dbRacing - NSSCC Race Report Croft 28/29th June

NSSCC Race Report Croft 28th/29th June 2003

Practice

Having been comfortable with the handling of the car at Brands Hatch I decided to leave well alone and simply go out on track with the same settings. The car immediately felt good and I passed many cars on the first few laps. On about lap 6 I had caught the 911 Carrera RS replica of Steve Rogers which is fitted with a much later 3.6 engine. After a lap of hard chasing we entered the complex and I began to recognise the tell tale signs of 911 breakaway. This gave me sufficient time to take avoiding action as I continued with my lap. By the time I got down to Clervaux however the red flag were out. Little did I know that he had stopped in an unsafe position and needed some recovery.

The track was cleared quickly and we continued with practice but after just another 2 laps the red flags were out again and the session was over. I thought I had qualified quite well but the timekeepers had a different idea, possibly because we had forgotten to affix the transponder and I was credited with a time in the 1:41s, good enough for 14th on the grid behind Ryan Upson in his Rover Tomcat, Mick Starkey in his XR2 and David Hoyle in the Renault Spyder all of which I had caught and overtaken.

With no car issues it was time to go home to watch the F1 qualifying and hoped for a dry and busy race the following day.

Race

As I lined up on the grid I decided that provided I got a good start I would try to follow Steve Rogers, who had qualified just next to me, through the field. The lights changed and I got an absolutely cracking start pulling ahead of both cars on the row in front of me. Unfortunately David Hoyle had not fared so well and suffered from second gear wheelspin that was so severe that I had to brake to avoid hitting him. The meant I lost the two places and though I tried to move to the left to prevent Ryan Upson getting past I had nowhere to go and was forced to the riskier outside line at Clervaux. Forcefully negotiating Hawthorn I kept David Hoyle behind me and prevented Simon Baker in the XR2 nipping through.

The car felt good through the critical top part of the circuit and I closed up on Ryan Upson at Barcroft. I decided that there was no better time to make the move and I passed him under braking for Sunny In. On the next lap Ray Pollock in his Escort Cosworth passed me on the run to Barcroft and I stayed with him for a couple of laps as first he caught and passed Mick Starkey, then it was my turn. I initially was going to have a go under braking for Tower but actually passed him on the exit on the approach to the Jim Clark Esses.

The next car in sight was David Cox's Honda. After closing on him for a few laps and getting the gap down to less than two seconds the car seemed to be losing the ability to turn right. I began to think that the Croft kerbs were about to claim another front strut and was partially cautious round Barcroft on that lap. Another lap and I used the kerb at the chicane more than I intended and the problem got worse, accompanied by some wheel vibration. Though the car did not feel too bad my times had dropped into the 1:42's and David Hoyle started to catch me. At least he did until the 10th lap..... a glance in the now clear rear view mirror meant that he had fallen off at Barcroft. I just did sufficient on the final couple of laps to prevent Ryan Upson catching me. Overall I finished 12th having made up 3 places and losing one to Ray Pollock but had I done the sort of lap times in 2002 I should have been in line for a top 6 place.