Donnington Park race report 20th July 2008

So to my second foray into the Volkswagen Golf GTi racing championship at Donnington Park on 20^th July 2008.  

Due to time constraints I only had enough time to enable me to undertake 30 minutes of practice around the future home of the British Grand Prix on the Friday prior to the race day. After the 30 minutes of mixed wet and dry running that I had available to learn this challenging but ultimately very flowing and rewarding track I felt that I was reasonably conformable with the circuit. I also felt that I would be able to get on with the business of learning the more intricate details of the circuit during the 20 minute qualifying session on the race day, enough to be able to set some competitive lap times.   

The race day dawned dry and bright, if a little breezy and cold for what was supposed to be the height of the British summer time! In all honesty I wasn’t actually too worried about the weather for the race day, in fact after thoroughly enjoying my first wet running in the car on Friday’s test session I was almost hoping for a little bit of a sprinkling, anyway dry it was to be for qualifying. After some last minute rushing thanks to having to add some extra lead ballast to the car (I did offer to grab a quick circuit burger to ease the hassle) I found myself last in the queue for qualifying, not ideal with 35 other cars on the circuit all trying to set a time! 

I tried very hard to make my way though the field of cars and create enough clear track to enable me to set a good lap time but it was to prove very difficult. I was, therefore not to upset when the times were released to find myself lining up in 8^th (soon to become 7^th thanks to a grid penalty applied to another competitor) on what was a very large and competitive grid full of drivers who have had plenty of time to hone their skills and set ups in their Golf GTi’s.  

Come race time the clouds were beginning to form and I was starting to think that my outside hope of rain might materialise but alas, my rain dance being conducted very badly within the tight confines of my race seat were to no avail! I made a good start, but had to get out of the throttle on the run to Redgate to avoid becoming the filling in the sandwich between by team mate and a fellow competitor. Despite this I held my starting position and followed the lead bunch around for the first lap. On the second lap, despite my best defensive efforts I fell victim to a great slipstream down the main straight and lost a position in to the Goddards chicane. This move would set the pattern for the rest of the race. I was struggling to engage second gear meaning that every time I was slowed up into the chicane in the heat of a battle I was left to attempt to get the car moving in third gear and therefore losing a few car lengths on my competitors down the start and finish straight.  Speaking of competitors from lap two, right the way until the chequered flag I was involved a fantastically close and exciting battle with Jamie Packaham, John Hillon and Luke Schelwitz. There was nothing to choose between us in terms of lap times, however we were all quicker than each other at different points on the circuit. I was struggling through the Goddards chicane and out of Redgate with a car that didn’t appear to have the low end grunt of my rivals out of these third gear corners, however I was able to carry more speed down through the Old Harpin, thus setting myself up nicely for a move into Macleans. Two or three times I was able to pull off passing manoeuvres into Macleans only to loose out again as we exited the chicane. It was a fantastic and very fair dice that ultimately ended with me in 10^th position but with the fastest lap time out of the four of us, which goes to show it could have gone any way. I was not disappointed however, far from it as this had proved to be one of the best battles that I have been involved in. Indeed one memorable moment involved going side by side down through the Craner Curves at around 100mph with Luke Schelwitz, without even the slightest of touches despite being only millimetres apart!  

As at Anglesey I thoroughly enjoyed the racing and was pleased to be able to run very competitively and with more time in the car feel that I would be able to progress right to the sharp end of this championship. There is however a small problem with this point as now due to time and money constraints it looks as if I am going to have to miss the remaining rounds of this series. I am hoping to be able to get out again at the end of the season in the Golf, however this time in an endurance race! As ever more details soon…