2001, Rounds 11 & 12, Lydden Hill

I had another reasonable start and pulled alongside Paul Sheehan, making it stick by the time we cleared the first corner, and set about trying to pass the wily coyote Morgan. He was having none of it - as usual. It seems no matter how many times I get my front bumper ahead of his, he has ALWAYS got the inside line for the next corner and I have to try again. So it was for the first couple of laps - before it all went pearshaped.

Tony Scarlett had qualified even worse than I did, and he was on a charge. As we went into Pilgrims, he took a wild lunge up the inside from way back. I saw him coming (luckily for both of us) and took evasive action. Unfortunately both Sheehan and Stanway took this as an opportunity to pass me - at the same time, and I got a dented door for my trouble.

A couple of laps later as myself, Sheehan, Stanway and Ridd diced for position, the race ended in carnage. I had a birds eye view of what happened, so here it is - try to keep up.....

As we entered Paddock, the order was Sheehan, Stanway, myself, Ridd. Sheehan ran wide exiting Paddock, and got into the edge of the gravel, losing momentum. Stanway got the inside line for Pilgrims, but it was still neck and neck. Stanway was not about to be outbraked, and braked late enough to get to the corner first, but with too much pace, he slid wide. Sheehan took the resulting gap and had the inside line as we entered Chesson's drift. Stanway moved back across to squeeze him out, and Sheehan was not about to budge. The resulting contact sent Stanway to the crash barrier at the inside of the bend. Sheehan braked sharply, and I had to avoid him and went up his inside - to where Stanway was just leaving the track. I braked too, and Ridd started to go wide to avoid us all. Stanway bounced off the inside barrier, and back past my front bumper and directly into the path of Sheehan and Ridd (who was by now the fastest moving car on the scene). Ridd's car gets vaulted across the front of Stanways car as both their cars headed for the tyres on the outside of the corner and Sheehan's headed for the crash barrier on the inside of the corner. When Ridd and Stanway reached the tyres, Stanways car stopped, and Ridd's bounced off, heading back across the track, and collecting Gordon Macmillan, sending him into a spin, which also collected Matt Lewis.

This video sequence (no longer online) captures it all, and was shot by Bob 'steady hand' Watling. My thanks to him for lending me the tape. The stills above are also from this video. During the aftermath, Darren Blumson took GREAT delight in passing me - but since the race was declared at the end of the previous lap, it doesn't count, and so he STILL has not been in front of me at all this year! Keep trying Darren.

Sunday's race I started even lower due to not setting a fast enough lap while I was fighting for positions on Saturday. This time the start was average. Ahead Potter had a terrible start, and I drew alongside him. Behind, Dan Neil had a flyer, and he came the other side of me. As the track narrowed, I got squeezed, and braked to get out of there. My thanks to whoever shunted me up the arse at this stage for helping me keep at least some momentum. Bugger, still got it all to do.

Passed Dan Neil with a better run out of Paddock, passed Paul Mcmillan as he lost momentum pushing Tyrrell sideways round the Devils' elbow, had to have several goes at Potter before I could get through at Chesson's. Now I was gaining rapidly on Tyrrell. He signalled me past as we exited the Devil's elbow a couple of laps later - and it took an eternity to haul my HEAVY car up the hill past his light little Swift. The next lap was another good one, and I started pulling in Morgan ahead, but then things started to go wrong. The tread on one of my tyres was seperating from the rest of the moulding, causing bad vibration, brake lockup, poor grip, and a general feeling of doom. I could not catch the rest, and after seeing the tyre after the race, I am amazed I was able to carry on at all.

Paul Taylor won, Shepherd was second, Burgess third - in BOTH races. My 9th and 7th have not exactly helped my championship chances against the top 3 drivers, but there are still two races to go! Meanwhile Scarlett still refuses to liven up the championship by ever having a bad day, and is now looking pretty secure for the title.