(1) After a dry test day at Lydden and the Wideband O2 meter showing exactly 12.5 on all full power throttle applications the first race of the year on the 12th of April dawned.

Ready to roll

(3) I qualified 4th. First John (The Blackbird), 2nd Alan (the Blade), 3rd Trevor (BD power) 4th me (VX). Best qually time for John was 44.034. My time 45.692. Trevor was pretty quick with this time considering his car had just been built and not run before. I a later race he did a 43.5! I got a good start but the experienced wise timers Alan and Trevor squeezed me to stop me getting up the middle. Marcus was quick around Chessons and up the inside in a late manouver. I had to move over and there was Rob on the outside. He made some room but was on the grass and kitty litter and off. Sad start to his race career, but glory for him later!

2nd corner, Devils Elbow (Photo courtesy of SGSS design)

(5) As I could not maintain mid 45's Darren's high powered VX loomed quickly out of nowhere. We lapped some slower cars. I got on it again (managed a 45.8) and we tussled for a little while. Again swapping places. I nearly got by Darren as he over cooked it at Paddock but it was too late the flag was out and he just pipped me by 2 hundreths of a second. I counted myself lucky to have the old girl in one piece after the first lap close encounter! So I finished 5th.

Battling with Darren (Photo courtesy of SGSS design)

(2) The bikers. These peskily quick machines are on the left Alan's Blade and on the right John Bird's Bird. They were a bit too quick for all else that finished the race.

The Bikers

(4) I then had an epic battle with Marcus. Not in my class but racing is racing. I got my times down to 45.344. We swapped places 5 times in as many laps. We were really on it and I got a black and white flag for crossing the white lines a bit too much. So reportedly did some others. I backed of little while I thought about the black and white flag. Racing drivers aren't supposed to think to much. Now I know why! In the end Marcus was too strong for me, my 2 season old tyres showing their age. I also lost out big time out of the Elbow and down hairy hill due to no LSD. The laps ticked by. I decided to ride shot gun behind Marcus at a 'safe'distance. He pulled out a few seconds. His somewhat tuned 1.6K was quick and had good balance, I could see that. I was careful not to let my concentration lapse as that could spell distaster esp. at Paddock. My tyres continued to loose a bit of grip and I slipped in to ~46 secs per lap.

Marcus and I (Photo courtesy of SGSS design)

(6) I Started the J.T race on the 2nd flagging. Rob G was alongside me. He and 7 friends had swapped the steering arm from Rob Margel's car to allow Rob to get on track again. He got a good start and I was a bit stuck behind the slow to start but quick lapping Radical of Alexander M. The Radical cleared off and Rob and I battled the whole race. I could not get enough traction to get alongside, let alone overtake. Dennis who took virtually all my lap time in every race got me down as a 45.5 at best so the tyres were not that bad. Rob was understeering in and oversteering out :-) We crossed the line a cars length apart and the Radical was on my rear wing having nearly lapped us. So, I was 2nd behind Rob (his first victory of many I reckon). The Radical was 3rd. A very close well set out J.T Handicap race. Many thanks to Dennis for taking all my lap times and using the heat gun to get all the temps of my tyres.

Whizzing round in the JT race in 2nd place (Photo courtesy of SGSS design)