24/08/2022
Brands Hatch Gp. 13-8-22
I know…I know. The write up is a bit late. Coming up for 2 weeks late but I’ve been busy with other bits.
There is another reason too which I will address at the end of this.
It was a hard one. Weather wise near on the hottest day of the year. Some 32 degrees before adding a poorly vented race car and a few layers of fire retardant clothing!!
Luckily my local track so that helped and luckily we had the garages this time which gave us good cover from the heat and sun.
44 cars starting in quali. An average qualifying round of 25 minutes put me into 22nd out of 44. This also included more guest (G) drivers as a group than any of us. A total of about 12 of them. Reckon there’s more pace for the race as I’m still about 3 seconds shy of my best time around the GP circuit.
Come the race according to the commentator the Marshalls put me 2 grid rows further back than I should be. 🤦♂️ . Green flag lap then a standing start. There was some confusion an the day, standing start, rolling start etc. Anyway lights out and a fairly good start jumping a few cars but also very narrowly missing a stranded non moving car on the grid. Get into the rhythm and head down and pacing myself due to the heat and didn’t want to kill the car. Found my pace and then we have a safety car after maybe 8 laps in. Turns out to be a Mazda D class car that ran out of skills that lost it coming out of the last left hander on the GP loop. The same fella thought it fair play to dive bomb me in the two previous corners. There’s a lesson learnt.
We’re now into the pit window and just as the safety comes in I’m in the pits to take our compulsory 2 minute pit stop. Somethings amiss though. The steering isn’t right. With the steering wheel 45 degrees off centre and keeps moving having no confidence with what’s going on. . Now worried we’re not going to continue never mind finish. No obvious sign of anything so opted to get out with fingers crossed. Pit stop of 2 mins 7 seconds. (Better than my last Snetterton c**k up).
Not sure with what’s going on or whats going to fail soldiered on regardless. Actually getting use to the failed steering as time went on. So much so my last lap was my fastest lap of the day!!??? 🤷♂️
Annoyingly we had our race time cut from 45 minutes to 40 minutes. Take the chequered flag to still finish 22. Turns out even though robbed of 5 mins racing the car wouldn’t have made the last 5. The n/s/f shock nut had stripped, pulled the shock out the hub and was flailing for the best part of the race. Wearing the tyre almost through and rubbing the alloy wheel. Race done and back to the pit lane where Jnr had a message waiting for me on the pit board. (See photos)
This was the last planned race that I’d be taking part in. After 10 years racing the Focus with Paul jnr as pit crew it’s time to hang up my race suit. I’ve met and raced with some great people over the years. Still in Contact with those too. Things getting dearer and cars changing, also the spirit of the sport changing I believe it’s that time. I may slot into another race before the end of the year if things suit but failing that I may well have taken my final chequered flag 🏁. I must add that had it not been for the support of being in this team with my son, Paul jnr I wouldn’t have gone on for the 10 years. It was a great father and son thing to be able to do. Also if you have read this far, Thank you to you too for following and taking an interest in our racing over the last 10 years.
Credit again to Mark Lees photography for some great photos.
