Rude Awakening

Been away for a bit following the races a couple of weeks back so this is my first chance to update. My first race meeting back wasn't a particularly brilliant one if I'm honest - settled back into the flow in Saturday testing (I was out with the Classic Saloons as the legends session had for some reason been lumped in with the XR2/ST field, the two biggest entries, and was full) and on Sunday morning set a 66 in the warm up which is a couple of seconds behind where I was at the height of my learning process back at the end of '07 but not too bad for my first timed session since August, though it was still a disappointment given how much I like the #68.

It then went a bit downhill - I drew the pole for the "Gentleman's Grid" in the first heat which was around 18th of 26 but at the race start I immediately felt a bit uncomfortable as it was my first time back in crazy traffic since the accident. Fell back pretty quickly and tried to settle but I'm still getting used to the gearbox in the 68 which requires a much firmer hand on the downshift than my old car did and I managed to miss 3rd gear at MacIntyre a couple of times during the day. I then went into the chicane far too quickly and smashed the corner marker to pieces (should look good on TV if they caught it) but was lucky to not lose control or be hit by Tim Nichol who was following on behind. Got the black and white driving standards flag for hitting the bollard (bit unfair - I was clearly out of control at the point I hit it rather than cutting the corner to gain any advantage, but still) so just hung back and completed some "testing" laps to get to the flag and register a finish.

The second race was held just after a downpour at lunch time - nightmare. The spray in the pack was utterly hideous and I could barely see a thing. That was solved by spinning at Clark a couple of laps in with Pat Hynds and Nichol in close attendance, Tim following me round in sympathy. With the car pretty much undriveable as it felt like it was on ice and me being a bit rattled I just tried to learn what I could, doing my best to keep well out of the way of the leaders when they lapped me at the end.

The final was in greasy half-dry conditions and I did my best to hold Tim back but once again missed 3rd into MacIntyre and he nipped by. My confidence in these sorts of conditions is always pretty low but I was way off the pace I should have been and was so determined to just finish that I didn't push the way I should have done and paid for it by coming home stone last.

My pace in the dry (warm-up and race 1) was two seconds per lap off what it should be and I'll be looking to make an improvement at the next round at the end of May as even given my time away from the cockpit I should have been quicker than that.

No excuses next time!