Thanks to Billy for organising and to all of you for a unique race for me.
I turned up late and took Billy's suggestion a little too literally for this race ( I may not be the slowest driver, but I am quite sure I am not the fastest either!!
) So, I not only passed up the Lotus and Eagle, but walked past the Fezza and Brabham as well.... paused at that nice white car with the tasteful red stripe and thought for a moment of a misty world where wandering heroes in strange clothes and carrying long curved swords, came out of the hills to do honourable battle with the round eyes
..... But I did not surrender to the siren call and walked on to find a barrel inspired car with a monster engine from Maserati. Beyond it I could see a wierd machine with an even more monstrous engine, but my courage failed me at that point and I settled for the Cooper.
In my innocence I thought that others of the fast guys would forego the delights of Maranello and Aussie Jack as well, and turn up with something similar to my selection.
So I found myself in a car that might not entirely be suited to the wide and fast expanses of Silverstone!!!!
Qually, as usual was on race fuel and I ended up towards the rear of the grid, sandwiched between two red things with only a couple more cars behind. History has taught me that in the pack, at Copse on Lap 1, at Silvy is a dangerous place to be, so I was quite content to let cars behind pass me on the run to the first corner. Still 50 laps to go, so plenty of time to race.
I think everyone behaved and all negotiated T1 safely, but before T2 I saw cars airborne.......move up 2 places.
From then on I gradually warmed my tyres ( OK! actually I worked the devil out of them) as I chased down cars only to watch them ...run wide and let me pass??? I think I only made a single overtake in the whole race!!!!
I surprised even myself when I reached 3rd spot with Andy and Axel just ahead and I thought OK the work starts here. Andy was in a Fezza and Axel in the Lotus!! these 2 are going to be tough to pass in this Cooper. I tried to find somewhere that the Cooper had the upper hand over Andy's Ferrari for a several laps and it seemed it would have to be under braking....but he had more grunt out of the corners and pulled away, just enough, each time
. although he did seem to be struggling with grip with each lap that passed ..................then he ran wide at Stowe and I was through....woohoo!!! 2nd
Another place gained and still actually had not overtaken a single car on the track???!!! and I am in 2nd...work that out???
It must have been my lucky day because no sooner had Andy run wide at Stowe and let me through to chase Axel's Lotus ( surely I would struggle to get past that flying machine???) and Axel tries to climb a tree with his car at the very next bend!!!
1st place .........not even half distance........a comfortable lead??? in a Cooper??.........it won't last someone is bound to catch me in a faster car once they settle down and start concentrating.
From then on to the end of the race I just tried to maintain concentration and keep the tyre temps under control, but the laptimes consistant. I did a fuel check at 25 laps to be sure I had not misjudged and everything looked fine, so pushed on. Then I thought my luck had run out when Rocket Ronnie reappeared on prib. I knew he was in a Fezza and that he had gone off early in the race, but now he was climbing back through the field "on a mission".
But with about 10 laps to go he vanished and I was left to cruise to the finish with a comfortable lead, deliberately avoiding trying to lap anyone else and risk an incident when there was no need to.
I still cannot believe how incredibly lucky I was in that race!! The Cooper was almost certainly NOT the car to have.....from where I was on the grid I should have been out of contention for the podium anyway!! and I only overtook a single car ( for a position gain) on the track throughout 50 laps of racing....and I end up 1st??? GPL never ceases to amaze me
