Birmingham
25/08/07

After cancelling my booking for the last Birmingham due to finding the broken oil filter housing the part duly turned up the following day so got back on the phone to re-book in on the Friday and spent most of the night getting the car sorted.  Paul Maybe from New Zealand who is here for the V8 world final came over to give me a hand and by way of a thank-you he was to take the car out in paid practice before the Birmingham session.

We got to Birmingham about 3PM which gave Paul time for a couple of practice sessions before the meeting. Paul seemed to enjoy himself but insisted on driving like he was on shale, smoking the tyres all the way round the track, Lee Smith (76) was also on track at the same time and must have wondered what was going on as the 278 car continued to deposit £200 worth of Hoosier into the atmosphere and onto the track!!!

After Paul’s excursion it was time to get the car sorted for the main meeting, Paul kindly bought me a tyre for the inside rear which Steve got fitted and we were all ready to go. Got off to a good start in heat 1, had a superb race with Chris Cooke (460) where we swapped bumper paint and places for a few laps with Chris spinning out (I think) somewhere in the process. I was really pleased with the way my car was handling and although I dropped a few places to the top men I seemed to be holding my own. The car had a slight push going into the turns but was very stable and when I did get hit the back end didn’t step round which is what had been happening before. Going into the last lap I was in 7th with Dan Johnson (4) behind me and knowing he would try to get past I went very deep into the last turn, this allowed Dan to come up the inside of me and it was then a drag race to the line. As we put the power down we both slid towards the wall, I bounced off both the wall and Dan’s car but managed to keep the power down to keep the place. In the impact I’ve aggravated a rib injury I sustained earlier in the year which got steadily worse as the night went on.

I went out in heat 2 but was in a lot of discomfort throughout the race and basically just held on to finish. After heat two we decided that to take any further part in the meeting would be unwise so loaded up and watched the rest of the meeting from the safety of the terraces. As the car had been going so well I was gutted at not being able to continue but at least the car is more or less ready to go for the next meeting at Brum on the 8th September. Things that need attention before then are a fault on the starter motor and some welding to the torn outer nerf rail damaged in heat 1.

Thanks Steve and the team for all there help especially to New Zealanders Paul, Scotty and Clive (who drove the truck back from the meeting) who stood in for some of my holidaying team members.

My next meeting Birmingham Wheels 08/09/07.