I?ve learnt over the years that in motorsport you can never take anything for granted. Time & time again when you think everything is looking good circumstances beyond your control can pull the rug from under you. I remember approx 10 years ago when I was racing in cadet karts at the Bayford Meadow circuit in Kent. I had a massive lead, probably getting on for half a lap; I was that far in front. It was the final lap of the race and I only had to negotiate one final bend (known as boot hill) and then I?d be on the start/finish straight chequered flag in sight. But mid corner my kart spluttered and died due to a faulty spark plug cap and I coasted to a halt and I could do nothing but watch the entire field pass me. That?s when I learned you never ever take anything for granted. But conversely no matter how bad things are you always try your very best to finish a race no matter what. Those valuable lessons stood me in very good stead last weekend at Knockhill and despite some bad luck I managed to emerge with exactly the same advantage in the championship that I had before the weekend commenced.
We arrived at Knockhill, in Scotland, on Tuesday evening and tested on Wednesday and Friday. With Knockhill being such a long journey for both myself and the Cliff Dempsey Race Team it made sense to take advantage of all of the testing available.
I was very happy with my pace in testing and very happy with the set up changes that we were able to run through on the car although as always there is never enough time to try absolutely everything! But I felt comfortable that we would be in very good shape for the qualifying and the racing no matter what the conditions and my quiet confidence proved to be justified as I recorded the two fastest laps in qualifying giving me pole position for races one and two. My third fastest lap was also good enough to give me a grid two slot for race three just behind championship rival Scott Pye.
Race one took place in cold but dry conditions on Saturday afternoon. I made a good start from pole and about a quarter of the way through the first lap I was unexpectedly pulling away when I expected 2nd placed man Scott Pye to be stuck to my gearbox.
It turned out Pye had a gear box problem and had coasted to a halt with less than a lap completed. My pit board were telling me I had a plus one second gap as I completed lap two and I was pulling away with Josh Hill and Dan Cammish fighting over 2nd place behind. Everything was looking very good! But then just the very thing I didn?t want to see, the safety car board! Scott Pye had made it about three quarters of the way around the very short lap of the tight twisty Knockhill track and was parked just off of the circuit. The clerk deemed that his car was in a dangerous position and whilst I have to say I think this was questionable, I do understand that the officials should always put safety first.
Our races last 18 minutes and the safety car was on track for approximately four minutes so the race resumed around half distance. I was happy with the way I nailed the restart and felt I could pull away again. But this time Hill seemed to be able to keep in my tow as he wasn?t under any pressure from Cammish who had to keep the likes of Anti Buri at bay. The safety car had certainly changed the complexion of the race.
A couple of laps later I slid just a little wide at the hair pin onto the straight. There wasn?t much of a gap but it was just enough for Hill to get alongside and I elected to give him room having more to lose in this circumstance than he did after his problems at the first meeting at Oulton Park.
To be honest there was no panic. I knew Pye was already out of the race and Cammish whilst third didn?t seem to have just enough pace; perhaps he was struggling with handling problems? So if Josh was quick it would be best to follow him for a few laps to break away from the pack which was exactly what we did. I was actually impressed with Josh?s pace in this race but I still felt comfortable behind him and with a few laps still to go I allowed myself the luxury of dropping back just a couple of car lengths to get a good tow and try for fastest lap which is worth an extra championship point. Not only did I set fastest lap but I also created a new lap record. But as we approached the final laps I decided to wind things up. I noticed the odd mistake creeping into Josh?s driving and I began to pile on the pressure. But to his credit Josh soaked it up and with good points at stake I wasn?t willing to try a do or die manoeuvre, on an unforgiving circuit like Knockhill, when I had a safe 2nd place in the bag.
So not so bad so far; 4 championship rounds completed. One win, 3 2nd place finishes, 2 fastest laps, a new lap record, pole for the next race and an increased championship lead. Things were looking good. But as I said at the start of this blog; never take anything for granted!
