29th-30th July 2006

Donington

Not the best of weekends to report, after a strong test and qualifying third for round 11 and second for round 12 that was as good as it got.

Saturdays race was a great scrap as I lost a place off the line and then battled hard with series returnee Martin Byford for the first few laps, we swapped places several times and in the last place change we held each other up which let my team mate Mark Spellar past.

I was faster than him and he was over defensive of a pretty pathetic 6th place. A mistake at the old hairpin saw us side by side up the hill and into MacLean's, Mark then braked too late and led us off past the apex and into the gravel beyond with me desperately trying to turn the corner with his car in the way!

I dropped the car into second gear, floored the throttle and bounced through the gravel trap finally rejoining near the next corner. Having now dropped a further two places I was then in determined mood to get them back so I got my head down and soon caught James Williams and Stephen Colbert.

A move into the old hairpin despatched young James and then a good dice with Stephen got me alongside on the back straight before out braking him into the chicane on the last lap.

Fifth at the finish was not brilliant given the recent form but not a tragedy, that was waiting for Sunday.

A cracking start on Sunday saw me leading by Redgate and I had quite a handy lead by the end of the first lap, sadly I was struggling for pace, particularly on the brakes and the pack were with me by the third lap.

Rivett gave me a huge tap into the chicane which sent me wide and got him the lead, Stephen Hunter then also got by on momentum and nipped ahead, defending the inside line into Redgate.

I was right behind him and was beginning to swing out to take the conventional line before the braking zone when BAM!

He braked very early and I just collected him taking both of us out of the race. Stephen was very upset, as was I and it was a sad end to what should have been a good race.

However that's motor racing and you have to pick yourself up and look ahead to the next race, which is what we now must do.