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Qualifying
was damp and Nigel was out first. Using the first 10
laps to settle the car in and get used to the Silverstone
National circuit, Nigel put in one flying lap which
amazingly saw the team clinch pole by 4 tenths of a
second. This was a terrific achievement considering the
lack of testing. Nigel came straight in and handed over
to Damian who saw out the rest of qualifying getting
some valuable laps under his belt.
Saturday
Race
[race results detail...]
The
qualifying form and luck did not continue into the race
ending up with a D.N.F. for the team, a result which is
always hard to swallow, even in a pre-season warm up
race.
The
weather had significantly improved for the race, gale
force winds were still a factor but the driving rain had
stopped and the circuit was dry for the entire race
duration.
Nigel had
a very good start, getting the jump on the pack and
leading into the first corner. The race was uneventful
for the first 40 laps and Nigel had put the team in a
very strong position. The dry track meant that the SR3
could not compete in straight line speed with the 450bhp
Jade and as a result Nigel had let the Jade go, knowing
that it would have to stop more times for fuel. Second
place was secure by 10 seconds and if the race
progressed along the same lines, when the pit stops and
fuel stops had all taken place Nigel and Damian should
have been winning the race.
However,
racing is never that straightforward. On about lap 45
Nigel noticed the water temperature of the car
consistently rising, and when the temperature got into
the 90's the team called the car in.
This was a
pre-season warm up and risking the engine was not a
consideration. Nigel pulled into the pits and the team
went to work. A cracked water pipe was the culprit, this
was changed, the car topped up with water and refuelled
and Nigel handed over to Damian.
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