Cadwell Park 1st/2nd September 2001

Circuit guide

For an excellent Cadwell guide from Ten Tenths Motorsport click here.

Race diary:

Well, talk about frantic! Cadwell was due to be an all weekend meeting but due to work commitments that I couldn't avoid, I would have to fly back from the South of France on Friday evening, race on Saturday and then hot-foot it back home so that I could get back to France on Sunday morning - nice!

So whilst I encountered delay after delay, Mart, Stu and Karl where already on their way to Cadwell with the car. I won't bore you with the details but suffice to say that I finally made it to the B&B at 2am! Still buzzing, I probably nodded off about 3. So it was pleasant to hear the alarm go off at 7:30am - NOT! Showering the worst of the sleep out of my eyes we set off for the circuit ready to go through the usual shenanigans with signing on/scrutineering etc.

Like a finely oiled machine, actually, make that - like a sleepy, half pissed bunch of muppets, we got settled in the paddock and prepped the car ready for qualifying. The race was to be held on the full circuit this time which I was looking forward to immensely. I wasn't sure whether to go to the first time drivers briefing as I'd done the short circuit before. Deciding to err on the side of caution I did go and was relieved to find that I DID need to!

Scrutineering was a straighforward affair thanks to keeping the car well prepped and actioning any points that needed attention along the way in the season even if they were only recommendations. The sun had truly got his hat on and the day was turning into a bit of a scorcher - quite a change from the monsoon conditions of a few weeks earlier with the Ultima.

After the usual hello's in the paddock it was soon time to qualify. I tried to get down to the assembly area early to get some clear track but despite leaving well ahead of time there were already a few cars down there ready to go. Oh well, I'd just have to try and find some space out there. The usual nerves kicked in but I just concentrated on going through all the corners in my mind from the descriptions in the Autosport Guide (surprisingly I could remember them all!). Before I had a chance to think about it too much we were off and away.

I stuck to my usual habit of taking it steady for a couple of laps for familiarisation and then get stuck in to try and get a decent time. I'd ended up in the middle of the field and so decided to back right off, let everyone pass and then get in a flyer. So that was the theory but in practice it proved to be a lot harder! Coming into Coppice for the first time I caught some traffic causing me to lift a bit, foot back on the gas and RRRRRMMMMMM!!!!! I'd popped out of gear and into neutral. Back into gear I floored it to be met with bad misfire at around 4.5K. Hoping that the second choke would clear it I kept it nailed but the car couldn't pull past 5.5K revs on the back straight! Damn, damn and damn, I was paying the price of not having it rolling roaded after the trackday (see the build diary and for changing the gearbox without having a chance to test it properly :( So I decided to take it easy, leave a gap then gun it. I must've left a gap from the hairpin to the end of Charlies before getting stuck in at Barn ready for the run down to Coppice. All was fine until I caught the tail enders coming into Park!! Stuck for a way past I tried the same thing again and backed right off through the Gooseneck, Mansfield, the Mountain and Hall bends ready to try again. Fine through Coppice and Charlies then the yellows were out at Park - damn!!! I was getting really frustrated and was running out of time to put in a good one. Same deal on the next lap, leaving space before getting a good drive from the Hairpin despite Ian McLaughlin locking up into it, then down through Barn. I caught up with a couple of tail enders at Charlies but got past easily enough down the back straight. Now I had a bit of a gap and no traffic until SCREEEEECHHHHHH!!!!! Ian McLaughlin (who was 10 seconds a lap slower) decided that he wanted to race me through Park in what can only be described as a bloody dangerous manouver! Totally locked up he drew level forcing me to fluff my line and go wide, I held it together and with a waved fist (I was LIVID!) I tried to get the lap back together. Needless to say this, the gearbox and the misfire didn't do the times much good and I made the best of it that I could.

Back in the paddock I explained the problems to the crew whilst setting off to give Ian a piece of my mind! In fairness, he'd realised his mistake and had come to apologise but it could have resulted in an incident which would have taken us both out. A classic example of overambitious overtaking. At least we WERE still in one piece.

