An Interesting Season
So far this season has been a strange one for me. In the last 3 races I’ve been in strong podium positions in each, yet have only converted one to a meaningful points finish.
Lydden Hill was a probably my strongest meeting in Vee so far. Saturday’s race should have been mine. I had just taken the lead when the reds came out, following a strong drive up from 5th on the grid picking off the cars ahead one by one. The Scarab was working perfectly so I could really push it through the corners carrying massive corner speed.
The restart of Sunday’s race was a debacle (should it have been restarted at all having gone well beyond 50%?), with the Union flag dropped the instant the lights failed, and not following another warm up lap as are the MSA rules. When the flag dropped I wasn’t in gear so lost a huge number of positions and lost my nose and spun out trying to make up ground.
Needless to say I had quite an interesting conversation with the Clerks of the Course after the race. The gist of their argument was that it had been a long hot day, and that this isn’t professional motorsport. Fair enough except that a lot of the drivers weren’t really ready for the restart, and that having seen the footage it was a miracle there wasn’t an accident. Suffice to say had there been a startline accident then those involved could have been looking at professional motorsport sized injuries and bills.
Sunday’s race was more uneventful, I waited for Tim Probert and Daniel Hands to get tangled up and moved on through to take 3rd place scoring my first podium. I was delighted, but still disappointed from the preceeding day.
Castle Combe was another mixed weekend. The start of testing was delayed by a muppet of a noise tester who took it upon himself to scruitineer every car before issuing a noise certificate, his probing of the car so vigorous that he managed to break a rose joint. Cheers.
Qualifying was so wet I was amazed we were allowed out. In the circumstances 6th on the grid was pleasing as there was no grip or feel for what the car was doing at all. Following a good start where I had moved up to 4th by Quarry my race was effectively over at Bobbies when Martin Farmer drove into me. I saw him in my mirrors but he was so far back I had no issues about turning into the corner. Given that Castle Combe is my local track I was absolutely devastated as I think I would have finished 3rd had I continued. I did restart come through the field and finish 11th, but when a podium is on the cards it was gutting.
After the race it was off to the Clerk of the Course for another bizarre conversation - as I was accused amongst other things of contact with a phantom car. Needless to say I found it very hard to take seriously a bollocking for contact with a car that didn’t exist. The Clerk said that because contact was noted it didn’t matter which car it was - my argument that if the observer got one number wrong there was a balance of evidence that they’d misnoted my car was summarily ignored. Not to mention that it is very hard to hit something that doesn’t exist. I can only pass on my condelences to the Stock Hatch driver whose licence was endorsed for pushing Casper the Friendly Ghost onto the grass.
Next up its a trip to that little piece of North Korea in West Wales known as Pembrey where hopefully this time around I’ll be able to get a good night’s sleep without people breaking into my hotel room fighting.
