Cadwell Park-some drivers love it, some drivers are scared stiff of it. Respect is due here. The circuit is twisty, hilly and exciting. Challenging corners, hugely up and down it's like no other circuit in the U.K.

Well it was always going to be a tiring weekend. Auriel was off to Mallorca on the Friday so I was up at 4.45am to be a taxi to the airport. Saturday was to be a little later up at 6.45 am to take the dogs to kennels. Sunday, we think it was 4.45am but we were still asleep when we left so maybe it wasn't.
Fog everywhere for the first hour or so but arrived safely at about 7.30 am. This was carefully timed to coincide with the canteen opening so we could have a good fry-up. Breakfast was digested as we progressed through scrutineering and there was plenty of time to watch classes A and B doing their three laps qualifying behind the circuit car. Pity the Mondeo who managed to slide into the tyrewall at the Hairpin after just 300 metres. No major damage however apart from embarrasment.
It was very impressive watching the A and B machines powering through Hall Bends at full bore.
Qualifying for me was a disaster. I had obviously left my brain at home and could do no better than 7th on the grid. Not terribly inspiring. Back in the paddock we had to change a rear disc because a stud had pulled out. As always with the Megane this meant changing not just the disc but also the wheel bearing as the casting carries both these useful bits in the one section.
Before the race Simon Parker withdrew with a touch of the mechanicals leaving a nice hole on the grid in front of me.So straight into 6th place from the start. That was easy! It wasn't until the 3rd lap that I progressed to 5th and through laps 5,6 and 7 in 4th place. Ian Craig finally succumbed to the pressure at the Gooseneck and I was through to third. Chance of a podium! It was entertaining in the extreme as our midfeld train was never more than a couple of lenghts apart. At Park with a couple of laps to go a flurry of excitement and misjudgement saw AlanWilshire dissapear relieving some of the tension. Into the final lap with a celebration in mind but it was not to be. Through Coppice and Charlies for the last time and onto Park Straight and the car slowed dramatically. Following divers hurtled through with a very polite 'thanks very much see you in the bar'.
Before the race we had decided that fuel levels were fine and there would be no need for a fill-up. I now assumed that we had got it dramatically wrong and blamed low fuel for the sudden drop in power. By creeping around Chris Curve and freewheeling down to Mansfield I managed to keep going. Up the Mountain and past the bemused crowd outside the bar who couldn't realise what had happened I crept. All the time expecting more cars to appear from behind but fortunately I had enough of a cushion to creep acrss the line in 6th place. Importantly I was still second in class.
Back in the paddock we discovered that fuel was not the problem. The throttle pedal linkage had broken so that barely any more revs than idle were available. It really was a relief to discover that a miscalculation on fuel was not to blame. Consolation beers were downed and we loaded up. Fortunately the drive home was straightforward which was just as well as monday mornng was to be another 5 am wake up. this time for me to fly out to consume a San Miguel or three in the sunshine in Mallorca.
Many, many thanks to the class C,D and E drivers for making the race so much fun and thanks to 'Effie' for her concern over my depression at qualifying badly. XXX.

The long suffering Megane is now back from Mark Fish raring to go. Anglesey here we come. New circuit, new challenges and hopefully more rain! It would be nice to have a new class lap record to go with the old one. ( Assuming that Simon is struck be lightning or run over by a sheep !!)