Buxton

20/05/07
 

Don’t mind admitting that I went into this meeting with a bit of trepidation after my exploits at Skegness the week earlier!

Wayne, myself and the team spent a lot of time at the garage last week straightening the car and fitting a new nerf to the car (outside this time!) and it was gone 10pm when I left the garage Saturday night so we could get an early start on the Sunday.

We arrived at Buxton just before the pit gate opened and spent the first hour or so double checking everything before practice. With everything checked and the car polished up by Trish I went out for a series of practice runs, made a few adjustments and settled on a set-up. It would be a while before my first race however as I was down for heat 2 for the ‘1s which was race 7 on the overall programme.

With the memories of Skegness (or more like the Skegness fence) in my mind and several aches and pains still to the fore I decided that race 1 would be about survival and finishing the race.  I managed this but got a bit of stick for giving too much ground to the other drivers but I was happy to have completed the race in one piece and felt a lot more confident from that point on.

We again made a few adjustments to the car for the consolation and I decided it was time that I held my ground a bit more so set off onto the track to give a better showing than in race 1. I was lined up on outside pole along side the immaculate new FWJ car of Dave McMahon (163) with Liam Brown (90), Gary Townsend (223), Steve Jacklin (136) and Rob Whitaker (142) for company.  Right from the off the car felt better and I managed to hold on at the front of the pack for 2 or 3 laps , I came under pressure several times during the race, got a few hits but overall don’t think I gave up places too easily.  I eventually finished 11th (just out of the points) but was happy to have given a reasonable account of myself again with no damage to speak of.

As we hadn’t qualified for the final my next race was the Grand National race which only lasted 3 laps as my air filter cover parted company with the pan after a hit from 136 I think?  Just as I was trying to get to the inside to pull off (while peering round a 14” chrome air filter cover which had settled in the centre of my windscreen mesh) the race was called under caution as Alex Fletcher had rolled going into turn 3. I quickly pulled into the centre and watched the rest of the race from there.

A quick check of the air filer revealed that the threads had stripped on the supporting bar for the air filter bar but importantly nothing nasty had dropped down my carb intakes!!!

All that was left to do was load up, get a quick wash and fire off home.  Big thanks to my two main helpers on the day. Steve Cording (WAZ29) and Andy Williams who just got on with everything that needed to be done and organised the job all day…cheers lads!  Thanks also to Wayne Helliwell for his work the week previous, for fabricating/fitting the new nerf and for finding time between helping Speedy and Ian Helliwell with their F2’s during the day.  Finally to Al Bateman and team 218 for their continued support, Al even found time to make a few adjustments to my suspension set-up during the day which we feel has given us a new starting point for future tar meetings.

All in all I rate Buxton as a good day and I’m now looking forward to my next meetings which will be at Cowdenbeath and Knockhill in Scotland (9th/10th June.) My car will be out next in the hands of Wayne Helliwell at Coventry (2nd June).

Mike