Wow Becky, it arrived this morning! It's lovely, and it's a really kind gesture too. It'll be going in my display cabinets with my other model Dallaras and trophies from the last couple of years. Thank you Becky.
I've had a great weekend racing, with some dodgy bits in between too. Synopsis of weekend (bearing in mind it's my first race meeting with the new car):
Saturday Practice - intended to scrub slicks in, which is 3 slow laps to gently warm them, one 80% lap, a couple of slow laps to let them cool, and then a couple of quicker laps before stopping. I only got as far as finishing the 80% lap before my rear wing collapsed, without me hitting anything, due to the fact it had been repaired in the past by a muppet with araldite. However, my 80% lap was a 1m10, which was 3 seconds slower than pole, but 3 seconds quicker than 4th!!!!!
Sunday Race - Started 3rd with the plan being to finish the race. That was until I found myself keeping up with 2nd, so the plan was keep up for the whole race. That was until I realised I was quicker, so the plan now was pass him. Which I did after a ding-dong battle, before I pulled away and set a new lap record for the class (yes, really!) with a 1m08.306. A couple of laps later an oil hose came off the car now in 3rd who retired in a cloud of smoke, but without suffering any engine damage.
Sunday Practice - Went out, found the battery was flat, coughed around for a lap or two whilst I worked out it was a flat battery, and come in. Last on the grid (but fortunately only 10 entrants).
Sunday Race - Fresh battery fitted, I was 4th by the end of the first lap, 3rd by the second corner of the second lap, and caught Neil in 2nd with two laps remaining, but I couldn't pass him in him. Set a new personal best laptime of 1m08.04 on the way (with a best sector time of 1m06.83, but I'm too new to the car to link my best sectors together), but sadly the winner did a 1m07.82, so I was no longer a lap record holder after 24 hours.
Oddly, the Snetterton lap record, on this tyre compound, with these same cars was 1m09 for years and years. So why are we all, including the new boy to Dallaras, suddenly in the 8s, the 7s and potentially the 6s???!?!?!?!??!
Anyway, pleased to be quick and competitive so soon. Roll on the next race. That might be Anglesey in two weeks, which I've entered, but the date coincides with anniversary of my brothers fatal car accident, so I might not be allowed to go for the sake of my mothers sanity.
Anyway, thanks again Becky. Really nice gift