Rockingham, 12-13 July 2008
What the other drivers had to say
John Hammersley:
Race 1 - Qualified 9th (must try harder!), got up to 7th after 2 laps, then pace car came out (to retrieve the stranded "Guest Car"!). As soon as the pace car pulled in the heavens opened. I managed to get a good rhythm going and got up to 3rd. I caught and passed Steven Taylor in the Exige for 2nd, but unfortunately the track dried a couple of laps from the end and he caught and repassed me, thus I finished 3rd. AMG put a camera in my car - it would have made a good video if I'd remembered to turn it on!
Race 2 - Started 3rd and steadily worked my way back to 6th. Takes talent!
Alex Heynes:
I am the BMW M3 3000cc in class B, that finished 5th & 4th, in both races the podium cars were ahead of me 20 odd seconds at the finish, and the other cars were out of sight behind me. So really, I raced myself for 40 mins! It was a good chance to get to know the car though.
Looking forward to a more exciting Silverstone.
Nick Williamson:
Qually didn't go well as alternator/power steering pump packed up, sucking air instead of fuel after 4 laps and killed front tyres overdriving car trying to drag a time out of it 8th on grid !!
Spent the available time putting right what packed up in qually and finished with 5 mins to spare. Got onto grid and got a good start and ended up in third place thinking if I can finish here, this will be ok. Then it started to rain which was nice!! Got the win !! Most unexpected.
Started race two from pole, drove as hard as I could but lost a few places. Biggest shock was the superb move Richard Gould put on me by going underneath me at the fast turn on the banking - impressed with that as I didn't see it coming and took nerve to pull off. Lost fourth on last lap to Tony Soper due to confusion with a back marker but managed to get up the inside at last chicane and hold fourth to line. Just as well it was last lap as two spokes on o/s front wheel had broken off and a third was cracked. I'm sure it would have broken up if I had gone round banking at full speed. So overall a good weekend and good haul of points, looking forward to Silverstone.
David Roberts: - pictures courtesy James Roberts
A massive 49 car entry saw the Rockingham race split into two grids. The class C Tomcat would be against a lot of faster class B machinery, and seven class C Vauxhall Vectras.
Dunlop had let me down – no new race tyres meant I would be racing on worn rubber. Rockingham has a high speed banking that is hard on tyres so I knew I would struggle. Qualifying went well, I finished 15th out of 22. Considering my lack of track time (all seven Vectras tested on Friday), I was pleased with the grid.
Race 1 went even better. An unusual start – saw a Vectra’s pin-less bonnet swing into the air smashing the windscreen and forcing everyone to slow. I was soon back on the power, and gained a couple of places in turns 2 and 3. The clerk of the course’ pre-race speech “This is a non-contact sport” reverberated in my ears as the Tomcat took a side blow from a Vectra trying.too hard, but I held on, settled down and drove away.
Circulating faster and faster, we soon caught some of the other Clios and one of the class B Peugeot 206’s. The Tomcat’s strong point was the very fast banked turn – I was able to take this flat-out at 130+ mph, and seemed to gain on every car. If you get the turn-in correct the corner is a matter of hanging-on and trusting the rubber WILL grip as the concrete wall gets ever closer. This was my main weapon, culminating in a dive up the inside at turn-2 to take position from the 206.
However, I was being caught by Mark Crook’s new Clio and spent 3 laps keeping him at bay before he finally got by. Despite catching another Vectra with a few laps to go, my tyres were now overheated and the Tomcat was drifting through long left-handers: time to consolidate my position – I finished in 11th overall and 3rd in class - a great result.
Post-race 1, Jay had found a turbo manifold blowing (thanks); as ever, the Rover Coupe Owners Club worked on the car. The manifold was tightened, brakes were bled, oil checked, gearbox topped-up, Vectra dents knocked-out and of course the car washed and polished – great stuff guys!
Sunday brought lots of sunshine, and with it some confidence: I would be starting behind the 2nd in-class Vectra and a good start should see me pass him in my favored turn-1. With the BMW M3’s not turning-up, it would be an ideal time to play my Joker (this gives double-points, a-la It’s A Knockout).
Sure enough, I timed the rolling start to perfection, and was flat-out as the lights dropped and the race started. I quickly passed the Vectra in front of me, and would have passed the lead Vectra, but Hinde spotted the fast approaching Tomcat and blocked well. Still, I gained another place under braking and crept away.
Entering the in-field, lap 2, I was up to 9th overall and 2nd in-class (that Joker was looking good), however Fergus Trenholme’s clio was right on my bumper. I’d already decided it would be foolish to defend hard (with poor tyres against a car not in my class), but too late… the Clio bumped the Tomcat into a spin and onto the grass.
I rejoined in last place, sped off and caught the next car within a lap (a Vectra). Adrenaline pumping, I haired through turn-1 at over 130mph, realizing too late the Vectra was nowhere near that speed, I couldn’t lift for fear of unbalancing the Tomcat, and narrowly missed the Vectra as I passed. Next target, another Vectra, holding up a class-B Sierra Cosworth; I quickly caught the dueling pair. We careered down the back-straight three-a-breast toward the chicane! I was on the inside, nabbed the Vectra under braking, and tucked behind the Cossie that had passed the Vectra on the outside. Whoooosh… the Cosworth disappeared down the straight (blimey that thing had some grunt), but sure enough the Tomcat was quicker through the banked curve and closed back up again. Mid-infield, the Tomcat’s exit speed was quicker and I nipped up the inside under braking into Tarzan.
No other cars to be seen, I nailed the Tomcat for a few more laps before catching sight of another class C Vectra (I needed that place with my Joker). I reeled in the Vectra by a second a lap, but by the time I caught him my tyres were really struggling. The inevitable happened: the car locked-up under braking into the hairpin, I fought the lock, desperately releasing pressure and steering trying to persuade the tyres to grip, they eventually did but I lost valuable seconds to the Vectra – pahhh! Unperturbed, I chased him back down, this time even faster, resulting in a worse lock-up at the hairpin 2 laps later, and even more time lost.
OK, the Cosworth, Clio and two Vectras had all caught me up now, my tyres were knackered - time to forget about the Vectra in front and make sure I retain position. But fate had another blow for me… last lap and the Tomcat starts to misfire… past goes the Cossie and Clio. Last corner, here come the two Vectras… onto the straight… 200yds to the finish line… “splut, splut… nooooo” the Vectras go past and I finish last!!!
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