Started to get 'hooked' up on the circuit, and with the car. Of course the last time I had raced this car was june 2009 at Castle Combe, where I shunted it having hit oil at Tower Corner ... So that partly explains why I was quite nervous in the car this weekend, coupled with the fact that this trip is a major 'investment' and I really didn't want to bend or break the car. Having had fuel injection issues on Friday, the car was running but not 100%, so that put me at the back end of the grid.
Saturday went well, two confidence building finishes, including successful avoidance of some slightly wild driving around me!
Sunday started with an early rain shower, but track was fully dry by the time of our race. Again some wild antics, coupled with some fast guys coming through from the back after previous DNF's led to a cautious first two laps, but then I got a clear track, and started to put in some better laps, getting several cars back. Got my best down to 2:07:3 from 2:10.0 so a big improvement, still struggling on the brakes at the two slow corners, Honda and MG, but also at Lukey Heights, where I lack confidence to carry decent pace into the climbing corner. A big lock-up there on the last lap didn't help the confidence! A big grin after the race.
Race 4 was almost an exact repeat, with cautious early laps, avoiding 'missiles', and letting some guys go through; but then hooking up some pretty good laps, and getting back by several cars, and reducing that best further to 2:06:3. Finished 20th in final race, having started Race 1 from the back of the grid of 40+. A even bigger grin! Sure I'd have been below 2:05 if the car had been on song - I'll just have to come back to prove it! There's a bit of difference in development levels with the cars here, allegedly the TR6s in my class have 180bhp at the rear wheels, I have about 180bhp at the flywheel, which would likely translate to a 20% shortfall (and that's if it had all been working perfectly!), on top of that they are a bit lighter. I guess the other types are similarly developed, certainly the MG Midgets, MGA and those Merc 190s were a surprise, in the UK Roadsports class I wouldn't expect to have much trouble with them!
There's in-car video of Race 4, in two parts - search on "tr5aus" and look out for the Porsche 914 - sorry I'm struggling with multi-media, loading footage or even photos direct onto this blog, via the iPad and hotel wi-fi! I'll load some from the earlier races too tomorrow.
I'll write more about the meeting tomorrow, it was fabulous, a great track to drive or spectate, also a great meeting. Very happy to bring the car home in one, fully-functioning, piece.
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