TM2 at Herts E or E Regional Round 4

[Smartalec]

Sunday June 9th and a bright and early start with racing set to begin at 8.30am due to the 3 legged finals being run for all 2 and 4wd.

My old mate Danny "Essex Gypsy" Conway is chuckling to himself like a demented geriatric at this one as he knows it's a bogey track for me and he loves the place, so with that in mind, i'm out to try and salvage some points and minimize the damage.

Practice is good and there's very little sand on the track at this point so grip is relatively high and Schumacher yellow minipins are the order of the day and seem to be the quicker option.

Round one and I go off first with Danny in second and my bogey track makes it's initial strike and i'm upside down over the back section and needing to be marshalled. Shouldn't be a problem as i'm about three feet from marshal point five so he should be on it like a banshee on crack ........... well he would be if he wasn't marshalling another car on marshal point eight

That's the way it goes sometimes so off again and two laps later strike number 2 and i'm upside down in the same place believe it or not, but this time marshal number five is firmly on his point and duly leaps into action like a ninja and upturns the car in a flash, would have been even better if he'd have faced it in the correct direction

Off round the track again and just to add insult to injury I manage to crash in exactly the same place again so this now i'm actually curious as to what's going to happen this time. To my amazement the car was back on it's wheels, facing the correct way in a split second and I accelerate away only to crash into the next corner marker.

I'm finally put out of my misery and the run comes to an end (praise the lord) and incredibly i'm second in the heat (a full lap down) behind the Gypsy and i'm actually third in round behind Lee "Switch" Harris, who had a good run in the heat before, so it's a TM2 1, 2, 3 for round one.

Round two and i'm off second behind Danny and i'm keeping up until we get to the large jump in the middle of the track where I fumble the landing but stay on my wheels, this is where the Gypsy is pulling away every lap and it's fair to say I was struggling on this section so it's going to be a long day. An error again near the end and I finish third again in round, this time behind Danny and Mark Everitt with his TM2, so once again a TM2 1, 2, 3 in round.

A good start in round three and i'm pushing Mark hard as I know that if I don't get past him the Gypsy will be dancing his merry way to the TQ spot for sure as he already has two first in rounds counting with one a slow 12 lapper. Thankfully Mark makes an error and i'm through to chase Danny down and i'm flashing on the computer for a 12 lapper and ahead on time for the first time today so all I need is a steady run to the end and the chance of TQ will still be there with all to play for in round 4. Unfortunately, Mark tangles with the rear of my car and we are locked together for a few seconds before freeing up and finishing a disappointing second in round.

That's the top spot gone so just playing to make sure of second on the grid now in round 4 and a good start and an early error from Danny and I go on to take the round win and secure the second place on the grid for the 3 legged finals. The sand is really starting to come through onto the racing line now and there's nowhere near as much traction but the TM2 is handling really well so a new pair of rear tyres for the final and we're all set.

Leg one and a reasonable start and I start to push Danny until we get to the dreaded middle jump and instantly cack up the landing and let him disappear into the distance to never be seen again. After battling it out with both Jonathan Brown and Mark Everitt for second spot I finally get a small lead over Mark and we circulate like that until the last corner before the straight. Now Mark is standing to the far left on the rostrum and i'm standing to the far right, as we go through the corner before last the marshal on that point is either doing something to the track marking or to a stricken car, either way I can't see the apex so I have to go out wide onto the "beach" where amazingly, I have way less traction than Mark, who is on the correct line for the corner as he can see it perfectly from where he is standing. So Mark takes the normal racing line and simply drives past me to take second place behind the Gypsy for the first of the three finals. I'm loving this 1, 2, 3 for the TM2's, I just wish at this point that it was me who was holding that "one" spot

So on to leg 2 of the A final and a good start this time for me and an uncharacteristic error from Danny and i'm through to the lead and waiting for the track to strike at me lap after lap, going really steady over that jump to make sure of the win and hold on to a chance of the overall victory. Amazingly, it all goes to plan and I finish ahead of Danny so it's one all and all to play for in leg three

Another good start and i'm right on the Gypsy's tail this time and we pull away from the others a little and after a few laps i'm still there and pushing hard to try and get him to make an error. To my disgust, the error was mine and i'm stuck on the hose and needing marshalling. I'm away quickly and chase Danny but without a big error from him i'm not going to catch up and that is exactly how it finished with Danny taking a well deserved third and final leg to take the overall win with me coming home second and Mark Everitt breaking his 4th place regional curse at last with a very well deserved 3rd overall.

Six TM2's in the A final at a regional is an excellent result for SMD and Team C with Danny, Me, Mark Everitt, Lee Harris, Lew Page and Mick Spindley all making the top ten. Well done everyone, lets see what the next round brings