Thursday, I spent the day being uncompetitive, playing catch-up.
I qualified 7th, which wasn't too bad, except I was 2.3s off pole.
Anyway, I made a good start in the race, making up one position at the
first turn. I then passed another car on the way down 'Pilgrims Drop'
before 'Hawthorn'. Unfortunately I completely screwed up my braking
later around that first lap going into 'Stirlings' the penultimate turn.
I went wide losing many, many positions before regaining the track.
A few laps later, I noticed my car's bodywork was flapping around! This
is not good, so I slowed my pace and headed for the pits. The team
quickly sorted out the problem and I returned to the race, dead last.
Fortunately a caution had come out (the european version, black & yellow
quartered flags, the lead car acts as a pace car). So I made my way back
up to the pack. When the green flag was waved I went absolutly on it,
passing 5-6 cars in the space of 2 laps. Unfortunately there was
absolute chaos going on in the field. Many cars were going off, and I
narrowly avoided being hit by a spinning car. The track was suddenly
very slippery with gravel and dust off line at Druids, the hairpin at
turn 2. In my attempts to slice back up through the field, Iwent into
Druids a little too hot, understeered, understeered, understeered, and
understeered a little more befoe I realised I was in trouble... I jumped
on the brakes but was to late, I slithered into the tyre wall - taking
out my left-front suspension :(((((((((
I really had a bad one today - I was over-driving in my attempts to make
up for the lost track time. I'm extremely dissapointed as I may have
found my self in with a shot of winning had I not gone off on the first
lap... ah well damage to pay for, debts to clear now before I can go out
again.
Rob, 40th in the GPL World Standings :o)