So it’s that time again to evaluate my 3rd race weekend of the 2011 season. The last month has flown by with so much racing going on.

After my disappointment at Donington I was desperate to get back out on track for rounds 5 &6 at the fastest circuit in the UK, Thruxton, and prove what I can do. Pre season testing had gone well here so again I was feeling confident going into the weekend.

Friday free practice didn’t go to plan with a stone puncturing my radiator on only my 3rd lap of the day ending the first session there and then.

The second session wasn’t until late in the day so it felt like I had been waiting around for ages after missing the first session. This time I had no problems with stones in my radiator, but a blow out at church (fastest corner in the country) didn’t help make up lost time from session 1.

So after this I had finished up having a pretty poor test day leaving it all to do for qualifying.

Saturday morning soon came round and I went for one last early morning track walk before the qualifying session started at 11am.

The session started really well for me leaving me in P2 after my first set of new tyres. Unfortunately I didn’t get the most out of my second set and like usual Clio’s was extremely close and I dropped down to P9 on the grid just 0.24secs behind pole position. Thankfully I managed to get two identical times and that left me in P6 for Sundays race.

Jack battling with Craig Currie. Photo Credit: Davai Goosey

Not too bad after the lack of testing on the Friday.

Race one..

I made a good start and managed to get up to P7 going into the Complex for the first time, but a competitor came through the chicane a bit fast and ended up pushing me wide onto the gravel dropping me down to P11. I re-focused and chased down the pack up until the last corner on the first lap, when my team mate spun in front of me leaving me with no where to go causing contact and a grass excursion.

Not the best first lap of the year. This left me in 13th when I crossed the line for the first time and with a lot of work to do.

In the next 9 laps I managed to pick off a few competitors leaving me in P9 then Luke wright and Lee Pattison had contact putting them both out of the race moving me up into 7th. I then moved up into 6th place and started to chase down 5th place closing in by around half a second per lap. On lap 11 the safety car was deployed closing the grid back up and I thought this was my chance to move up another place, but unfortunately my car developed a vibration from the front left corner. I thought this was my tyre on it’s last legs so instead of trying to get 5th I made sure I finished the race and took the points. So P6 was where I ended up at the flag.

Race two..

The cameras were out again and a huge crowd greeted us as we took to the track for Round 6. I was determined to move up at the start and hook myself onto the back of the front pack so I had a chance of another podium.

Photo Credit: Jakob Ebrey

I made a great start moving up into 2nd going through the first corner with Paul Rivett on my outside. This left him on the inside for the Complex so I decided to slot in behind him and Aron Smith and try and work with them to get a gap between us and Pattison. This went well but the safety car was deployed after just one lap due to contact between Matt Alison and James Colburn.

At the restart I made a good start and got back on to the tail of Rivett.

A race long battle started between the top 4 cars , on lap 11 Rivett tried a move on Aron Smith in the Complex which allowed me to get a run on him heading towards Noble. We went side by side for the next 3 corners at around 110mph just giving each other enough room.

I thought I had Paul on the run down to Church but he had the momentum around the outside and fair play to him he kept it nailed around the outside.

With one lap to go it was all settling down a bit until Rivett made a move on Smith going into the last corner on the last lap which led him to go straight on at the chicane and for me to almost grab 2nd on the line.

It was a great race, but because it was at such a fast circuit it meant it was a hard race with 110% concentration needed for the whole distance.

I would just like to thank all of my sponsors and supporters who came along yet again and gave me all the support throughout the weekend, and of course my family, who without them I wouldn’t be able to be here writing this blog about my weekend. So thanks everyone!

We now have a 4 week break until the next race, but i will be racing a lotus Elise at Cadwell Park in a few weeks so that should keep my adrenalin up

Cheers,

Jack

Main Photo Credit: Davai Goosey