Two years ago, Crystal Palace was the venue for my fourth sprint. I was surprised and pleased at the time to do quite well, leaving with two class wins and a top 3 overall. With two seasons of experience behind me and two years developing the car, I thought this year might be more successful. Then the entry list came out. A factory Radical SR8 driven by an experienced and talented racing driver and the existing class record holder in his 480bhp V8-powered Pilbeam hinted that I might not have it all my own way.
I arrived at the venue raring to go and drove down the hill to the paddock via the finish line, partly because there's a steep change in gradient that smacks the splitter and partly because it's a lovely drive around the outside of the track. At scrutineering, I was again hauled up on the unorthodox wing position, but my Blue Book now falls open on the right page, so proving eligibility was simple enough. For the first run, the car was misfiring badly and I stalled several times to the line (thanks to everyone who helped restart me!) before heading off. On the first upshift, the gear lever came away in my hand. I'd used a 4mm bolt to avoid the shaft, but as the helpful Radical engineer explained back in the paddock, the reason for the larger bolt is to stop it falling off. 5mm bolt re-fitted with two new plugs (yes, it was running on two cylinders - 500cc and 90bhp) and I could take some time off my 39.60 from first practice.
Second practice went better, but I braked too early for the first corner, was hesitant through turn 2, taking an early turn-in. Again, I was early on the brakes into the hairpin and turned in too early, getting on the throttle late as a result. I locked the rear on the downshift into the chicane, arriving on opposite lock and being late on the throttle on the exit. I was also hesitant through North Tower bend, picking up a new bit of information for next time round. Despite the areas I could improve, I still managed a PB of 35.58.
Buoyed by a good practice and leading the class at the time, I was confident for the afternoon. Unfortunately, the afternoon was a dead-loss. Heading into the hairpin, I brushed the throttle when I hit the brakes. Given that I was concentrating on braking as late as possible, there was no margin and I headed for the tyres at an uncomfortable pace. Knowing the tyres are at an angle, I coaxed the nose into the corner to give myself more slowing down time. I hit the bank with enough force that it slowed me down enough to miss the tyres, but that broke the pushrod. The pushrod wedged itself into the wishbone clevis, which allowed me to drive back to the paddock, but it was game over for the day.
Overnight, a fellow competitor fabricated a new pushrod and I had it fitted by 06:30, ready to drive down and sign on. The weather was fantastic, but the guys the day before had been stonkingly quick. I'd watched from the outside of turn two leading to the hairpin and Roger Green was incredible. A drive that deserved FTD, but a big car like that on circuit wets would never have been able to do it. He did take the class record though and David was out to prove himself by slaughtering me and taking that record back.
First practice was a shakedown after the confidence-knocking shunt of the previous day. I locked up into the first corner and carried first gear to the hairpin, being very tentative. I locked up again on the downshift into the chicane and was tentative into North Tower, but pushed on through to try and find the limit through the second half. The result was a 37.97.
The gloves came off in second practice and I went to put in a time. I hit the limiter by the apex in turn 2, so made a note to upshift before turn-in next time. I had understeer at the hairpin, which led to running wide and being late on the throttle. The result was 35.37 and a new PB.
In the afternoon, my first timed run was what can only be described as EPIC! I couldn't fault it and it netted me a 34 second run. I was second in class, but with Gary amalgamated from the single seater class and bound to take FTD, a class win was on the cards. I was just a tenth clear of David in his Pilbeam, but with nothing more to give, I was certain that he'd scalp me in the next two runs.
In the second timed run, the throttle cable snapped just before the hairpin and I rolled back into the paddock under marshal-power - thanks, guys! David was kind enough to give me a spare cable and all the guys in class (plus a helpful passing racer) jumped on the car to get me ready for one last run. I lined up ready for one last hurrah, but no expectations of going quicker, especially as there was oil down on the exit of the hairpin.
I gave it too much into turn 1, missing the apex slightly. I slightly dodgy turn-in to turn 2 suggested it might possibly be flat. 76mph down the short straight into the hairpin, I again got mid-corner understeer fron the still cold left-front tyre. I countered it with a stab on the throttle and a bit more lock, keeping tight on the exit to avoid the oil. I wasn't late enough on the brakes into the chicane and then tentative into North Tower, but hot through the finish. The result was a new class record, a class win and 2nd overall.
Thanks to all the guys who helped me that weekend, whether a hand on the bodywork, fabricating parts or stood on a marshals' post. If you were not there, things would not have worked out for me.
Here's the video of what you made possible...
There's clearly some work to do, so I've dropped the car off with Jo White at Vulcan Dezign to make permanent fixes for the temporary fixes of last weekend, work on the brakes that keep locking too easily and do some aero mods. I'll be picking it up again and heading straight to Abingdon Carnival on Saturday to try and score maximum points!
