I made a point of not doing too much in practice prior to qually as I generally get slower as I go. I was also mindful that Dave was sandbagging somewhat
and I knew a good Q session would be required. As it was I put in a PB for pole.
I wasn't sandbagging at all in practice, it just wasn't quite clicking for me. I was a bit lucky with the front row slot as I was only really meant to be following Brian in qually hoping to at least match him, then he ran wide somewhere around Carousel and I the tow I'd been picking up through the lap before that was enough for a monstrously good time, easily a PB. The next lap I was hoping to give Brian a tow in return but then Brendan turned up side by side with him and I made a completely horlicks of trying to let both by and spoiled Brian's final shot at pole.
Start was clean and I kept ahead of Dave but knew a tough battle would ensue. On lap 2 I was a little slower through the 2nd left hander than I think Dave expected and he caught my rear end. My steering was a tad off to the left but still driveable.
I have to say I was gobsmacked by how slow most people were through a few critical corners, particularly turns 6 and 8. Having bashed my front left in about 2 inches after bouncing off Brendan on lap 2, luckily not bending the steering though it felt a bit odd for a lap or two, I ended up behind Darren and Paul and was amazed to find myself having to be really careful not to rear end them in those corners.
Fast in, slow out doesn't work even in a bush kangaroo, you know...
Unfortunately, as exciting as the ensuing battle was (as my heart rate will attest!) I was getting really fed up seeing Gary 3-4 seconds up the road and knowing that it only I could break away from the two I was fighting I could catch him. I don't think Paul was deliberately keeping our pack together to keep me away from Gary and I suspect that we been able to break away from Darren we'd have towed each other up to him quite easily, but as it was there wasn't anything I could do and I ended up sitting back for a few laps and hoping that they'd take each other out instead.
All race I could see Paul was trying just a little bit too hard and sure enough with two to go he lost it in the Kink whilst right behind Darren. That just left Darren and without the complication of Paul I executed exactly the same plan I used in my second official race last week, sitting behind him through the early part of the final lap, getting a good run into Carousel, then getting alongside into Canada and sticking my elbows out through the last few corners to prevent any counter-attack.
At the start of the season it would've been a good result, but given that I knew I could turn 34.8s unassisted I really should've had a podium to close out the season, and perhaps even challenged for the win.
What's really annoying is that I had two corking official races with this combo last week and our race ended up feeling like an oval race and not a road race.
