Many thanks for the comments, they are appreciated.
Very very mixed day, but hopefully it kept Jamie amused on a bitterly cold day
First up, must mend the screen so the heated element works again as it took ages to get the screen so I could see to go out for qualifying.
Once out there the damp track was evil on my dry tyres and even with a quarter throttle, it just lit the tyres up, plus coupled with the fronts locking every time I went near the brake pedal meant my grid position was pants !
I was trying a new pad compound and couldn't get the compound for the rears I really wanted , so the brake balance was no good.
I then fitted an old set of pads which made things a little better in the first race, yes I went from 24th to 7th and set fastest lap but because of the brakes it nobbled me and I wasn't a happy bunny
Everyone had left the pits and I just finished put Hans Device and crash helmet on and down it poured !
Lisa thought I was crazy to panic changing my tyres to wets but as I said "I would rather not make the race than just ride around at the back like in qualifying"
As you know, this left me starting from the pit lane joining only once all the cars had gone by.
Immediately I knew this was the correct choice and had an amazing amount of grip to be able to climb through the field, had one lucky escape when a car spun as I got to it out of Mcleans and so to the last lap and with the leader within reach, coming up to Coppice, as the in car will show, I was being cautious as I didnt want to get up under him and maybe have the back step out and collect him.
This let him move across down the Dunlop straight down into the Fogarty esses , It will be interesting to see the in car as was only a few feet to the left than normal with the intention of undercutting him to out drag him to the line out of the essses.
To have come that far though the field, there was no way I was going to willingly settle for second
I had been braking very gently into the esses all the race but this time, literally the instant I went near the pedal the car violently swopped ends with no hope of control.
Getting out the car, I then remembered that Carl Hayward said a Civic had dropped oil there in practice, the four marshals quickly confirmed that yes there was oil down where I spun, shame there wasn’t at least a static slippery flag out at that point, but it is what it is.
I wasn’t happy after the first race but, gravel trap aside, I think this turned out to be my most enjoyable and satisfying race on the year.
I have since contemplated , should I have just tucked in behind him and settled for second ?, but after coming through the entire field then settling for second, it would have felt the same as sitting in the gravel trap anyway !!!!
