Mallory Park
3rd June
Round 5
Fastest Practice Lap: 54:633 - 88.95MPH
The practice sessions were cut short because of the number of races that had to be squeezed into todays race programme. Only 10 minutes to qualify. The first practice session started late because one of the support vehicles broke down on the way to the circuit. When the Vees were allowed out to practice I managed to squeeze in 8 laps. Didn't really get in a good lap so I was reasonably happy with the time. About the same as last time I was here.
Heat: Grid Position: 10th
Heat: Race Result (10 laps) : 11th - 11mins 7secs - 87.39MPH
Heat: Fastest Lap: 53:83
The heat was good fun. I had an OK start (which for me means I lost a couple of places) I then spent the rest of the race battling with Steve Glasswell and Ian Raby. On one lap into Gerrards the order was Ian - Steve - myself. Ian was a little slower than myself and Steve around Gerrards. So Steve had a go at overtaking Ian on the outside. I closed on Ian and followed him through Gerrards. Steve kept on the outside down Sebbe straight and I went down the inside. Three abreast down the straight. We all braked for the Esses and Ian managed to keep his place but I nipped past Steve. For the rest of the rest I held off Steve and tried to get past Ian. For some reason I was little slower than Steve out of the hairpin (perhaps holding second gear too long). Lap after lap Steve had a good run on me from the hairpin down the pit straight into Gerrards. Most of the time I held him off by taking the inside line. But once he had such a good run on me he was easing past and as we wnet to brake for Gerrards, Steve was fractionally ahead but I had the inside line. We both braked late but Steve braked later he sailed past me but then I saw the back of his car stepping out and as he drifted wide I sneaked up the inside. Out of the corner of my eye I watch too see if sideways Steve was going to lose control and spin back across me. Nope he held it gloriously ! As we got in each others way, Alastair Heslop caught us all up and wasted no time overtaking us. And made it look easy. The next lap I had a go at overtaking Ian. On the pit straight I was pulling past him and a nice late brake into Gerrards would have secured the place but in front I could see I was gaining on another car, fast. It was a tailender and he was right in my way. I had to brake and Ian nipped past me and the tailender into Gerrards. Through Gerrards I overtook the tailender on the outside and spent the next lap catching back up to Ian. That was a new experience lapping someone. At the end of the race we finished - Ian, myself and Steve. A good race with smiles and a few story to swap in the scrutineering bay.
The next race was the Kit cars and the race turned a good day into a terrible day. Nic Fairman driving a Caterham crashed into the bridge support when the race was black and yellow quartered. For the next few hours there was no racing. The course doctor had gone with Nic to the hospital. No doctor meant no racing. We kicked around the paddock chatting and enjoying the weather. First news came through that racing would begin at 4pm but only for some formulae, Vee was one of them. Then the sad news came through that Nic had died of his injuries and that racing would be abandoned. There was a subdued atmosphere in the paddock has everyone packed up and made their way home.