Quick update on the weekends action! PHTCC report won't be all that detailed.
Qualifying
For the SROL WTCC event at Ochersleben I managed to qualify on the front row, pipped by Bradley Mills in the BMW. I wasn't confident in my race ability having only been able to string three laps together during all of practice!
Race 1
I made a fairly decent start for a change to keep second into the first corner. I then set about catching Mills, and in the process I set the fastest lap of the race. Unfortunately my inability to really get hooked up round this track came through again, as I slid off track which allowed 3rd placed, and Championship leader, Michael Orth by into 2nd. I fought on, trying to catch him, but I couldn't find the same pace I had in the opening laps. I went off the track again, which really choked the tyres, which were wearing by this point as well. As a result I couldn't hold off 4th placed Someguy_1, as he went past quite easily in the end in his Leon.
I would go on to finish a very lonely 4th. Very frustrating race as quite clearly had the pace to run with the leader, and catch him, but a couple of silly mistakes ruined it. Hopefully race two would prove to be more productive....
Race 2
Race two saw me start from 5th place on the reverse grid. I made a average start this time, with Orth making his usual flyer from 7th, but there was no room between me and 6th placed Someguy_1. Instead of slowing down he smashed into the back of me, and went passed. Not impressed I set about sorting him out, but luckily for me I didn't need to. He went to go round the outside of turn 1, and got held up badly, another stroke of luck for me was the field parted in front of me like the red sea, and I took advantage of this to go from 6th to 1st in one corner!
With the SEAT Toledo of John Bacho holding up the BMW's, I made a break for it. I was running consistantly quick, pulling away almost every sector. The BMW's finally got past Bacho but they weren't eating into my lead, until the tyres on my FWD Leon started to wear. I was managing to control the gap a little until the last couple of laps, when the tyre wear had become really quite bad, and Mills ate into my lead substantially. It wasn't until the very last corner, of the very last lap that he made it onto my tail. He sent a crazy move up the inside into the final turn and somehow didn't run off the track, I was going so slow from where I had to avoid him coming up the inside I couldn't take advantage of him running very wide, and then almost spinning out of the last corner. In the end I finished just .3 of a second adrift of a second win of the season. Just gutting to lose a race like that.
Onto tonights first races of the 2007/8 Polehunters Touring Car Championship at Curitiba.
Qualifying
I managed to get myself up onto the front for race 1, which I was most pleased with. I even had pole position for all of 5 seconds, before my time was beaten.
Race 1
Unlike in the SROL WTCC, race 1 in this series has a rolling start, which aided me with my inability to get the Leon off the line. I made a supurb start, and easily took the lead into turn 1. I held the lead for a few laps before a (never before seen!!) stutter cost me that position. I was left to fight very very hard for 2nd place. Thankfully the tyres held on really well, that combined with some tough driving and audacious overtaking moves, I finished 2nd and felt extremely chuffed with my efforts!
Race 2
Standing start for this one, which I didn't make a mess of! I even made a place, passing the defending champion for 6th on the reverse grid. Unfortunately I wasn't anywhere near as consistant in this race as I was in the first race. I moved between 9th and 6th during the whole race, and would finally take a tough 6th, after a few offs and silly errors.
A promising start for TPM in its continued efforts for world domination!
