Fun if ultimately frustrating race ...
New PB in a VERY competitive qualifying session set my 7th on the grid, but it could have been anything between about 5th and 12th - I was fortunate to hook a lap up.
Got a decent start to get alongside Ian Curnow (it all seems a bit wrong with all the "proper" names) into T1, and got ahead on the run into T2. For the next while I was trying to keep up with Stuart. On lap 4 I saw Darren ahead of us - obvsiously in some sort of trouble, and it only got worse
Ian had been on my tail throughout, and a half-spin on lap 6 let him and Richard past .... DOH! Thankfully I was able to rejoin infront of Don and Pops - and gave chase. Sensing T1 was where I had the best chance of getting past Richard, I got close enough on lap 9, going up the inside. We were both pretty tentative ... but these are pretty fragile cars!!
I was hoping to pull away, but it never happened, we were less than half a second apart for ages - T1 giving Richard a couple of half chances which went begging.
Then things got busy!!! Stuart had an off and rejoined behind Ian, and there was a big old train of cars for a time.
I very nearly got into the back of Stuart into the slow speed section (I should have learnt from this near miss ....) and nearly lost my position as a result. Lap 15 saw a lot of position/paint swapping opportunities into T1, but we all came out in the order we went in .... and with all our own paint!
Lap 17 saw Richard dissapear (literally - did you get some lag) and spin on the exit of the penultimate corner - I very nearly lost it too - we were both with 2 wheels on the grass.
Lap 18 saw me get horribly out of shap on the last turn - and with a black flag I had to really slow down to avoid going over the s/f line with it flashing at me. Don flew by, and by T1 Pops was in close attendance. Don, Pops and I got the gaps down between us but never really saw any passing opportunities.
Don and Ian Curnow got very close into T1 on lap 26, allowing me a real chance to make a move on Don, but I never really had enough momentum to carry me past. Don nearly got caught out under braking into the twisty bit (that's warning 2 for me...) and again, it was nearly enough to let me have a real stab at a pass, but ultimately nothing. With brakes and tyres having seen better days, there were more half chances out of T1 and round to the twisty section .... with the bit between my teeth and time running out I was gearing up for a charge .... missed my braking point and went onto the dirt - letting Pops by. DOH!!!!!!!!
That was that .... time had run out, I started 7th, finished 8th.
Roll on week 1!
