Thruxton - August 25/26th

A glorious sunny August weekend was the setting for our latest outing. The fifth race of the eight race championship was going to be an important one.

This race last year had been the start of Richards domination of the field, and since then we had only failed to win one race at Snetterton where we were second. At Cadwell last time out Richard had been an easy winner, here at Thruxton it was to be different. We went out to qualify with no previous running on a dry track, last year had been damp or wet, it showed in the times. Richard hit the 1.18 s and could do no better, after only two laps he came in to report this slow progress around this very fast circuit.

Three more short stints proved no better, the gearing was just too short as he was on the rev limiter for most of the track. A sixth place on the grid was all we could do, and nearly two seconds off the flying Harry Chapman in his Lola, with John Finch in his new Lola next up. The only good news being that Rupert Russell in his Van Diemen was still the first sector fastest car and Richard was second quickest in the second sector. We needed to change some gear ratios, up until this race we had never changed a single ratio, we put in a balanced set in late 2005 and had not taken them out!. Most of the time Richard just drove around the tracks and made them fit, here it was different.

Mike Turner, who had been unlucky the previous day with his car and a sticking throttle, gave us the correct ratios for Thruxton. Richard and I then fitted the previous fifth to fourth and put in a higher fifth gear. We also put the car on a flat bed, thanks to the Snowden crew and John Finch. We made a couple of small changes but really just confirmed that all was well on the corner weights.

The race was on, Richard made a good start from sixth on the grid and was up to fourth as they went out of sight. When the cars came back onto the finishing straight he was third behind Chapman and Mills. As lap three was about to finish Chapman hit the chicane kerbs, and put his car into the wall.

Tom Mills took the lead, with Richard hard on his tail, two laps like this before they brought out the safety car to clear Chapmans car from the circuit. Two laps behind the safety car, and as the green came on Richard caught Tom and they went side by side through the first two bends before Richard had the inside line and held the lead. As they rounded the chicane onto the finish straight Richard led from Rupert Russell in his Van Diemen, Mills having gone off the track.

John Finch had made good use of the safety car and was now flying, on lap ten he got past Russell and closed on Richard, making his move into the chicane, and gaining the lead. John put in a blinding 1.16.5 to set a new lap record. Richard stuck to John and recorded a 1.16.8 next lap as they battled, he closed on John on lap 14 and tried a move at the chicane but had to back out, this lost him time and he dropped back a little.

Over the next two laps he made up the time and was in a position to take advantage of traffic that slowed John Finch momentarily. Richard re-took the lead and held it for the last three laps, with a second to spare at the checker. A great win for us as our nearest championship rivals failed to finish or were a long way down the field.

John Finch clearly has class, the new Lola is now much improved, but the Juno was well off the pace. The Glooball Light and Dave Mountain still have one to climb! Ian Doble was just amazing in the Carbir, a 1.17.16 is no mean feat, well done Ian.

Rupert Russell third and Mike Johns who finished fifth, are doing as predicted in their revised Van Diemens.

We have new faces and new money in the series, and in spite of all the pre- season hype from the big boys,they have yet to deliver.

I still have a Van Diemen for sale should anyone like to run at the front in a car they can buy for half the money of a new Lola or Juno.