Post by Stiggy on Sept 9, 2012 19:39:07 GMT
What an amazing end to a frantic season!
Today I really did witness an amazing spectacle. I felt quite tense for my 2 hour journey up to Croft for the final race of the season knowing that the eventual winner was going to have a close shave.
The Exocet race car known as the MX150R has had it's own grids this year for the first time and the number of entries for the dedicated series has been growing all season, there were only 6 out for the final however but the competition was stiff, the racing close and the obvious potential winner seemed to change by the hour. Good job I am not a gambling man!
Kevin Dengate and Jonathon Blake are team rivals and also great mates but the friendly rivalry was settled over the weekend.
With only 6 points separating these 2 very experienced drivers we knew we would be entertained but you could not make this stuff up.
3 races to go and JB needed to win all 3 to win the series.
A tough job but it appeared to be handed to him on a plate in race one. The testosterone was running high and all cars shot off the line but KD slippied a gear and in the battle for the racing line on turn one something had to give. 5 cars piled in and KD finished up eating dust and hitting the wall at speed. He was out and all Jonathon needed to do was finish. Finish he did too having battled it out with Jamie Ingram, Stewart Mutch and John Potter he managed 1st but at what cost to the car?
Race 2 had all cars back out but KD (with a new steering rack, that was all that got damaged in race one) had a lot of ground to make up as he was stuck on the back of the grid having failed to complete the last race. Things were hotting up, hot being the operative word here as JB's engine got a little too hot. The water pump failed as the last lap flag came out and Stewart Mutch did not take much persuading to take advantage of that situation. Stew was delighted, his first win of the season. Well done chap!
Don't panic, the team of mechanics headed by expert Pete would soon have the car sorted for JB for the finale. A water pump was fitted in double quick time (32 minutes!) but on restart it was clear the head gasket had gone. 43 frantic minutes went by and just as the drivers were called to the hold it fired up. Trouble is it was clear that the head was slightly warped. Would it hold up for one last 15 minute race?
This was it, if KD wins he gets the crown for the whole years racing but if JB finishes his total points would allow him to claim victory. The racing was close, very close, but fair and tidy. The race was 15 minutes plus one lap and at 14 minutes we saw a black flag with an orange circle waved at Jonathon, this means that a marshal had spotted an issue with the car, I couldn't see anything as he steamed passed, was it a leak, was it a body panel loose? I could not tell. It was the 11th hour, Jonathon could pit to sort the problem or risk being disqualified. The last lap board went up and Jonathon pulled in to the pits knowing the rules would allow him to claim he had finished as he had past the black and white flag all be it on the wrong side of the pit wall. KD took the flag from the track side of the pit wall and we all fell silent, what was the result?
I sat on the edge of my seat wondering how on earth they could sort this out. Jonathon's car had developed a slight water leak but were the marshals correct in flagging him? Should he have ignored them? Did he complete 3/4 of the race as per the rule book and therefore win the series? A whole hour went by and then the MSA officials started an inquiry. Nearly 2 hours after the race had ended the tannoy announcer said "the winner of the MX150R race was...
Kevin Dengate", very well done Kevin, you worked very hard, that was a tense weekend, I loved every minute of it and we had a great party in the paddock last night with a brilliant live band, a hog roast and beer for £1!!!! I spent £12 though, oops. Thanks to Brett and Sarah for getting us back to the Hotel. This was very exciting stuff and Jonathon gave his team mate Kevin a big hand shake and congratulations. A fine balance of sportsmanship, competitiveness and camaraderie was shown, brilliant stuff guys. Many many thanks to all involved.
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Today I really did witness an amazing spectacle. I felt quite tense for my 2 hour journey up to Croft for the final race of the season knowing that the eventual winner was going to have a close shave.
The Exocet race car known as the MX150R has had it's own grids this year for the first time and the number of entries for the dedicated series has been growing all season, there were only 6 out for the final however but the competition was stiff, the racing close and the obvious potential winner seemed to change by the hour. Good job I am not a gambling man!
Kevin Dengate and Jonathon Blake are team rivals and also great mates but the friendly rivalry was settled over the weekend.
With only 6 points separating these 2 very experienced drivers we knew we would be entertained but you could not make this stuff up.
3 races to go and JB needed to win all 3 to win the series.
A tough job but it appeared to be handed to him on a plate in race one. The testosterone was running high and all cars shot off the line but KD slippied a gear and in the battle for the racing line on turn one something had to give. 5 cars piled in and KD finished up eating dust and hitting the wall at speed. He was out and all Jonathon needed to do was finish. Finish he did too having battled it out with Jamie Ingram, Stewart Mutch and John Potter he managed 1st but at what cost to the car?
Race 2 had all cars back out but KD (with a new steering rack, that was all that got damaged in race one) had a lot of ground to make up as he was stuck on the back of the grid having failed to complete the last race. Things were hotting up, hot being the operative word here as JB's engine got a little too hot. The water pump failed as the last lap flag came out and Stewart Mutch did not take much persuading to take advantage of that situation. Stew was delighted, his first win of the season. Well done chap!
Don't panic, the team of mechanics headed by expert Pete would soon have the car sorted for JB for the finale. A water pump was fitted in double quick time (32 minutes!) but on restart it was clear the head gasket had gone. 43 frantic minutes went by and just as the drivers were called to the hold it fired up. Trouble is it was clear that the head was slightly warped. Would it hold up for one last 15 minute race?
This was it, if KD wins he gets the crown for the whole years racing but if JB finishes his total points would allow him to claim victory. The racing was close, very close, but fair and tidy. The race was 15 minutes plus one lap and at 14 minutes we saw a black flag with an orange circle waved at Jonathon, this means that a marshal had spotted an issue with the car, I couldn't see anything as he steamed passed, was it a leak, was it a body panel loose? I could not tell. It was the 11th hour, Jonathon could pit to sort the problem or risk being disqualified. The last lap board went up and Jonathon pulled in to the pits knowing the rules would allow him to claim he had finished as he had past the black and white flag all be it on the wrong side of the pit wall. KD took the flag from the track side of the pit wall and we all fell silent, what was the result?
I sat on the edge of my seat wondering how on earth they could sort this out. Jonathon's car had developed a slight water leak but were the marshals correct in flagging him? Should he have ignored them? Did he complete 3/4 of the race as per the rule book and therefore win the series? A whole hour went by and then the MSA officials started an inquiry. Nearly 2 hours after the race had ended the tannoy announcer said "the winner of the MX150R race was...
Kevin Dengate", very well done Kevin, you worked very hard, that was a tense weekend, I loved every minute of it and we had a great party in the paddock last night with a brilliant live band, a hog roast and beer for £1!!!! I spent £12 though, oops. Thanks to Brett and Sarah for getting us back to the Hotel. This was very exciting stuff and Jonathon gave his team mate Kevin a big hand shake and congratulations. A fine balance of sportsmanship, competitiveness and camaraderie was shown, brilliant stuff guys. Many many thanks to all involved.
