Last corner at Snetterton
Friday practice was the first time I had been in the car for a while but, being one of my favourite circuits, I soon started to make progress.? Session one went well with Iwas getting faster and faster each lap and the team making adjustments to set up.? Session two, however, wasn?t quite so successful!? For no apparent reason, I went in the Esses and my front nearside wheel feel off!? All four bolts had sheared leaving the little Abarth nowhere to go other than in a straight line onto the dirt!? The session was, therefore, red flagged whilst the marshalls did a sterling job and get the car onto the flatbed without causing too much more damage (very difficult with only 3 wheels still attached to the car!).
As a result, I missed nearly two sessions of time on track whilst Derek and Andy from Reflex Racing fixed the car and fitted a new wheel hub, bearings, hub nut and studs ? and a new front splitter as a result of the journey into the dirt!
I did, however, manage to get back on track before the end of the day to scrub in some new front slicks and also put in my fastest lap of the day.
Losing the wheel mid corner was quite scary, although I?m just glad it happened in a slow corner or the damage would have been much more substantial.? I also lost a lot of track time as a result so was going to have to play catch up again for the weekend.
Pushing towards the pit straight
Saturday began with sign on and a drivers briefing when all competitors were told that they would be penalised if all four wheels left the circuit and went over the kerb at any point.? This meant that everyone pretty much had to change their line through Sears which could also affect the speed down the longest straight on the track!? The Norfolk sun was shining and the temperature already soaring as all of the Abarth drivers went out for a 25 minute qualifying.? I went out and again chipped away at my lap times, finishing with a 1.24.520 which would place me 8th on the grid for Race 1.
Race 1 on Saturday afternoon was fairly uneventful!? I got off to a good start and had a battle with Clio driver Alistair Barclay.? Almost every driver (including me!) got a black and white warning flag for going over the kerbs and several also had drive through penalties!? I finished 8th and, despite the new line through Sears and my tyres going off, managed to put in a lap time of 1.23.968, nearly half a second faster than my qualifying time on new tyres!? I was obviously getting to grips with the circuit and the car again!
Sarah and Paul Smith
Race 2 was a little more exciting!? Firstly, there was the heat!? Being the hottest day of the year so far and temperatures reaching 30 degrees, everyone agreed that a 30 minute race would be testing for everyone!? I tried to keep as hydrated as possible before the race and even put my fire proof underwear in a bucket of cold water and my balaclava in the freezer before the race!
I started the race in 9th but, by the end of lap 1 and the first lap melee was in 4th!? A few laps later, Championship leader, Charlie Butler Henderson had caught up with me.? I managed to hold off Charlie for a few laps before he got a tow down the straight and passed?me into the Esses.? I tried to get back on terms with Charlie but he just managed to edge away, leaving me coming home in 5th position and my best result of the season so far.? ???
Sarah being pursued by Charlie Butler Henderson
It was a tough race and the heat was just stifling!? Overall, I?m very pleased with the progress that the team and I made this weekend.? We just need more time in the car which at the moment has been very difficult due to my work commitments!? We?ve made a huge leap forward this weekend though and need to continue building on that.
The next round is at Silverstone on the 24th and 25th July 2010 with the Silverstone Classic weekend.
