Travelled down Saturday to arrive at tea time, was first Euro Saloon on the paddock, got a prime spot next to food outlet and close enough to toilets for those "nervous nature breaks".
Managed to meet up with eBay contact and collect a new bonnet for a tenner - result...
Set up tent and pitch, - retire to bar for beers and something to eat.. met up with some mini guys and chewed the fat until bed time...
Qualifying:
Went round nice and slow to start with, not been here before - nice circuit, apparently less than 1 minute is a target - no chance there, managed 1.02. something or other - wasn't last on the grid - managed to lap 0.7 sec faster than Julian... yippee not last for a change... that's one target met.
Race:
Started on second to last row, with Trevor, Chris in front and Alan alongside, - seems strangely reminiscent of Cadwell - hoped Trevor could find a gear other than 1st... seemed not an issue as he dropped out after a short time - fuelling problems I believe.
Had Julian all over the back off me for a few laps while he was warming up his tyres... got past me after about 3 or 4 laps - bugger - gonna have to work like hell not to finish 5th in class - the Suzuki had retired after 1 lap. - Had full-on sideways incident at Gerard's - managed to correct it and not fall off - must have looked kinda scary from behind - oil on track..
Continued chasing Julian for a few laps - managed to sneak past him on the hairpin at one point only to be caught again on back straight.
Followed him around for a few more laps, got him up the inside on Gerard's, - got a tow behind Stuart, this was payback for a similar move Julian did to me at Brands last time there.
Half way round - noticed Chris parked up near pit straight, got to keep ahead of Julian for a 3rd in class now - yeah like I need more pressure.
Had Julian all over me again, - mostly on the back straight - I had a strange engine stutter while exiting Gerard's - suspect fuel starvation problems. He kept catching me on the bit where I should be faster. - All the way through this Anne-Marie is on the hill near the hairpin, screaming all sorts at me to make me go faster - Apparently... didn't hear a thing.
2 laps from the end - again on back straight Julian was almost along side (on the outside) when I got a bit close to a faster car lapping us, was taking the line and drifting to the apex when I noticed dust in my side mirror - whoops - just ran Julian off the track - mental note to self - "not nice thing to do, gotta go over and apologise after race". Managed to hold Julian off until last hairpin, now its a drag race to the finish line, was on the slightly shorter inside line on last corner, managed to pip him at the line - probably by 0.5 of a second.
nope its official:
69 Tim Morgan-Barrett VW Golf GTi
20:43.244
19 Julian Brown Fiat Punto
20:43.379
Gap
00:00.135
yeah, that's 0.135 of a second - I think
cool hey, two goals in one weekend, - not to qualify last in class, not to finish last in class, and extra bonus got another pot in a field of 6 in class.
16 more points, - still leading class D, and still 6th Overall.