Final 2007 rounds at Snetterton

Race one on Saturday
Due to the rather truncated qualify session for me, I started the penultimate race of the season behind the two class B leaders of Paul and Colin as well as behind Mike Atkinson and John Cutmore.
I managed to get past John on the first lap, passed colin on the next and then lap 1 latter passed Mike as well.

I swapped places with Mike again on lap 5, then a lap later retained the lead. Well that is the story if you look back at the race results but the start finish line is on the opposite side of the track to the main back straight where most of the slipstreaming happens. Mike and I actually swapped places a number of times, we just returned to the same position by the time we completed the lap. It was quite a risk free race from my point of view, the car being well under control and within the pace most of the time and its always easier at Snetterton when there is only two cars in the picture.

With the battling with Mike for the lead and with Paul needing to come from the back of the grid, Paul managed to get fastest lap in class B with a time quicker than Mike and I in class C even though he finished down in 18th place. So in front of us were just the top three Class A cars for Rob, Gordon and Steve. Another victory for Rob in the car I will be running next year and another win for my 2007 season as well!

Race two on Sunday
There was some debate on the lead up to the race that I had actually one both championships before the second race. As we all go racing for the fun rather than the glory or price money there was no point in just taking the start and then pulling in and sitting out the race! So the final round of the season was all about finishing for me, oh and not getting disqualified I guess. I had also already sold the car so I needed to return the car in one piece. I was also thinking that I had only ever finished 3rd (once) or won at Snetterton and the racing is always lower risk at the front.

I spent most of the race, keeping off any of the curbs, controlling my speed, running behind Mike whilst wishing we could run just a little bit quicker to stay well out of the reaches of Al in 3rd place. Part way through the race I realised that I had never raced at Snetterton without touching the drain on the inside of and the exit curb for the bomb hole. A few laps from the end of the race, I passed Mike from a slipstream but decided against the risk of holding the position when we came around for the straight on the next lap.
So in the end, I came in 2nd place behind Mike to wrap up the Class and overall Championship

Sometimes you hear drivers comment about strange noises you hear when you are out in the lead. Well a 5 year old Fury with a fireblade makes so many noises that would be impossible but I was constantly feeling different vibrations, leading my mind into considering whether the wishbone might give way again. Of course the likelihood, especially as I hardly touched a curb the entire race!