Season Overview 2004

Looking back through our set-up book that we endeavour to try and keep up to date from race to race made me remember what an up and down year 2004 has been for me. On the surface a championship win in the Pro series, race wins in the US NORPAC series and a 4 th place in the US runoffs, would be seen as a successful season. The reality was however very different as is often the case, something the records always hide.

The season started brightly enough, at Brands Hatch GP circuit, one of my favourite tracks. We had the pleasure of having Dennis Pavlina from the US drive our other Duratec car. His enthusiasm for driving is infectious, and seeing him enjoy the car and the new track experience made the rain during the weekend insignificant. A race win here put my marker down for the season, especially when I knew that I would be in the US for the following round at Silverstone.

Rain was a definite feature of this years racing, both here in the UK and in Oregon and Washington. (They tell me that the wet weather in Portland is the norm, hence I should fit right in!). Oulton Park, Snetterton, and Donington qualifying were all wet, and all eventful. I was lucky to race at Oulton as I was at the time ill with the first bout of my stomach problems that have plagued me during the year. A good old-fashioned battle in the wet with Colin Rodger in his Lola left me totally exhausted, and looking back I was extremely fortunate to finish the race. I was however fighting fit again for the Snetterton race and it proved to be the most competitive of the year. A three way battle for the lead between myself Colin Rodger, and Harry Chapman in the Fox Lola was fought at very close quarters with little grip and even less visibility. At times we were three cars wide, and all on the limits of adhesion while negotiating the wet surface. In the end a rear puncture put pay to my chances of this race win, and a quick wheel change (less than 2mins is fast for an S2!), allowed me to get back on track and finish with 3 wet tyres and a cold slick, a very interesting format that we hadn’t tried in testing before.

The Donington race finally gave me a dry race in the UK, something I was very well looking forward to. We had just received a new suspension set-up from the US that we bolted on the night before the race, and were hoping that it would be a step up in performance again. I had a to settle for second in the early running of the race as Anthony Wilds in his Gunn, pulled out a lead after I had to take evasive action to miss a spinning Lola in Redgate. With clear track ahead I managed to catch, pass and pull out a lead in front, while having to run through the Esses on every lap in 3 rd gear as my 2 nd gear failed to work.

The lap times in the pro cars have really been reduced this year, as every team has raised their game and managed to find how to make the cars in this configuration work better. With times around Donington in the 1min 10 sec bracket these cars are very quick. In my pinto car one of my favourite corners is Corham at Snetterton, it still is a great corner but is now an easily flat out pull. The new challenge is Richies. With the increased grip that we are generating, this double apex corner invites in to a buttock clenching manoeuvre where you lift as little as you dare, feel the g-loads build and hold on to your life. The corner exit looms at such speed that you fail to see the Armco that is merely a few feet away, ready to collect you unceremoniously should you get it wayward.

We have had little time to do any work at all during the latter part of the season, as work life and my health again made ‘car time’ impossible. Between Snetterton and Castle Combe the car never left the trailer. Our set-up for the Combe circuit was well outside the window of performance that we need to be in to compete at the front but we learnt some more valuable lessons.

The final race back at Brands was all about finishing. With loosing out on the Silverstone race earlier in the year, I had to finish well to give me seven scores for the year, and so we did the job we set out to do.

Thanks again to all those around me that put me in the position to do what I love. My wife for her support and understanding in a very pressured year, (and for letting me leave her half way through our summer holiday in France!). Dad for his unending patience and efforts. Paul, and our newest mechanic Scott who put in a lot of his own time between races when I was unable to work. Also to Mom and Richard whose sponsorship and help again through this difficult year.

I look forward to next year, and to all of the new competition that is making the step to the Duratec series.

Nik.