Positives and negatives.
On the plus side my speed has moved up a level and I was on the pace without having to spend the previous week practising. Qually was a PB but not by much and my optimum is now a 19.1!
I managed to avoid overtaking the leader on the pace lap this time and got enough of a lead on Dave to avoid being pressured on the run down to the hairpin then settled in for the long haul.
Contrary to Dave's impression the balance of the car was fine, the problem was the gears. I was obviously not blipping high enough and kept finding myself a gear higher than I meant to be. This was allowing Dave to catch but when I got a lap right I would pull away. I was just starting to get it right when I screwed up the hairpin and half span in the middle of the turn. I had to sit there and wait for the Sharks to go by but then got going. The problem was that I then immediately missed the turn-in point at the fast right hander at the end of the back straight, hit the kerb full on and was airborne on route to the scene of the accident.
The tow put me a lap down but I set off in pursuit to see what transpired. I had another smaller spin and decided to pit. I remembered to lower the fuel top-up from 21.2 but didn't check the tyres and lost another 10 seconds while it did that.
The new tyres did help though as I was able to lap more quickly than before, the spins may have shafted the old ones and I started to catch the cars in front though they were distant. I decided to think like Stirling and aim for the fastest lap and managed a 1:19 fairly late on chasing down Brendan and Ken who I caught with a couple of laps to go.
Brendan let me unlap myself into the final complex on the penultimate lap (ta mate) and I spent the last lap on Ken's tailpipe. Into the final complex I tried to get alongside but got it wrong and tapped him round. I don't race that way so waited on the pit straight for him before crossing the line.
Hey, I still got 4th.
Congratulations to Mike and Brendan who both drove beautifully.
So where was everyone then? Are the tracks too difficult with all these corners and things? Should we race ovals perhaps?
Paul