Not really the way I wanted to win a race but I'll take what I can get!
Car balance was good and I didn't do much with the setup (I think I took my Brands one and just tweaked the tyre pressures and caster). I never quite know which end of the car is going to let go first but I found some good if inconsistent speed, and I was happy to be fourth on the grid... until I realised that they've swapped the grid round so that pole is now on the right and the even numbered spots are on the left and thus the outside of T1.
Luckily, Brendan shot away at the start and I was able to tuck over behind him and hold off Ken and Ross during the opening lap, made easier when Ross misjudged where I was going to brake for turn 9 and locked his rears. That just left Ken to worry about, until Mike spun and I was temporarily up to 3rd. Brendan blinked out through the final couple of corners and failed to blink back in - a real pity.
By this time my tyres were properly up to temperature and I pushed hard to stay ahead of Mike, but mindful of the championship, when he finally caught me I didn't contest the pass at all, knowing that I was still in a secure podium spot, and that my only chance to catch Darren in the lead was to send Mike off after him and hope that they slowed each other up.
After that it was just a matter of watching him slowly real Darren in and start to attack whilst I balanced the risk of pushing against the gap to Ken. In the closing laps Darren was defending really hard in turn 1 and I was closing the gap down quite quickly, thinking that it was starting to look a bit frantic up front and there might just be a tangle.
I was half expecting them to collide in turn 1 so after they'd made it past that point on the final lap I figured that third place was where I'd finish, and I was completely happy with that. So imagine my surprise when I saw the yellow flag out on the approach to turn 10, passed Darren's spun car, and then Mike's slow car on the run down to the final corner, to be the first to the chequered flag!
I couldn't quite believe it.
I need a big push now at Road Atlanta to try and steal 3rd place in the championship from Shark...
P.S. I left foot brake and just give it a big bootfull on each downshift. It does make the car want to swap ends in the corners but as long as I'm expecting it I never find it a problem to correct with a
dab of oppo.