Sunday 10 July - Pembrey 1 and 2

A scorching weekend was promised and delivered. Trying to cram qualifying, 2 x heats and 2 x finals into 1 day was always going to be challenging.  However it was made even harder by putting us in the outer paddock - outside the track so we could only get to and from race control in between races when allowed to cross the track as there is no bridge ot tunnel.  With some Locost sessions separated by only 2 other events, some people got stranded on the wrong side of the track, and had to sprint back, jump straight into their car and drive striaght out - not ideal, especially when the inner paddock had plenty of space as the UK Formula Vees had left the night before..... Anyway....

Qualifying was split into 2 sessions.  The A session got about 6 good laps in before 2 people covered the track in oil.  The B session, including me, then went out, and our times were much slower - the best B (our championship leader) was 1.5 secs slower than the best A.  Normally they would alternate the grid with one A then one B, but they didn't, and as we were on the far side of the track we couldn't get copies of the grid, nor could we complain.  So the grid stuck. I was left in 17th for the first race and 13th for the second race - grid positions I've not seen very often!!!

The heat started off OK with Nick Lear (15) taking an early lead.  I had another good start, but was forced over on to the grass where the pit exit rejoins the track, taking a marker post with me.  The person to my left thought that they had the inside line, whereas I thought that I was alongside. A racing incident, and only a slightly cracked cycle wing to show for it.  I got it back together by the hairpin, and overtook that person a few corners later! The heat was quickly red-flagged for another incident which initially appeared to have happened under waved yellow flags, but the observers and clerk of the course investigated and were happy that the hapless individual was out of control before the first stationary yellow flag, and was a passenger for half the length of the pit-straight until the inevitable accident at the hairpin. We then sat there on the grid for about 30 mins whilst they cleared the debris and rebuilt the barriers.  It was about 30'C and we were wearing 3 layers of Nomex, helmets, harness etc. Absolutely horrible.  At the re-start I got an even better start, and was catching Nick Lear who was again in the lead when the race was stopped again - Simon Hunter had managed to hit the crash barrier all by himself.  It was a very hard impact, and through the car onto its roof - a very rare occurrence in Locosts.  He was fine - or was until he released his safety harness.  At which point he realised he was upside down and noticed the effects of gravity as he cricked his neck on hitting the ground. So the heat was abandoned, and the grid positions for the final were decided by the original qualifying positions. Frustrating as I had gained 3 places and would have gained a 4th.

So the first final started with me in 17th place. To make matters worse, I started the fan as we were sitting on the grid, and forgot to turn it off just before the start - so I must have been a few horsepower down for the whole race. Damn. Another flying start saw me overtake Pippa Cow (23), Steve Baker (70) and Nick Lear (15) by the hairpin, and I almost got Alistair Garratt (54) as well.  The field sorted itself out over the first lap, and I threatened but did not take any more places that lap.  As we started the 2nd lap, I got a good tow behind Rob Palin (47) and overtook him into the hairpin.  A good run out of the hairpin saw me gaining on Mark Glover (36) around Dibeni and Paddock, and I almost got him into the Esses.  As we started lap 3, Rob Palin pulled alongside me (on the outside) but I was able to hold him off going into the hairpin.  I continued to hold him off until lap 4 when Rob got a good tow off me on the back straight and overtook me before Honda curve.  I followed Rob for a couple of laps, desparately trying to re-take him when on lap 6, he went wide at Dibeni and took to the grass.  I could see in my mirrors that he recovered safely.  With no immediate threat behind me now, I was able to concentrate on catching Mark Glover.  On lap 9, he got very sideways around Dibeni and I had to slow to avoid him, but got passed safely (he lost 5 places).  Nick Day (57) was next in line, and I caught him by lap 11. He was having a battle with Matt Cherrington (34) - he also went wide on Dibeni on the last lap (12), and I had to slow and change down to 3rd to avoid him.  Nick Day got a break away from me as a result, but then unexpectedly changed gear early prior to Brooklands Hairpin slowing himself down more than he wanted.  I was able to keep more speed going, and as we exited Honda Curve, I took him on the run to the line, beating him by a whole 0.09 seconds!!!!! A 10th place finish was a bit lower than I would have wanted at the start of the day, but from 17th on the grid, I was more than happy! My fastest lap had improved to 1:13:12, but the next 7 people behind me had all gone quicker - I guess that consistency pays as all my laps were between 1:13:12 and 1:13:83. I really should be an endurance racer. (Winner was Declan McDonnell (27), fastest lap was Jamie Robinson (26) with 1:11:82)

Race 2 was limited to just the top 20 qualifiers, of which I was 13th.  Although I got a good start, I had nowhere to go, and was boxed in by a very slow starting Martin Gambling (4). By the Esses the field had sorted itself into 1 queue of traffic one behind the other, and as a result some people had to brake earlier than they needed to for Brooklands Hairpin.  Steve Baker (70) was one of those, but he did not defend his line, so I nipped up his inside, and took him into he hairpin. As we crossed the start line into lap 3, I managed to overtake Mark Glover (36) into the hairpin.  I then caught a battle between Kev Lucas (37) and Matt Cherrington (34) which Kev led, and on lap 6 I got passed Matt to my relief into the hairpin, as there was oil coming from somewhere on his car and smearing my visor. Matt followed me like a terrier for a number of laps, but only seemed likely to overtake at the Esses.  On lap 10, he succeeded in passing me at the Esses, but was clearly carrying too much speed and went wide on the exit. I lost time avoiding him, and on the back straight, Alastair Garratt (54) inevitably took me on the run down to Honda Curve. On lap 11 I tried to overtake Alastair on the start/finish straight into the hairpin, but he defended his inside line well, and I was unable to make it stick. As we were coming up to Honda Curve on lap 11, we caught an obviously slow Martin Gambling (4) whose car was smoking badly. Despite this he still moved over on me into Honda Curve for some reason (as witnessed by Matt behind me) ruining my run on Alastair for the start/finish straight. On the 12th and last lap, I still could not get passed Alastair, but Nick Lear overtook Matt behind me.  On the last corner at Pembrey last year, Nick had overtaken me, and I was determined he wouldn't do it this year.  In the end, I did not have to defend my line, and Nick finished a whole 0.23 seconds behind!  Pleasingly, I again finished 10th, with a much improved best lap of 1:11:92 - 8th quickest. (Winner was Declan McDonnell (27) again (well done), fastest lap was Lee Baverstock (33) with 1:11:41).