Saturday 10 Sep 2005 - 2 Races in 1 Day\

Having moved to London just a couple of weeks earlier, this was now my local track. Not that you'd have guessed, since it took 2 1/2 hours to get there thanks to thunderstorms and torrential rain which closed the A3.  The first 2 miles took 1 1/2 hours! Luckily it was dry on arrival at Brands, where Nick lit up the BBQ for a top meal, and I opened up a superb bottle of red. Shame I forgot the 2nd bottle! It rained heavily during the night as well, and was due to rain again on the Saturday.  Luckily Saturday was dry throughout, until I got back on the motorway, and the thunderstorms struck again - but you don't care on the way home!

Qualifying was late morning which gave us a nice lie in, and time to fettle the car - not that it needed it, but there was a bit of water to bail out! I was about 6th out of the paddock, so had a clear track briefly. But the lap times at Brands are only about 1 min, so with 35 cars on the track, you soon caught up. I got stuck in with Declan, and soon passed him which was a pleasant surprise (although he did then strip his engine after qualifying, so I guess all was not well). My lap timer registered a few laps under the 1 minute mark, and I seemed to be going well.  Indeed I was one of only 7 people to manage both their 2 fastest laps under the 1 minute mark, putting me 7th on the grid for both races.

The first race was very close, with just 5 seconds separating the top 10 cars up until the last lap. I must admit to it all being a bit of a blur.  There is no long straight to relax on, and even the short straights are so short as to offer no rest.  I am sure this is the most tiring track that we race at. I lost a couple of places early on, in the melee on the first lap. I guess trying to keep your car undamaged as you try and sell it is going to lose you places! I managed to keep Nick at bay until lap 5, when I was slightly dropping off the lead bunch, and couldn't drag myself back to the pack. Nick was all over me around Paddock and up to Druids, and he eventually went by. Although I could have fought harder, I doubt I could have kept him at bay for the remaining 10 laps. However there was a chance that he could drag both of us back to the pack - it worked! As we started the last lap, with just 5 secs separating the top 10, and an 8 sec gap to 11th place, there was always the chance that a few would collide.  Indeed they did, and I jumped 2 places to finish 8th recording my slowest lap of the race as I decided to use some of that 8 sec gap, and make sure of my place!

I enjoyed the 2nd race more, as I was in the thick of it throughout. Again that Nick Lear overtook me - this time not until lap 9, where he then held me up for half the lap (Graham Hill bend to the start/finish straight), and then got away from me around Paddock and Druids. I also had Rob Fitter (16) chasing me hard. In fact I remember going around Druids side by side, with him on my inside - can't remember how he got there, I must have left a bit too much room. His exhaust pipe was level with me, and very deep and loud it was too.  I also remember listening to it going on to the start/finish straight one lap, and noticing that he changed gear at a totally different place from me - turns out he had a 3.9 diff, but I was surprised that it made so much difference. I remember catching Brian Mitcham on I think the last lap. He'd obviously been in some sort of incident, but Rob and I caught him at the end of the start/finish straight in the braking zone for Paddock - one of the most challenging corners in the country! There was just enough space for 1 of us to go either side, and I got the inside line, enabling me to keep Rob at bay.  Another 8th place was an excellent result at the track that inspired me to go racing.  Aged about 7 years old, I thought that racing around Paddock, down the hill then up to and around Druids was one of those things that had to be done.  It has, and I love it!