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Lydden Hill 10-Jun-06
Receiving close attention from George Haynes after passing him
Race Report
It's so good to be back at Lydden. This is where I raced for the first time, in the first round of the championship's first season back in April 2004. So it's fair to say that I know my way around the little 1 mile track. One problem of the small grid at Lydden is that our now bigger series won't fit... as a result we're split into two groups for practice. The fastest 2 cars will automatically qualify for the championship race and the remainder will battle it out in a qualifying race to make up the rest of the grid.
And for the first time this year, it's a glorious sunny day. In fact it's far too hot to be wearing four layers of Nomex in a closed car with little ventilation and no heat shielding. But it beats a wet and windy Lydden any day :-)
As I head out onto the circuit for practice, the familiarity of the place comes flooding back. The complexity of the Pilgrims braking area, frustration of Devils Elbow and tightrope thrill ride of Paddock Bend. It's non-stop action around here! Everything feels OK during the session, although not terribly fast. When the times are published I'm not entirely surprised to find myself 4th fastest, behind Craig Jamieson, George Haynes and Alan Wileman. So Craig and I will line up on the front row of the grid for the qualifying race.
This is kind of annoying. I've got to put myself through a qualifying race, with the inherent risk of suffering a mishap that will put me out of the championship race, and the most I can hope for is to finish ahead of Craig which will move me from the LHS to the RHS of the grid for the main event. But my lap times are not what I'd like them to be so some additional track time is welcome and hey, it's free race!
In the assembly area, I joke with Craig that he'll be able to witness one of my "lightening starts". As the red lights go out to start the race, the joke becomes reality and I get away well, allowing me to get to the first corner ahead and maintain my position down to Devils Elbow. After the first lap I know that with no mistakes I can stay in the lead. Craig and I are equally paced around most of the lap but I'm able to go quicker through Paddock and Craig always closes up through Pilgrims. I've always struggled through there. Overall, I seem to have a slight edge over Craig and manage to pull out a small gap but then every time I then make a small mistake and have Craig right up behind me once more. This pattern repeats two or three times throughout the race until finally, the chequered flag is shown and I'm just relieved to have held onto the lead.
So now after winning the qualifying race I'll be in 3rd for the start of the championship race. The time flies by - it always does.
Lining up on the grid for the main event, I'm disappointed at how dirty the track is on the right hand side. I might have the inside line for the first corner, but it's going to be tough to get away cleanly. I load up the revs and wait for the red lights... they're held for ages and my revs continue to climb, but I can't look away to check the tacho. The lights fade. The car launches well but with a little too much wheelspin, and for the first time this year I'm not able to make up a place off the start. So I slot in behind George and keep a close eye on Craig behind me. [video clip]
After a couple of laps it's looking like this is how we're going to end up. I can keep quite close behind George with Craig close behind but not threatening to try for a pass. But similarly, I can't get myself in a position to challenge George. Occasionally I can show him a nose up the inside around Chessons but nothing that will stick. As the race settles down I try to figure out where I can make up some more time. I manage to improve my speed through Pilgrims and into Chessons but critically, braking later into Devils Elbow is my best chance of worrying George into a mistake. However, this all seems rather academic as we trail round for sweltering lap after sweltering lap.
Just as the race is entering the closing laps it seems that I'm closing up a little more on George, to the point where I can worry him up the hill on the approach to the North Bend hairpin. It's not like I can attempt a pass but it's got him looking in his mirrors when he should be picking his braking point. And then he starts to overshoot North Bend little by little, giving me a sniff of a look down the inside on the exit. And then on lap 17, I make the most of the Devils Elbow braking zone to get right on George's tail at the exit. Chasing him up the inside line to North Bend, George goes too deep into the corner which allows me to sit back and take the tight line, being mindful of Craig who is right on my tail after George's defence has slowed us all down. George is now suffering with wheelspin exiting the hairpin and I can get alongside him for the run down the hill to Paddock Bend. I know I can get alongside him before the corner and so I stick to my guns and we go round the corner side by side. Passing the start/finish line in this formation I see the last lap board being shown and with the inside line for Pilgrims/Chessons I know I can take second place. Easy into the corner, George runs a little wide and has to fend off the advances of Craig [video clip]. George then has a go back up the inside into Devils Elbow but it won't work and I know that I can drive a wide car for the next couple of corners to take the chequered flag.
What an exhausting race! After 18 gruelling laps and a nail biting finish I am more than a little stunned. Alan has had a commanding drive to take the win but this is where the action was and I'm very happy to take second. Five races in, I couldn't ask for a better season.
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