Here's some thoughts about my race.
Qualifying went ok but once again I'm not very happy about my time. I just can't seem to handle the qualifying well enough to just put in the time I know I can. Anyways I was P2 which was good but I was hoping for pole. But being almost a second off pace you can hardly expect to be on pole...
Onto the race then and again we had some trouble on the pace lap and then again on the actual start. I don't know why the pace car driver didn't use the pit entrance to go in but instead continued through the last corners. I'm sure this caught Jesper off guard and seeing it I put maximum pressure on him. Sure enough he out braked himself badly and hit the wall. Too bad for me I couldn't avoid his bounce from the tire barrier and I lost a couple of positions myself. My team mate though let me through immediately which was very nice and then it was all about catching Martijn and Rami. Curiously though Jesper was now back on track and being lapped...which he didn't seem to care about because he just continued to not let me through. Eventually I got past and had more catching up to do. Few laps later I caught Rami but I just could not find a way through. I was a on a semi-strategy so I was trying to decide what to do if I couldn't clear him. Eventually though he had to pass a backmarker and I got really close and dove inside coming into the 2nd to last corner. It was a rough and tough pass with some side by side contact but on this track it's impossible to pass without contact. I think it's ok though as I talked with Rami post race.
Now on P2 my car had some damage but still ok. My tires were however starting to wear out so with only 5s to the leader I made the choice to change to a 2 stopper. I had a hunch that Martijn was on a 2 stopper so I pitted before him and sure enough I passed him when he made his stop. Not before long I was back in P2 with Rami leading and obviously on a 1 stopper. It had started to rain too and the new tires were working nicely. The problem now was that there was huuuge traffic jams so I lost zounds of time trying to pass safely. On many occasions it was really dangerous and some of the lapped guys really made it difficult. I hit some of them hard because one guy just lifted off on a straight with me right behind and then some of then not even bothering with the mirrors just drove like I wasn't there.
Finally Rami pitted and I got the lead. I then saw him pit a few laps later again and I knew I had it in the bag....with no mistakes of course. Sure enough I made a lot of them with lapped guys or just on my own. I was so scared the car would brake down on the last stint and I had a few heart attacks on the last laps and one just a few corners before I finished.
This was certainly the hardest race in STC for me makes me think why in the hell did I want to drive this race again.
I guess 2 for 2 isn't too bad so I guess there's the answer to my question.
Anyways, congrats to Martijn for a really solid race and P2, Tyler Scurlock for an invisible P3 (I don't think I saw you once in the race
), Rami for a good P4 despite everything and of course to my trusty (old?) teamie Adam Shaw for a fantastic P5 (practise does pay off mate).
See you all next time ( not next week
)
