This was my first saloon car race meeting since 2007 and my first time at Rockingham plus I only got a chance to test the Racingline Golf GTI MK V two weeks earlier.
Practice on the Friday seemed to go very well and on the time sheets I was placed 6th fastest on very old tyres proving that we would have the pace to be a front runner all weekend.
Qualifying on the Saturday, I chose to get a set of new tyres to get the best chance and after scrubbing them in for a few laps I managed to get P1 and held it until the very last lap when I was piped from Pole to 3rd on the grid by a couple of the experienced drivers in the championship, pushing my personal best qualifying position from 4th to 3rd and only being one tenth off pole.
Race one from 3rd started off great. With a great start and with no experience getting a front wheel drive car off the line I managed to jump one place but the four wheel drive machine next to me jumped us all. Heading into the first corner I kept in tight hoping that no one would put in a late lunge on the inside but as tin-tops go there was a fair amount of contact and I was pushed out of the way from all around me. Clearly the amount of experience I have in saloon cars was taking its toll. But I wasn’t giving up and got back a few spots and managed 7th to the chequered flag .
For race two the grid is reversed for positions 1 to 6 and then you start in your finishing position – so I started 7th.
Again I got off to a good start stealing a couple of places before the first turn. Having learned my lesson in race one I defended hard and took the opportunities to overtake when they came up without hesitation – with about 5 laps to go I moved in first place then set about building a lead of 4 seconds to see me safely home to take the top step on the podium for the first time.
All in all a great weekend and with very competitive close exciting racing the Volkswagen Cup proved to be the most entertaining event at Rockingham which included FIA British GT and the Formula 3.
Next week I am back in single seaters as Formula Palmer Audi heads to Oulton Park – see you there on Saturday 24th July.
Howard
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