Ideally, I would have posted this race review about a week ago, but it was quite emotional and I wanted to make sure that I got my facts straight. You'll see why...
Before we get into any of the racing, I have to say that this is probably the most beautiful race track I have ever raced. It was my first time there and I know that everybody says that it is stunning. You know what? They are right and the weather was equally brilliant!
Back to JSCC and the racing. For testing on Friday we had 6 20 minute sessions. That's 2 hours of track time. Amazing! On top of that we also had a 15 minute paid practice session on Saturday. I was READY for the quali.
Based on last year's times I was aiming for 1:25.xxx and I managed to get that. However, this year was fast. Despite achieving my target, I only qualified 21st, 19th and 21st for the three races. It was actually the largest grid JSCC has ever had with 31 entries. Could have been better, but could also have been worse (like last time at Pembrey).
Race one was great and I finished 15th, which actually earned me the trophy for the most positions gained.
Race two was a little strange. It was actually a really good race, but I finished 4 places down from where I started. Not a great result in terms of numbers, but reviewing it with my coach Stuart McLaren, I did everything right. Well, you live and learn. So all in all, not great, but not bad neither...
...and then we got to the third race, which for me was an unmitigated disaster! I had my best start of the weekend and at the first corner it was all over. The three cars in front of me had a huge racing incident, which meant that one of them came flying into me at full speed. My first ever full blown accident with ambulance and recovery van. Have a look at the Insta reel:
I have left out the accident detail on purpose, but I think you can still see how bad it was.
I really would like to thank the marshals, the medics and the recovery team for looking after me and my mates. When your front wheels point into different directions you know that the race is over.
They say that you can't appreciate what racing is really about until you have had your first crash. Well, I have this one ticked off now.
So, the next round is at Oulton Park, onwards and upwards...
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