Jerez - Friday

Alternatively titled: Houston, we have a problem ...


It's still dark when I leave the hotel this morning, have I really got the time difference the right way round ...?

Our first session on track is the second session of the day at 0945, so cars are warmed up and we get our kit on ready to head out when the Historic F1 cars have had their turn. Quite a few cars on track, it's quite busy, but we sort ourselves out and get some clearish laps in. The session comes to a slightly early end when portuguese driver JP beaches his Lola Mk5 at turn 9 and is stuck deep in the gravel. My best is a 2:18:4, don't have times of other people to compare with, but it didn't feel like a great run. The gearing could be better, 4th is too tall, 2nd is too short! The brakes need a tweak. And I had a lot of oversteer, so was that due to the heat here, have the rear tyres overheated ...? They're only at 20lbs pressure so hard to believe they've overheated...

A chat with Iain and we decide to change the gearing, so the boys start dismantling the car and gearbox. We don't have much time and several of Iain's cars have been out and need administering too before the next session in 90 minutes. The boys get it all back together and tweak the brakes, but there's an issue, the box is stuck engaged in two gears at the same time, it'll have to come to pieces again. With time running out and other punters needing to go out, I go up to race control and swap the session I've paid for until later in the day. I get back to find Iain has in fact sorted the issue, but too late now... And I'd planned an hour at the hotel pool this afternoon ... Blast!

Iain and John Delane are among the session I'm missing, I head for the pitwall and put the watch on them... Best I see for John is 2:11:2, whilst Kim improves rapidly and runs what looks like a very impressive 2:10:8. This is going to be interesting ...

A couple of hours later, and it's even hotter, but now my turn to run again ... First couple or three laps are blighted by the traffic sorting itself out, but it clears and we pick up the pace. The new gears seem to be an improvement, the brakes are good and overall it all feels much better... But as Iain's car has failed in the it lane the boys are working on that and so there is nobody with a watch on me ...

Session is red-flagged again after an FJ drops a serious trail of oil round most of the last 3rd of the track... Grrr, had only run about seven laps.

With no watch on me I have to download the camera and then play it back to get a time ... It looks much better ... But the best was just a 2:17.7... Well that's no good ....! Clutching at straws a bit, but i reckon the track temperature is up as is the ambient, and the track might be a touch slippy too, with some oil down, but that doesn't account for all of the difference to class competitors Kim and John. Sadly I'm thinking that this circuit plays to the strengths of them and their cars, so I might be relegated to 'also-ran' this weekend. Obviously we'll put in the effort, but I seem to be outclassed here... We'll see tomorrow of course, but I that really is tha gap between us then there's nothing I'll be able to do about it!

Scrutineering, briefing, car prep, take Iain to supermarket, etc., I  eventually make it back to the hotel about 1930, in time to call the kids at home before bedtime.

Couple of beers, followed by pleasant tapas dinner with Aussies Kim and Marie and the Scottish contingent.

Tomorrow's another day ... No sense in dwelling on it ... We'll try again in quali at 0900, and we'll see what happens!