Circuit:	Cadwell Park (Lincs)
Date:	June 22nd 2008
Championship:	Caterham Roadsports A Championship 2008

QUALIFYING

Qualifying at Cadwell turned out to be something of a disaster for me. I found the car was under steering badly following my “off” at Quarry corner, Castle Combe, some three weeks earlier and although the car had been repaired, I hadn’t had time to set it up again. I was very quickly learning to regret this for this race weekend, but I simply hadn’t had time.

To compound my problems, new race boots were consistently catching in the very limited space of the Caterham’s footwell, making a quick transition from accelerator to brake, somewhat difficult. I was having to deliberately lifting and moving my foot rather than just a sub-conscious glide between the pedals. I found out afterwards that the new boots were nearly an inch longer inn the toe than the previous ones I was used to. Doesn’t sound significant but, as many will testify, an inch can make a big difference !.

I went off the track three times but fortunately in places where Cadwell has acres of run off. I would be some 3 secs or so off the pole sitter pace. Not exactly what I was hoping for.

RACE 1

I found myself lined up on the 10^th row in 20^th place on the very narrow track for Race 1, behind Jonathan Ramsay (car no. 14). Unfortunately Jonathan had a rather poor start and I was stuck right behind him for what seemed like ages, with no room to go to his left or right. My speed was therefore governed by his and a total of six cars came past me with some ease in the run up to the first corner, Coppice. Very frustrating but that’s racing. Climbing to the first part of Charlies corner, at the top of the hill, being the gentleman that he is, Simon Roche (car no. 18) kindly left plenty of room for me to pass him cleanly on the inside. So one place clawed back at least.

In the run down to Park corner, I then managed to outbrake Kenny Weir (car no. 25) to pass him and was once again behind Jonathan Ramsay as we accelerated through the very fast Chris Curve.

Then in the run from Mansfield corner, to the part of the circuit known as the Mountain, Jonathan must have put one wheel on the grass as, without warning, he suddenly span back into the middle of track right in front of me. He was facing the oncoming cars and still moving in a somewhat unpredictable way. I made a split second decision to dive to his left and cleared him by a safe margin to turn up the Mountain. The hesitation and braking to avoid hitting him, had cost me 50 yds or so to the next car though.

My race was then quite processional for 4 or five laps with no changes in front of me and no incidents. I outbraked Chris Legg (car no. 10), again into Park corner and was right up behind my team mate and friend Stuart Patterson (car no. 88) accelerating into Chris Curve. But I was then saddened to see what looked like Stuart put one wheel on the grass coming out of the corner which accelerated him straight on towards the tyre barrier and the scene of the accident. Poor Stuart. His second big incident in just three races.

A moment or two later, as I came down the hill to Mansfield corner, I noticed a car on the grass to the right. He had presumably just overshot. A few seconds later as we were rushing up the Hairpin under the trees, I passed another who had taken to the grass, to get right up behind Kevin Begley  (car no. 6).

I stayed glued to his tail for half a lap and then as we approached the 90’ right at, I dived to his inside and overtook him to get up behind Paul Wilson (car no. 32).

Then as we approached the Hairpin corner again, under the trees, I noticed the oil flag being waved and a trail of oil all over the track. Both Paul and I were caught on the oil, slipping uncontrollably, which slowed us down by half a second or so. Then again at the next corner, there was oil all over the place and my tyres just lost all traction and I did half a spin, allowing Paul to stretch away from me. As I drove out of Barn, I then had two bumps as Kevin Begley hit me twice in the rear, which was nice of him. This slowed me sufficiently to allow both Kevin and Chris Legg to come past me in the run down to Coppice. I chased them up to Park and passed Kevin under braking, but unfortunately was then just nudged off the track and into a spin, allowing both Kenny Weir and Paul Latimer (car no. 87) to fly past me. As I came back onto the track and started to accelerate, there was nothing I could do stop Jonathan Ramsay come flying past as well. That little “nudge” had cost me four places !.

The next few laps were fairly uneventful until I again span on the oil exiting the Hairpin. That put me too far back to make any other serious challenge, although I did get to within 50 yds or so of passing Kenny Weir again before the chequered flag called it a day. I subsequently found out that it had been Kevin who had dumped the oil on the track, having damaged his sump hitting a kerb rather hard but, not knowing that he was dropping oil everywhere, carried on driving on the racing line for quite some time.

So a race I’d rather forget really.

RACE 2

For the second race, I was again lined up behind Jonathan Ramsay and had Anthony Newman (car no. 70) to my right.  Jonathan was again slow off the mark holding me back for a second or so, which allowed Anthony to move ahead of me before the run round Coppice. I managed to pass Anthony in the climb up the Mountain and there then followed seven or eight laps of very enjoyable, close racing with first Vance Kearney (car no. 2) and then Paul Storton (car no. 76) snapping right at my heels. They both passed me on consecutive laps just before the turn up the Mountain and the three of us stayed in close order, along with Andrew Walton (car no. 49) a second or so ahead for the rest of the race, with just a second and half covering all four cars at the finish.

Though displeased with where I finished, it had been a most enjoyable race, tarnished only by the knowledge that team mates and friends, Stuart Patterson and Richard Boughton (car no. 21) had had a fairly torrid race w/end and Stuart in particular was going home with another big repair bill looming.