• Pole Position lap (5.2 MB)
• Losing and then regaining the lead with Rob Sadler (5.1 MB)
• Frantic start to the Pre-93 race (need more power!) (3.9 MB)

Race Report

Production BMW Race | Pre-93 Race

I've been looking forward to this for weeks. I fell in love with Oulton Park on our visit there last year and have been wanting to go back ever since. On the days leading up to the race I find it harder and harder to recall the circuit and reading the circuit guide reinforces just how difficult some of the corners are. On arrival at the circuit (the evening before the race) I'm disappointed with the brake feel as I manoeuvre off the trailer and so quickly bleed the brakes before walking the circuit.

In the pursuit of more track time I've also entered the Pre-93 Touring Cars race, although unfortunately this will run after the Production BMW's on the timetable. Better news is that come raceday morning I wake to discover that there has been overnight rain and the drizzle continues until shortly before qualifying. This should help!

I make a minor adjustment to the dampers and fit my "wet" front-right tyre. Happily, both left tyres were replaced after the last race so I'm in good shape for wet weather running. This delays me to the assembly area and I arrive in the middle of the 24-car lineup. As the qualifying session gets underway I push hard to get past as many cars as possible on the out lap. This puts me in a nice quiet space on the track whilst I get to grips with the conditions. It's slippery all right, but fairly predictable apart from Druids corner. Everything feels good under braking but theres a surface change as you turn in which offers much less grip and makes the transition from braking to turn-in very difficult.

It feels as if I'm just pootling around. My laps don't feel very quick and I expect to find myself on the 2nd or 3rd row of the grid. But I'm not prepared to push any harder - there just isn't the grip. The track is getting drier throughout the session and I'm annoyed with myself when I make 2 mistakes on the last lap. The usual speculative "how was it for you?" chat in parc fermé is quickly ended when the timesheets are distributed. I'm genuinely surprised to see my name at the top of the list - my second pole position this year and a good 0.7s clear of the next driver, Stephen Markey. That'll do nicely! [pole lap video clip]

There's a couple of hours before the Pre-93 qualifying session and by that time the track is a lot drier. The PBMW race will follow closely afterwards so I put the car back on dry settings so that I won't have to rush it later. The track is pretty much dry and for once the car feels better in the dry than the wet. It's much more predictable, enjoyable and most of all, faster! But when the times are published I find myself a whole one second slower than Craig Jamieson. Craig will start from the 3rd row and I'm on the 4th with the rest of the BMW's right behind me.

Sitting in the assembly area for the main event, the car is still relatively hot from Pre-93 qualifying. Having just got a handle on the current track conditions I'm feeling confident. The only problem is that I'm on the dirty side of the track, but at least it's fully dry. As the lights go out I get a reasonable start but Stephen Markey beside me gets away a bit better. The advantage reverses once we're into 2nd gear and I'm able to move across for a half-decent line into the first corner.

The next thing I know is that Rob Sadler has jumped up from being 6th on the grid to being right on my bumper! Starting from the second lap I'm forced to take a defensive line through each corner for the next 2 laps and I'm not sure I'll be able to stay ahead. Starting the 4th lap, Rob actually crosses the line 0.008 seconds ahead as we run down the start/finish straight side by side. But at the Island hairpin, I make a mistake from my defensive line and clip the apex kerb which sets the wheels spinning. I shortshift to 3rd gear to cut the wheelspin but the engine gets bogged down as I climb the hill towards Knickerbrook and Rob is quickly alongside. I hold out for the inside line into Knickerbrook but Rob's having this one and I narrowly avoid him as he cuts across. But Rob then goes a bit too quick on the exit of the chicane and allows me to get a tow all the way to Druids. So this is how fast 320's are!!!

I can't match Rob's entry speed into Druids but at Lodge corner Rob goes in too quickly, runs over the kerb and gets into a bit of a tankslapper. Hoping that he'll sort it out in time, I keep my foot in and aim for the outside. Rob's lost a load of momentum and I slice past back into the lead [video clip]. What's more, the loss of momentum puts Rob under pressure from George Haynes. This allows me to get back on the racing line and straight away put in my best lap of the race, opening up a lead of 3 seconds.

It's great to look back in my mirrors and watch Rob, George and Craig fighting it out for the remaining podium positions. It looks like fun but I'm happier where I am! In fact, I'm just really enjoying driving the car around such an excellent circuit. My previous race wins have been dominated with a sense of relief when I passed the chequered flag but this one is different - more a sense of satisfaction. Nice win! In a way it's more rewarding to see on the results sheet that four cars had done a faster lap than me. George Haynes, second to me in the championship points table has finished second on the race which only extends my lead by a single point, but it's enough to take the pressure off.

For the Pre-93 race I'm on the 4th row of the grid but this time it's on the racing line. Alongside me is a VW Golf and a Rover SD1 Vitesse is ahead. I get the jump on both of them off the line, right up until they find traction and storm back past me. But I've made it ahead of Craig Jamieson! As we head down to Cascades I nip down the inside to retake the Golf under braking. He gets back beside me along the Lakeside straight but I can brake later and have the inside line for the Island hairpin. What an exciting start! [video clip]

The Golf drops out of contention and retires but Craig is now close behind. Thankfully I'm familiar with defensive lines around here! After a couple of laps Rob Sadler gets by Craig (who then retires with fuel starvation) and I start to get worried. But I reckon I can keep ahead this time...

The rest of the race is pretty much spent defending from Rob and with no mistakes this time. But towards the end of the race the tyres go off which causes a couple of nervous moments. And then Andrew Partridge is in the picture. On the entry to Lodge corner to start the last lap I really have to park the car on the apex to get enough speed off. This holds Rob up for long enough to allow Andrew to get close and releases me to concentrate on making the most of the racing line. Why didn't I think of that earlier?! Ultimately Andrew gets past Rob on the last lap and finishes just 0.3s behind me. I take a class win and another trophy to complete an excellent day's racing.

fourwheels racing © 08-Aug-2006