The gearbox problem was down to the remote lever cutout in the transmission tunnel cover being too small. Whilst the gear could be gated it wasn't locking into place and as I came off the power it would 'pop' out. Much filing and scraping of knuckles by Karl and Stu enlarged the whole to give some clearance. Problem one solved. The misfire was going to be a different kettle of spanners though. I had no spare jets with me even if I had felt like playing with them so I decided to do the best that I could with what I had. That was until I'd spoken to Darryl Beckwith (my car parts swapping partner ;) who offered to lend the carb from his spare engine which had been set up. Not set up for my engine of course but it couldn't be much worse could it?! So, we swapped them over and a couple of blasts up the paddock access road showed some improvement but still far from ideal.

We took a short break to watch the bike engined race. These guys are quick and the cars sound fab. A bike engined seven will probably be my next project.

Anyway, by this time the qualifying results were in. I'd managed (if you can call it that) a fastest lap of 2:03.255 which was enough for 8th on the grid but still crap. Not the result I was looking for. Still, the race is a different matter so I just concentrated on doing as well as I could in it despite the problems. At least the engine hadn't gone bang yet!

So to the race. We made our way onto the grid in the usual fashion and got ready to go. Same story with time boards and lights and we were off. Well, most of us were! I made a crap start and struggled to only lose the two places. Damn, I was now in 10th going into Coppice. We were all very careful around each other as we found our own pace through Charlies and the back straight and by Park I'd found some rhythm and got back a place. Got the line a bit pissed round Chris Curve but the Gooseneck was navigated without incident, then coming out of Mansfield - disaster(ish). I grabbed 1st instead of 3rd as I was going back up the box and the rears locked big-time. Half the field (well probably a quarter) streamed past as I struggled to find a cog. Finally engaged I found myself with a bit of a gap then Ian Collins and Mark Benton who were scrapping for position. Thus it stayed for a couple of laps with Ian's fishtailing style making overtaking safely a bit of a challenge and whilst we were fairly matched for speed I was getting much better drive out of Charlies which, with the help of the tow from the cars, allowed me to drift past despite the car struggling to pull past 5200rpm. I got by Ian only for him to go wide and get the place back as we slowed for a spinner at Park which I missed by a few mm! I slipped past again and made it stick through Hall bends, the Hairpin and Barn. Tucking in behind Mark Benton I went to take him through Coppice but didn't have the legs and conceded the inside line to avoid taking us both out as he turned in - I'm so nice to other drivers it's untrue ;) Another lap saw me on his tail all the way. I almost got by into Park but Mark held his line and did a good job on the brakes to hold me off. After following him through the Mountain section I tucked in again got a good tow down the start straight. Choosing my moment I ducked out from behind him to sweep up the hill into Charlies in front where I could drive my own lines with some room. I pulled out a fair gap now that I wasn't held up (no offence chaps) and was reeling in Rodney Gildersleeves nicely and was about 30 yards from him when the fun was stopped as the chequered flag appeared.

So from a crap start and a big mistake at Mansfield, I'd had a fantastic race with Mark and Ian to claw my way back up the field to finish 6th. But the whole story only emerged when the final results were printed out. I'd posted a fastest lap of 1:57.584 which was 3rd fastest in the group which, once the 1st two places had been promoted to the other race, left me on POLE for the Sunday!!! WOOOOHOOOOOO!!!! Hang on, make that BUUUUUGGGGEEERRRR!!! As I'd already mentioned, I was due to be on a plane at 7:30am :(

So there you go. Another 6th place but my first pole position. The car is still running and doesn't require a rebuild (yet), just setting up properly. So I'm looking forward to Lydden where I hope to do both days. There's a cup out there with my name on it and I intend to grab it at the first opportunity! A special mention to Darryl - thanks mate for the loan of the carb, my crew - couldn't do it without your help buddies and Adam Wilkinson who came from the back of the grid with a 10 second penalty to take the win - bast£$*d ;)

The main race was great fun to watch with the front group of cars swapping position until William Mitcham dropped out with fuel supply problems. Darryl took the lead only to be taken by Mike Saunders. Darryl took a mature approach and settled for the championship points that 2nd would bring rather than risk a DNF as Mike held position to take the win. Unfortunately I wasn't there on Sunday to commentate on the proceedings but by all accounts it was as good as the Saturday with only the rain spoiling the fun for the faster guys.

Shame I wasn't there to take that pole position to the flag eh! ;)

Qualifying

Locost 'A' Grid

Locost 'A' Race Results (Sat)