I thought i'd split the posts up as i started waffling in the last one!!
I had entered the Allcomers race so as to get some practice in before the RGB main event, this meant an early scrutineering session, which went without a hitch, and out on circuit for 9.30 for practice. We headed out for practice to find a drying, but still greasy track. Some places were a lot wetter than others (The Esses we very slippy at the apex) and there were patches of damp dotted around the dryer areas. I took it fairly easy and never felt like i got a great lap in, there were lots of yellows and a restart. I went to Mallory worrying about the place as i had a very near miss last year and just found it very intimidating on both visits last year, if you make a mistake it usually ends up in big one at Mallory. When the times came out I was surprised to have qualified 7th with a time of 55.29, looking at the other times people were putting in i wasn't too disheartened with slow time as it was obviously slippy, although i did see Colin was nearly a full second ahead of me, which did put me off the pace i needed to be in class C.
By the time the RGB session started the track had completely dried, and after 5 or 6 laps really started to enjoy the circuit and pushing the car a lot harder. I was struggling to get the hairpin right, either out braking myself and missing the apex, or spinning the rear wheels as i came out, or sometimes both! Near the end of the session the red flags came out and i assumed we wouldn't be going out again, especially as the marshal directed me into the paddock, but i noticed a couple of cars lining back up again (Colin and Al), so drove straight down to investigate. They were going to let us out for 4 minutes, so that meant 3 or 4 flying laps to try and put a good one in, it was 3rd in the queue behind Colin and Al and knew they wouldn't hold me up and i could try and gauge if i could stay with them, which is my aim for this year, and maybe pick up some faster lines. On the 1st flying lap i was being held up by Al, which i couldn't understand, and out dragged him down the main straight, i now had 2 laps of clear track ahead to try and get my best time. I managed a 51.54, which i was pleased with, until the results came out, i had qualified 1st in class and was bloody ecstatic!!!! I bounced around the bus for a few minutes before colin stuck his head round the door and called me a "bugger", i've never been so complimented or elated by a derogatory name in my life!! So in the first 2 races of the season i have qualified 1st in class for both, i just need to do the same in the race!!! Its one thing to bang in one good lap, but you need to repeat that for every lap in a race and be able to actually race against people, something i'm still trying to learn!
Lining up for the Allcomers race i was stuck right behind the great big Marcos, meaning i couldn't see anything ahead, and started to panic as i didn't think i could see the lights, but this turned out to be because i was looking in the wrong place!! As they turned red i noticed they were on the bridge. I got a decent start, but within a couple of laps or so there was daylight a head and no one behind so just settled back and tried to push the car more and get a better lap time in. A red flag stopped the race, and there was a lengthy stop while the marshalls rearranged us before the restart. After another reasonable start i could see Colin ahead, so i set my sights on catching him, which to my surprise i did!! I realised i could catch him coming out of Gerrards and made a move coming into the esses, the first time he held me off and got the inside line and we went around the esses side by side, but this gave him the better line for the hairpin, but on the next lap i managed to just sneak up the inside, on the following lap he got passed me at the same point, then again on the next lap i passed him. I was looking for the last lap board, but again was looking at the wrong place! I keep thinking the bridge is the finish line and marshal post, but obviously its on the otherside of the track 100 meters closer. As we came into the Esses again i managed to just hold the inside line and get to the hairpin first, then as we came around the Elbow i saw the chequered flag. I was well chuffed that for the first time i had actually had a race with Colin and beat him (only just, and another lap later i could well have been behind him as usual).
As the RGB race approached i kept reminding myself not to throw it away on the first lap again, being at the front of the class really doesn't help me, the thought of actually winning whilst driving ruins my driving!!! I just had to keep my head, but still push hard! I was on the grid behind Tim, who himself admits is not the best off the line, so i had a plan to try and pull past him to the right which would also stop Al, who was behind me, coming up my inside. My master plan all went to pieces as soon as the lights went out, Tim had a rubbish start and i got blocked in besides Tony to the right, Al swept up the left past me and Tim and Colin shot of down the far right of the circuit. After a couple of laps i was behind Al, and Colin with Matt Green in his class B Spire behind us. I could stay with the Al and Colin round all of the circuit except for the hairpin where i was losing loads of time, and started making more mistakes there trying to go faster through it, but inevitably losing even more time until eventually. Eventually Al and Colin were a good few car lengths ahead and Matt came past me, i then hoped that with Matt being tangled up with Colin and Al it would slow them all down and i could close up the gap. But suddenly there was the Green pulsar of Phil behind me, who swallowed up big chunks of the gap between us at the hairpin everylap, until i ran very wide at the hair pin causing me to come into the main straight slower, Phil took the outside line down the main straight, where i accidently pushed him wide onto the grass as i couldn't see him and thought he was on my inside, it was only the sight of dust that made me realise he was there!! I moved back over to allow him some more track and we went round Gerrards side by side, which was highly exciting!! Phil had the outside line so i had to keep in tight and he managed to out accelerate onto the straight and got infront of me for the esses. The next few laps I fought to try and get passed him, and again had a fantastic side by side drive around the Esses, which he won, and an interesting moment coming into the esses where i tried to go down the inside but ran out of tarmac and put 2 wheels on the grass!! On the final lap we came round the elbow and i had the run on him, and crossed the line side by side!! Unfortunately i was 0.07 seconds behind Phil so came in 4th, but I had had a fantastic time racing with Phil, and importantly had not exchanged any paint or rubber in the process!! Phil seems to have picked up his pace this year, his now seemingly full time pit monkey (due to his lack of car), Tim Grey, seems to have passed on some of his speed to him!!!!
I can't wait for Brands in April!!!!
Pictures of Mallory
I have 3 cameras on the car now, but some of them packed up so only got these 2 videos of the mallory race
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