent as ever with my times +/- 0.2 sec of 2 min 11 sec.

We were the 4th practice session on Saturday morning, and the weather was good, with just a little cloud.  For the first time ever, I was at the head of the queue in the assembly area, knowing that we were only likely to get 6 laps in, and wanting to make the most of it.  I soon got down to my 2 min 11 sec again, and ended up with Des Fairbairn (18), Nick Lear (70) and Brian Mitcham (64).  They were all normally faster than me, so I was happy to be pretty much staying with them.  It also enabled me to get a tow down the straights.  On lap 4 I beat my best time, recording 2 min 10.7 secs a marginal improvement, but enough to make me really happy!  Then on the sixth and final lap, my lap timer showed 2 min 9.5 secs - I was ecstatic.  With such a good time, I was sure that I would get a good grid position, and convinced myself that I would be happy wherever I was since I had gone 1.5 secs quicker than Friday.  The grid came out, and my time was 2 min 9.48 secs, but I was only in 9th place!  I couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

Glorious sunshine for the race, and we got to drive a complete lap to form up on the grid.  I tried a new (top secret) technique for my start, and it was my best yet.  Simon Read (7) in 8th on the grid was slightly in front of me on my left, and had a dismal start in 3rd gear!  I guess that helped to give me a bit of clear space, as there was a slight gap behind me as all the front runners hit the 1st corner.  I seem to recall that someone spun up ahead - Martin Gambling (77) or Jamie Robinson (26) I think.  Whoever it was I managed to avoid them OK.  At some point I was overtaken by both Jamie Robinson (26) and Brendan Dudley (38), both of whom decided that I was taking up too much of the track and pushed me towards the grass when they were alongside.  I had to back off to avoid the grass.  I then ended up in a great battle with Tom Ballentyne (68) who had dropped back from the leaders.  We had had some good battles last year, so I was happy that Tom wouldn't do anything silly.  We swapped places a couple of times before an audacious move by a recovering Martin Gambling (77) going into Knickerbrook chicane saw him overtake me under braking - I have no idea how he managed it without taking us both off, but as it happened he was nowhere near either of us, and it was a clean manoeuvre.  A lap or so later, I got a good run out of Druids, and pulled alongside Martin on the back straight between Druids and Lodge.  Fully alongside I was yet again edged off the track until I was this time half on the grass, had to back off a lot, and somehow managed to bring the car back under control.  A very scary moment at very high speeds.  A lap or so later Tom spun off at Druids - he believes he was tapped by someone, which can only have been Martin as there was no-one else around!  I continued chasing Martin who in turn was chasing Brendan, but we ran out of time, and I finished in 8th place.

Next races - Sat 9 and Sun 10 Oct at Snetterton, Norfolk.