First off, James Minto - hope there're no hard feelings about asking you not to race, I watched you in qualifying and I don't think I saw you string two corners together without a half spin or off. It's not the easiest track to visit in an unfamiliar car and I couldn't in good conscience say nothing, especially when you'd be starting behind the Mustangs.
Anyway, having done two Grand Am Premiere races today I figured my usual approach to Sears Point - tootle round being careful and not pushing too hard - would make another 90 minutes not too arduous, and I was exactly where I expected to be on the grid, behind David, Jamie and Gary and ahead of the Dummer cars, but it was a huge surprise to see Gary have a massive moment into the carousel on lap 1 and run way off up the banking.
That must've dislodged the banana we'd wedged up his exhaust before qualifying because from 20 seconds behind he was absolutely ripping up the track, soon passing me and setting off after David and Jamie. He couldn't quite take the lead before stopping but Jamie made the mistake of not responding to Gary's stop and staying out whilst Gary made up the time needed to have passed him by the time he finally did stop.
Anyway, I was back to fourth after the stops, but able to gently eek into the gap to Jamie and David ahead (I had nothing to lose and everything to gain) until they had some sort of incident at the final hairpin. With David still recovering I was able to squeek past both him and Jamie, who I think was in two minds as to whether to wait for him or not.
Jamie put me under lots of pressure for quite a few laps, but with David's exit I was sure of at least 3rd place, so I continued to push hard, especially as it was apparent that I had better traction out of the slower corners than him which was going to make it hard for him to find a way by. That paid off when he eventually spun in turn 7 giving me about 20 seconds of breathing room which stayed to the end.
Well done to Gary - a return to the series that was more than merely emphatic, especially with a bent car - and to Simon for a solid win in the Mustangs.