Aug
31
Oly Mortimer: Knockhill review
Back to Knockhill for Round 6 of the Scottish Mini Cooper cup, Friday testing went well with a wet and a dry session, the car felt good so was confident for Saturday come rain or shine, and just to mix things up a bit, I’m competing in the Scottish Ford Fiesta ST cup this weekend too.
Qualifying
Great qualifying, with a cracking lap which put me on pole by seven-tenths of a second from David Sleigh, with Kenneth Brewster in third.
Race 1
Got a great start at the lights, and led into the first corner with David Sleigh right behind. Good first lap but David was all over the back of me. He was very late on the brakes going into the hairpin and I had to watch for him in my mirrors as he looked very racey. The two of us had pulled a few second lead from Vic Covey who had got up to third, but going down Duffus Dip on lap five, Sleigh got into a massive slide and just about went off, allowing me to get the gap that I needed as he dropped back into the clutches of Vic Covey. I stretched my lead out whilst Sleigh and Covey battled for second, I got the win, and it was Vic Covey behind me, closely followed by David Sleigh in third.
Race 2
Race 2 was a very easy race for me, I have to admit, as I got a great start and a good lead whilst once again Vic Covey and David Sleigh battled with each other for second. This continued through the whole race, and at the flag it was me with the win, David in second, Vic in third. Good race for me, and a fastest lap.
Race 3
Last Mini race of the day and reverse grid time. Got a good start off Grid 5, into fourth place past Kenneth Brewster on lap one at Carlube Corner with a move up his inside. Bit of a gap then to catch the first three up, but with them all scrapping for position I was on them by half a lap. Got on the tail of fast newcomer, Chris Smiley, going into the second corner and made a very late-on-the-brakes move up his inside; made it stick and was now on the tail of Vic Covey and David Sleigh. As I went into the hairpin I made a bit of an ambitious move on Covey and went flying up his inside. Unfortunately I didn’t pull it off and he got back though, but on the next lap Vic did the same move on David Sleigh and went very wide, allowing me to get past and into second. One lap to go and on Sleigh’s bumper – he was driving a very wide Mini and on the last corner, last lap, I made the move. Sleigh, however, was determined not to let me past, and he got a very well-deserved win, with me in second and Vic Covey in third. Fastest lap for me, which I was very happy with.
A great weekend with two wins and a second, two fastest laps and no damage. Championship lead stretched, and now looking very good! And not to forget my additional races in the ST’s today, where I got pole, two wins and two fastest laps. Thanks very much to Iain Cowie at ICR Motorsport for giving me the chance, and as always, thanks to David Kerr and his team at Tynecastle racing for a great Mini.