Brilliant weather, brilliant racing, brilliant company. Finally a report with a cheery start!
Saturday
Marcus Wade set pole with a 1.10. Nobody was gonna trouble him all weekend from the Sound of Thunder paddock doing those times and with John Simpson not bothering to show, it meant Marcus already had the Championship because he was 110 points ahead of me in 3rd place. I knew he would have pole it was just a case of working out the rest of the front row. I managed 1.12.8 which was good enough for 2nd with Danny Lister (Honda) and Ben Spiers (Ducati 999) close behind in 3rd and 4th.
Without Simpson I needed 47 points to take back 2nd in the Championship. Finishing 4th in all the races over the weekend would give me enough points but I was up for a fight.
Marcus came out with us for the first race and as expected cleared off with a fastest lap of 1.09!!!!!!!! That left Danny Lister, Ben Spiers and me to fight it out. Danny had got away ahead of me but I was right behind him for a couple of laps, quicker in some places but unable to make a move stick. Then Ben out dragged us down the back straight (Danny and I are not the most aerodynamic of racers and Ben said it was the biggest slip stream he has ever had) that put me in 4th which would have been o.k points wise but as I said 'I was up for a fight'. I couldn't match the pace of them down the straights but put the pressure on in the bends and braking zones. Ben then missed a gear coming out of Russell's and through we went back into 2nd and 3rd. I set about reeling Danny in again and got right on the back of him. I pushed and pushed trying to find a chink in his armour but just didn't have enough. Ben came past down the back straight again on the last lap but I re-took the position through the esses and we all arrived nose to tail into Russells' Chicane for the final time. We stayed in position and all crossed the line covered by just over half a second. What a race. I only finished 3rd but it was awesome fun. After the race we realised the reason we all arrived at the chicane together was that Danny's rear tyre had de-laminated and was falling apart so he didn't get the drive off of Coram. Thinking back I remember something hitting my visor between the Bombhole and Coram, it must have been a bit of his tyre.
As we left Parc Ferme Fred Clark came down from the commentary box to talk to us. He said it must have been frustrating for me doing it all in the bends only to have it all un-done on the straights. He thinks my power to weight ratio was letting me down. Basically i'm fat! But he said it was brilliant to watch and I think the crowd were pretty chuffed too judging by the waving and cheering on the slow down lap.
With Marcus not out for the 2nd race (opting to save it all for the 600's) it was going to be down to the three of us for the win. I got away pretty good again and slotted in behind Danny but Ben came past down the straight. This time I was struggling to stay with the two of them and dropped off a little. Barb gave me signals to say there was no-one behind so I backed it off and brought it home in 3rd for the points. Danny got the win with Ben behind.
A fresh set of tyres for Sunday's qualifying and with Marcus crashing out of the Formula 600 session and breaking his leg ( Get well soon Marcus ) I figured I was on for pole. But I got stiffed By 0.03 of a second by Danny with Ben in 3rd and Steve Edwards on his Ducati 999 rounding out the front row in 4th.
First race
Danny got away into the lead again and was setting a blinding pace but I was detemined to have a go. This time I was keeping in his slip stream down the straights - even closer than the first race on Saturday. I showed him a wheel a few times hoping he would make a mistake so I could nip through and sure enough he got into Sears a bit quick and ran out wide so I pulled it tight and drew right alongside down the start of the Revett Straight. We were alongside looking at each other laughing to ourselves when all of a sudden Ben got the big slip stream from the pair of us and came straight between us about 10 miles an hour faster. I had forgotten about him being back there. Danny managed to get back ahead to take another win whilst I had to take 3rd again.
Still I had managed to get into the 1.11's and that can't be too bad for a fat bloke! Another 3rd meant I was now 1 point ahead of Simpson in the points for the Championship so the last race was for fun.
Danny had elected not to come out for this one so it was Ben and I. I got away in the lead but as was the story all weekend Ben came past down the straight. I could reel him in around the Bomb Hole and Coram and tried to outbrake him into Russell's but couldn't quite pull it off, then getting on the gas hard out of the chicane trying to stay in his slip stream the front came up higher than usual and I thought o.k hook 3rd gear to bring it down, it stayed up, o.k I thought, hook 4th that'll get it down. Nope it came right up and nearly looped I had to close the throttle to bring it down. It came down with such a bang and tank slap that my lap timer fell off and was flying around on top of my handle bars. I kept going until the back straight when I could take a hand off to re-attach it, I looked up to see Ben had cleared off. Bugger. I nearly thought sod it 2nd'll do......but I may have to hang my leathers up next year and if I do, your only ever as good as your last race. So I got my head down and reeled him back in. I tried everything to get past, round the outside, round the inside, on the brakes everything but couldn't find a hole. Then he missed a gear again out of the chicane and I nipped past up the start/finish. I got good drive out of Riches' , but coming into Sears I caught Jason Basilic on his 999, he had pulled off line to let us past but I was just in the wrong place and I lost the drive onto the back straight, sure enough Ben came flying past back into the lead and that is how we finished.
Despite not winning any of the races, it was the best weekends racing I have had all year. If it is to be my last races then at least I can say I tried.
Thanks
Russell #45 or should that be #2