Race two was on Sunday morning and whilst dry there was a hint of a few spits of rain in the air. I again made an excellent start and held the lead with Pye behind and Hill third. They were having their own private squabble over 2nd place which took the pressure off of me somewhat. But then Hill got through and he began to pressurise me a lot even running into the back of me at the hair pin and lifting my car off of the track. Then as went over the start finish line I held the lead with Hill almost attached to my gear box. But I didn?t defend into the first corner (Scotsman) as there was a clearly a marshal waving a yellow flag for a car off of the circuit. To my surprise Hill overtook me! I thought to myself this must have been seen and will be dealt with appropriately. But I had other things to worry about. My car began to lose power on the straights and I succumbed to the very fat Scott Pye. But the problem I was having was intermittent and I was able to stay in Pye?s tow as we caught Hill back up to create a 3 way dice for the lead. But then Hill began to slow as well as he had sustained a slow puncture and this is when the carnage really began with some drivers resorting to really dubious driving standards. Many cars began to crash off of the circuit including the unlucky Dan Cammish who was airborne and upside at one point! But with my power loss problem worsening by the lap it was all I could do to keep circulating and I was a complete sitting duck on the straights. With just a few laps to go I was down in 5th place but I was sure they would have to deploy the safety car again as so may cars were now stranded around the circuit including Josh Hill?s which was stuck on the curb at Carlube corner and certainly in a more dangerous position than Scott Pye?s was in race one the previous day. But incredibly it didn?t come out and the race ran to its normal conclusion with an amazing 12 of the 24 cars not taking the chequered flag at the finish! I limped home last on the road just pipped on the line by Tristan Mingay in a photo finish. But at least I had saved a few vital championship points. Scott Pye took the win and the fastest lap although this wasn’t under my new lap record.
The team worked frantically to diagnose the power loss problem before race three in the early afternoon. There was definitely a severe drop in fuel pressure so components were changed that would hopefully resolve this. Thankfully all of their hard work paid off and they gave me a very good car for race three.
I started this one from grid two behind Scott Pye on pole, Josh Hill 3rd and Dan Cammish 4th. I was happy with my start but got caught out a couple of laps later when Pye braked much earlier than expected into Scotsman and I locked up trying not to run into the back of him. This gave Hill an opportunity to force his way alongside and I had no option but to yield. This had worked out well for the two Jamun team mates and perhaps it was something they had discussed before hand but this is motor racing and to be fully expected!
Shortly after this a pace car was deployed to deal with the other two Jamun team cars which seemed to have taken each other off so definitely no team orders or tactics on that side of the team! Off of the restart I retained third spot although I rarely missed a gear at Carlube corner allowing Cammish to get alongside on the outside of the hairpin. But I resolutely defended the inside line and resisted his attempt. Once this was dealt with I got my head down and set about closing the gap to the leading pair of Pye and Hill which had opened up considerably. My team manager Cliff Dempsey later described this effort as 5 qualifying laps as not only did I close the gap but I broke my own new lap record set just the previous day and on older tyres!
But Pye and Hill whilst still racing were sensible about it and although I had one final attempt into the hairpin on the final lap in case either slipped up the order remained the same but you could have almost thrown a blanket over the three of us at the chequered flag.
However I was very happy to take another podium. Five podiums in six races is pretty good going and a point?s finish in the other race adds to the consistency. When you add to this 2 pole?s, three fastest laps and a lap record broken (twice) and a retained lead in the championship it’s not too bad at all.
Congratulations to Scott Pye and Josh Hill on taking their race wins (Josh?s first in FF) and also very well done to my team mate Cormac O?Neil for achieving three very respectable finishes at the weekend. A big thank you to the Cliff Dempsey Race Team for doing a sterling job once again and to Raysport and Scholar Engines for all of their help.
Finally a big thank you to my supporters Lynne Baines, Shane Harriott, Stephen Donaldson and Gaynor Robertson for all of their help and making the journey to Knockhill to cheer me along.
I just hope now that we can keep this adventure going!
