Silverstone played host to the final two rounds of this year’s championship – the season finale already! Whilst I was not involved in the championship tussle, it was nevertheless important for me to end the season on a high if I am to be back on the grid next year.

Qualifying began nervously and I was only eighth after the first new tyre run. However the tyres were in good condition and I knew the time lay within the two big braking zones at Becketts and at Brooklands. Thus, for the second set of tyres I chipped away at my braking points and was the only driver to improve on his second tyre run to qualify fourth! This was my best qualifying result since Donnington Park at the start of the year. I was thrilled with the result and happy at last that all the time spent studying data and discussing my weaknesses had finally transpired into a tangible result.

Grid four for Round 18 put me just behind James Sutton and Micheal Meadows which I felt would be a perfect opportunity to get amongst the title contenders. From the start I got off the line well and maintained fourth position over the first three laps. Teammate Stephen Jelly, the third contender for the
championship, had produced an excellent start to work his way up from seventh to fifth position right behind me. I made a small mistake at the exit of
Becketts on lap four allowing him to get a run on me and decided to oblige and let him through if he was to have any chance of winning the championship. From then on I managed to keep the leading quartet within sight as Jonas Gelzinis kept close company behind. With over half the race distance gone, suddenly ahead Jelley out braked himself, crashing into the back of Meadows. This forced his immediate retirement from the race with a broken radiator. This promoted me to fourth position with Jelley now out of the championship battle. The remaining laps were extremely difficult as Jelley had left coolant over the
racing line from Becketts back to the pit lane. As Meadows drove cautiously in third with the championship in mind, I closed the gap down to finish glued to
his bumper as we crossed the line.

Round 19 would be a much more difficult affair starting from seventh position, courtesy of a slower second fastest lap in qualifying. Again
I made a good start and held position as the top ten fought aggressively. Pressuring Rory Butcher into a mistake, I looked down the inside at Brooklands
and in doing so forced Butcher to go in rather too quick. At the apex he nudged into Euan Hankey and together they both lost control spinning into the middle
of the track. With nowhere to go, I smashed into the side of Hankey’s car luckily only inflicting superficial damage. I restarted the car and got back on
circuit but was now in twentieth place. For the remainder of the race, I enjoyed one of my most exciting races as I carved my way through the field. Running consistently as one of the top three quickest cars on track, I managed to catch and pass both the Pro-Am2 and Pro-Am1 battles to reach tenth position
at the flag.

I was extremely pleased with the weekend’s results and delighted to put on a good show for my sponsors who were in attendance. The results cemented my seventh place in the championship which exceeded my expectations at the start of the year in such a competitive championship as the Carrera Cup.

As I look back on the past year it has been both enjoyable and extremely frustrating at times. I must thank Team Parker for doing an incredible job, welcoming me into their team and really showing absolutely nothing is too much effort for them. Stuart and I have worked closely together throughout the year to adjust the car to my liking and my mechanic James has done a tireless job. Secondly my manager Tim Sugden has brought me along massively as a driver, pushing me out of my comfort zone and forcing me to believe in myself – improving my driving technique to get the best out of me. Finally I would like to thank my family, friends and sponsors who have all supported me both on and away from the track, without which this year would not be possible.

As for next year, it is as yet undecided. My dream would be to return to the Porsche Carrera Cup as I strongly feel I will return as a title contender with the right preparation over the winter. That preparation starts now…

Sam

Photo Credit: Pete Mainey (http://www.psmmotorsportimages.co.uk/)