Rockingham!
10/10/2012
But first, a big round of applause for Alex Gurr, please, our champion. Step forward and take a bow, Alex. Congratulations also to Matt, winner at Rockingham and the first person in a long while to finish a race ahead of Alex. Well done to both of you.
And now, back to me! :-D
Rockingham was another two-day race meeting with a test day on the Friday before, so I woke up not entirely willingly at 5am on Friday to load my newly-acquired trailer and set off. I was outside by 5:30, for what was unfortunately the first time that the Caterham was going to make its way onto my trailer... somewhat harder than I expected, that took me until 6. Just in time to get to Rockingham, sign on, get changed, unload, and get onto track in the first session at 9.
I do prefer test days to track days now. There is much less formality, with (typically) no driver briefing and no rules out on circuit other than those that apply in a race. Overtake where you want, how you want, just don't crash if you can avoid it. It sounds harder work, but it's actually less stressful than a trackday.
This was my first time at Rockingham, as a previous trackday booking had to be missed thanks to the lurgy hitting me the day before. I gradually got the hang of it, I think, and by the end was only marginally slower than absolutely everyone else. In my familiar place, then!
Friday night was bliss. Dinner was with Chris & Hazel, and then I settled down at about 8:30 feeling the effects of my 5am start. With no need to be at the track until 1pm, I didn't set an alarm and slept for 12 hours solid. I haven't done that since I was a teenager!
Suitably refreshed for Saturday, therefore, I pootled over to the track after meeting what seemed like the entire Academy over breakfast. With not a lot to do until qualifying mid-afternoon, I went over the car a few times, and actually washed it - unheard of for me. It really is much more convenient having a trailer, my boot was full of bits & bobs that I can't usually fit into the Caterham, including some buckets.
Some family turned up at lunchtime, so there was a good chance to chat and show them around. We also went up onto the viewing area over the pit garages to watch the track action, always good fun.
Eventually it was time to go and qualify, which felt good but was a little disappointing - last place! A quick check revealed that our usual last-place driver hadn't turned up. That worried me, I usually rely on him to keep me out of last place. Not good news.
One indication of our progress though the year was that my Uncle pointed out the "massive" drift in quali that I had apparently caught & controlled. I couldn't remember it - coping with oversteer is now second nature and not especially memorable for us. To him, it looked major, though.
Saturday evening was good fun, Caterham had laid on a BBQ as it was the finale weekend for all the official Caterham series. Quite a few families had turned up, and it was interesting to meet the various other halves and hear the other side of most stories. It also gave me a chance to have a long chat to Ian Sparshott, the driver who caused my Donington crash. We've kind of skirted around each other since then, and it was good to hear him admit that he simply didn't see the yellow flag. Somehow, I don't mind him making a novice mistake, after all there but for the grace of God...
Sunday morning started with a panic - I slept in far enough to almost miss breakfast! Still no need to be at the track until the afternoon, though, but I went promptly anyway. After washing the car again (more thoroughly this time), I went up to the pit garage roof again to watch. With several other Caterham races going on, plus Group 2's race in the morning, there was a lot of inspiration to study. In particular, the race leaders seemed to be taking a line through two corners that was distinctly different to mine; a mental note was made.
The time came, and we all went to the assembly area and got ready. Except that I had forgotten my HANS device and had to ask for special permission to go back and get it. Ooops, not a great start.
And so to the grid. Now, ever since my Donington start, people have routinely joked in the paddock that I will probably zip past them off the line. So although I planned the Donington start, I reckoned that the element of surprise that it relied on was probably gone. So when the red light went out and I drove straight past 6 or 7 cars on the grid along the outer edge next to the wall, the thought going through my mind was "I can't believe they're letting me do this AGAIN!".
I managed to get back down the banking to the inside to take the bend and secure those places, before taking my new line into the hairpin. And what do you know - it worked! no-one got past and I kept up with the others. Then straight to the next right-hander (Chapman, I think), and past Tor who had tapped Brian Cauldwell and spun. Through the infield and, miracle of miracles, no-one is getting past and I'm still keeping up! Then at the end of the infield section, a chance to outrun Chris and one other to the bend and swing across in front of them to take the apex and there are another two places!
From then on, I couldn't believe it. Watch the video - a few get past me (thanks for the slide at 5:15, Tor...) but I held onto most of the places I took and largely kept up with the pack. Something "clicked" on Sunday, something told me that the Donington crash wasn't my fault and that the nerves of Brands could go away. It felt right pushing the car just that little bit harder, accepting the odd slide but making better progress.
What's more, I kept this up for the whole 15 minutes and punched the air as I passed the chequered flag. It was a fantastic feeling pulling into the Parc Ferme and watching two cars arrive behind me... three... four... is that a fifth?! So that is (umm...) 19th... no, wait, there was a DNF sitting by the barrier for the last few laps, 18th!!! OK, I know 18th isn't a fantastic result, objectively speaking, but it was for me, and I felt great.
I drove home with tears (almost) in my eyes. I'd done it; that was a proper race, I overtook people, I kept up, and I finished respectably compared to my quali position. I am, now, a racing driver.
Thank you, Caterham.
Comments
11/10/2012 17:53:06: David R
Well done sir!!!...you must teach me how you start so well!!!... Great racing and I reckon you are one to watch next year!!
10/10/2012 23:37:26: Felinfan (Heather Alibakir)
Did I not say that things get better all the time?! Well done.
Leave a comment