21/06/08 Oulton Park - 23rd Jun 2008 8:35am
What a busy weekend!!
I should have known things wherent going to go well when the first trailer I used was too small to fit the car on
2nd trailer was better, though the guy I borrowed it off was working away, and his flight was delayed - meaning I didnt get the trailer till midnight on friday!! Spent about an hour loading the car up, and got to bed at about 1:30am
...back up again at 5:30am, and I still had to strap the car down to the trailer!!
As I got to Oulton, the sky started leaking, and the track started to get damp for first practise!!!
Went out and despite discovering teh front discs where warped I qualified 15th out of 22 - this was the CMS race where the cars where allowed to use race wets....
2nd practise for the Pre93s was very wet indeed, but I was starting to get used to the conditions, and despite more water on the track, I knocked 2 secs of my previous best time, and due to not braking as hard it was a little easier to live with the brake judder - Qualified 8th out of 17!!
1st Race come around and I made a great start - making up 2 places before the first corner!!! Stayed right, as a BMW who started from the back squeezed me out, and on to the grass!! Lost wheel arch liners and front splitter as I bounced over the grass, and rejoined 2nd to last. Fought back to finish 16th, but a few choice words where had with the BMW driver afterwards.
2nd Race - patched the car up, but the track was starting to dry. This ment the more powerful cars that where at the back of the grid could now take their power advantage back.
Made a decent start, but the dry line on the track mant I could brake harder, and the judder was worse. I slowely started to drop back as I struggled under brakes where the car is normally so good....
Towards the end of the race I started to live with the judder, and drive around it, even took a couple of the places I lost back!!!
I caught up a pair of 3.5 V8 Rovers and was lapping 1.5secs faster than them, and the car developed a misfire
I limped on, and lost a couple of places, but did get a finish in 12th place.
Misfire turned out to be a plug lead which had popped off the Dizzy - prolly down to the vibration of the brake judder.
Pretty dissapointed TBH, but its all experience - I loved the wet which initially had me worried.
Cheers to all who came down to offer support, was much appreciated, as I know the weather wasnt the best, and Im sorry if I was a little distracted with everything that was going on.
I didnt get any Pictures myself, but Joe has posted a few up in another thread - hope he can maybe add a few to this review thread for me too
I should have known things wherent going to go well when the first trailer I used was too small to fit the car on
2nd trailer was better, though the guy I borrowed it off was working away, and his flight was delayed - meaning I didnt get the trailer till midnight on friday!! Spent about an hour loading the car up, and got to bed at about 1:30am
...back up again at 5:30am, and I still had to strap the car down to the trailer!!
As I got to Oulton, the sky started leaking, and the track started to get damp for first practise!!!
Went out and despite discovering teh front discs where warped I qualified 15th out of 22 - this was the CMS race where the cars where allowed to use race wets....
2nd practise for the Pre93s was very wet indeed, but I was starting to get used to the conditions, and despite more water on the track, I knocked 2 secs of my previous best time, and due to not braking as hard it was a little easier to live with the brake judder - Qualified 8th out of 17!!
1st Race come around and I made a great start - making up 2 places before the first corner!!! Stayed right, as a BMW who started from the back squeezed me out, and on to the grass!!
Lost wheel arch liners and front splitter as I bounced over the grass, and rejoined 2nd to last. Fought back to finish 16th, but a few choice words where had with the BMW driver afterwards.2nd Race - patched the car up, but the track was starting to dry. This ment the more powerful cars that where at the back of the grid could now take their power advantage back.
Made a decent start, but the dry line on the track mant I could brake harder, and the judder was worse. I slowely started to drop back as I struggled under brakes where the car is normally so good....
Towards the end of the race I started to live with the judder, and drive around it, even took a couple of the places I lost back!!!
I caught up a pair of 3.5 V8 Rovers and was lapping 1.5secs faster than them, and the car developed a misfire
I limped on, and lost a couple of places, but did get a finish in 12th place.
Misfire turned out to be a plug lead which had popped off the Dizzy - prolly down to the vibration of the brake judder.
Pretty dissapointed TBH, but its all experience - I loved the wet which initially had me worried.
Cheers to all who came down to offer support, was much appreciated, as I know the weather wasnt the best, and Im sorry if I was a little distracted with everything that was going on.
I didnt get any Pictures myself, but Joe has posted a few up in another thread - hope he can maybe add a few to this review thread for me too
