dbRacing - NSSCC Race Report Croft 24/25th May 2003

NSSCC Race Report Croft 24th/25th May 2003

Practice

Following the Silverstone race I was fortunate to get an entry on the day to this meeting having endured a wet Thursdays "testing" at Castle Combe, the main object of which was to get a few miles on the brand new engine. Still chasing decent suspension settings I tried some which had worked a Castle Combe but these proved to be unsuitable giving understeer followed by oversteer at the essential Jim Clark Esses / Barcroft part of the circuit. It had just started to rain, and with a completely smeared windscreen which subsequently proved to be due to oil mist from another competitor, I elected to come into the pits after just two laps. By the time the screen was clean and the suspension changes were made the rain had completely soaked the track making further improvement impossible. Fifteen minutes after the session ended the track was dry again.

I had qualified, but was way down the grid in 18th place, and still had no idea of the balance of the car. Sundays race could be fun !

Race

Just like the previous day the weather was fine & sunny, except when we were due out on track. As we waited in the collection area a couple of nasty clouds moved overhead and the rain came down. Yet again this was to be the only precipitation of the whole day and it had now happened in three out of four NSSCC races.

When the lights went green I did my usual wet race "nipping down the shops" start and made good progress forward. On the row in front was the 993 of Paul Livesley. I was hoping that he would make a storming start and I could follow him through, but he was slow to react to the lights and I initially ended up in front of him. Clervaux was very busy but everyone got through safely. This was not the case at the chicane where Mick Starkey & John Martinson made contact sending tyres spinning all over the track. Once that was negotiated I had a very lonely race. The cars in front pulled away from me, while I created space behind me. I should have gone faster, but the car was suffering from severe understeer and lack of grip. Quite a few times I broke traction in a straight line as I accelerated out of the hairpin and down the straight. With about 5 minutes to go I passed Geoff Morton in his Honda CRX as he was recovering from what looked like an outbraking manoeuvre in the complex. A couple of laps later he passed me without any problems & I crossed the line in 13th place overall, 5th in class.

The car was immediately loaded onto the trailer and after the awards ceremony we set off for Castle Combe. This was a busy bank holiday weekend.