It was a roller coaster of a day. We were up, we were down, but thankfully we were never out and in a sprint finish to the line we arrived 4th.

Qualifying

The morning was cold, overcast and at times drizzling. It would have been safe to anticipate that the rain had settled in for the day but shortly before our practice session it stopped and left a green but almost dry circuit. Qualifying strategy at Thruxton is relatively simple " find somebody to draft, for a significant length of the lap and you will be at the front. It matters relatively little about how technical your lap is, or even how well you are braking " a tow can easily be worth more than two seconds. During qualifying something unfortunate was apparent. Yes, the head stud from Donington was replaced but the engine felt seriously underpowered. I know this for two reasons. Number one, Goodwood was far, far too easy. Goodwood is the sort of corner which makes the hairs on your neck stand up each time you enter it. It is an exhilarating and unique corner and one which is integral to a good lap. But this wasn't, it was easy, the car was just barely stepping out of line and the circuit wasn't even offering as much grip as before. The second reason being how difficult it was to draft. I spent a number of laps running with Donn and I was continuously dragged towards him but did not have to power to pass him. Anyway, we qualified 7th, which was a bit disappointing really but could have been a lot worse.

The race

Between qualification and the race we found some dirt in the carburettor which we suspected could be part of the problem. On the green flag laps (of which there were three!) the throttle certainly felt more responsive, but I could not be sure it was the problem. Despite trying to rain, for the start of the race it would be dry. I made a good start and held position into the Complex for the first time. Coming out of Segrave and towards Goodwood my fear became reality. You see, if you have a down-on-power engine during qualifying, as a driver, you can compensate. If you can maintain the momentum through the corners you don't need to rely on the engine having all the horsepower you want and if you have a clear track, or even a tow, you can give the impression that it isn't all that bad. However, in a race all that happens is you become a spring-board for the cars behind you. I was getting completely swallowed up and dropping down the order. By lap two I was at the cusp of the top ten and I felt like a soldier awaiting attack, frantically running out of ammunition on the back straight out of Church. Then it began to rain. At first it was just drizzle, but it soon became an intermittent shower. It's funny, I spent the week before the race hoping it would stay dry and then ironically, it would be my savior as a power deficiency seldom matters in the wet. As the track became greasy I began working my way back up the field, reaching third in little time. On roughly lap eight I took the apex of Church with a surprise. As I reached the crest of the hill the front bodywork flew off my car and into the sky. Unfortunately I now had yet another reason to be slow in a straight line " airflow over the car was buffeting against my legs and into the cockpit. I dropped back to 4th the next lap, behind Paul Smith and bided my time. I knew the last lap board would come out soon, and following is where I wanted to be. Sure enough, next time around it was given and I would have to make a choice. I closed up out of the Complex to get a run out the back. I drafted towards him approaching Church, using a back-marker as a further tow as we ran side by side up Woodham Hill for the last time. I had the outside, he the inside and as we approached there was a slower car in the center of the road. I went to the left and he went to the right and in a oscillating move we touched wheels at the apex. We both staggered to the line, finishing 3rd and 4th respectively. There is no regret in that attempting that move and I stand by what I did. Paul expressed his distaste to me, which I must admit is a shame. Afterall, we are supposed to be racing drivers, not chauffeurs. I will try to overtake at the first corner, the last corner and any corner because that is what I live for. Don't think I wont, don't ever think I wont. So, how do we conclude this one? 4th is our highest finish in the championship, but I must admit that I can't shake a feeling of being somewhat disappointed. Brands Hatch is a fortnight away and I doubt we will be able to rely on the weather again. One thing is for sure, the engine has to be sorted - once and for all. Many thanks to John Andrews and Andy Robbins for the marked photos.