Qualifying
I’ve never
been any good around Donington, for some reason I just can’t get the hang of
the circuit and take some of the corners too slow, some way too fast.
Qualifying started out dry-ish but it started to rain after a few minutes and
my times went up dramatically. I decided to try and get some track space to go
for some kind of lap time but just managed to go backwards down a very large grid
and find no space at all. Before I knew it the chequered flag was out and I’d
hardly set a lap time at all. Back in the paddock some of the other drivers
have done their quickest laps AFTER the rain had started, it really wasn’t that
wet and track conditions were good. All in all one of the worst qualifying
sessions I’ve ever completed.
Race
So I’m
determined to do better in the race…
Make a
great start and get past the big Camaro plus a couple
of Capris, hold the place down Craner
Curves and under the bridge but several cars just drive past on the way back up
the hill. Not sure if I just got a poor exit or whether the Golf’s lack of
power was showing but by the end of lap 1 all the cars I’d passed on the good
start were past me and pulling away, my lap times were still 5 secs off the class D benchmark. Managed to get a bit of
space and started chasing the white SD1 of xxxx and
the yellow Escort of Davis Scriven. Lap by lap my
times (and the gap) reduced, several cars had grassy moments and I think I passed
the Capri of Adrian Fuller (and got re-taken) about three times. Lap 9 and the
SD1 has a big moment at the top of the hill, Scriven goes wide to avoid him and I see my chance.
Approaching the hairpin I’m catching the XR3 quickly but he blocks the inside
and I end up following through on the start/finish straight. I’m quicker around
Redgate and flat out now through Craner
Curves, I then miss 5th gear causing major flames out the exhaust
and Scriven pulls away a fraction. I have another go
at the hairpin but its too little too late and I
finish another race behind the ex-Rick Kerry Escort. At least the last couple
of laps racing has got a lap time out of me – 1.31 is
my quickest around Donington by a big margin.
Many thanks to Rich and Bob for the photographs – and also to xxxx photography for the CD of enhanced pictures.