Missed opportunity
2021 BRSCC Mazda MX-5 SuperCup.
Round 4, Snetterton 300.
Just two weeks after racing at Snetterton in Club Enduro, we were back and aiming for the podium in the BRSCC Mazda MX-5 SuperCup. It would be a busy weekend, with testing Friday and then qualifying and all three races crammed into just the Saturday.
Testing was a mixture of wet and dry, and although we wee in the mix I wasn’t happy with the balance of the car. Overnight the guys at Hills Motorsport checked the car and made a big change to the setup, which was much better straight away on Saturday morning.
In qualifying I worked with my team mate James Cossins, towing him round before we swapped. I had a bit of traffic on my laps behind, but went 4th fastest. The second fastest laps set the grid for race 2 and I was second fastest so would start from the front row!
I got away well in race one, but the outside is a tricky place to start at Snetterton and in the end I was shuffled back to sixth. Near the end of the race there was a clash at the front, followed by another driver running wide, so I picked up a few places. I caught the battle for second place but couldn’t quite take advantage, finished up forth.
Race two was my front row start, although I was squeezed down to third. About half way through it started to rain and race leader Jack Harding skidded straight on at the hairpin, so I was promoted to second place.
As the rain got heavier I felt good and was fighting with Richard Amos for first, even briefly taking the lead at one point. With two laps to go it started to dry up and I began taking more conventional racing lines, but it was still greasy at Nelson and I slid wide, letting Smith past. This was when the wheels fell off the race as at the hairpin on the final lap Harding dived past and then exiting the last corner Brayden Fletcher out dragged me to the line. So from a really promising position I dropped to fifth and didn’t even get a podium. Bugger.
Race three is the partial reverse grid race and I started third. I had a bad first half a lap, dropping to sixth. It was all really close though as the top six pulled away from the rest in one large lump. It was nip and tuck stuff and near the end Amos waved me by to have a go at Cossins, but despite catching him I wasn’t able to make an impression so finished fifth.
So, I have several areas to improve on, but we are getting there. It was a solid weekend and we’re knocking on the door of a podium!
