David Rowatt

Fit an untried and untested engine to your car 4 weeks before race day and due to delays and ignorance from Turbo Technics have to source an oil cooler and chargecooler from an alternative source literally days away from the first race.

Start the engine for the first time 3 days before the race hoping everything would be OK.

Take 2 weeks to prepare the car before the first race, finish putting the car together at 9 pm the day before the race.

Decide to drive the race car to the circuit as the tow car is out of commission.

Leave an hour and a half to travel to Brands from Enfield and then finding that the M25 was closed from the M11 junction, having to detour but thankfully still arriving in plenty of time.

Pull out of the pit lane for first lap of practise with the feeling that I had forgotten something important, then realising this wasn't a trackday and yes I did need to wear my fireproof gloves that I had left in the pit garage, first lap red flagged so covered my embarrassment quite well by following everyone else into the pit lane jumping out to get my gloves and strapping up in plenty of time to carry on when qualifying resumed.

Finding the engine, reputed to be a 230 bhp Turbo Technics supercharged K series feel no faster than my old 150 bhp VVC, and then having the engine cut out on three occasions traced to a loose battery diagnosed very quickly by Sarah's mechanic Tony.

After qualifying being summoned to the Clerk of the Course, thinking I had been a naughty boy but learning that I had not signed at the drivers briefing, fortunately Malcolm Sanders vouched for me and the official said he did remember seeing me there, told I faced a £130 fine next time.

Finding that 10 minutes before the start of the race that the immobiliser/alarm wouldn't disarm despite me having new batteries in both key fobs, Tony again coming to the rescue but fortunately it corrected itself.

Finding that on the warm up lap the engine didn't sound quite right, was even more sluggish than in practise, feared for the race but I waited 15 years to race again so I wasn't about to pull out.

Realise that at the start of the race going into Paddock the engine was vibrating and not revving properly, lose several places but soldier on.

Find that on the second lap it was running rough on 3 cylinders, hoping it was electrical so deciding that I may as well continue.

On lap 3 feeling engine tighten coming out of Graham Hill Bend and then seeing clouds of smoke and steam but thankfully not flames out of my rear view mirror then frantically looking for a fire marshal's post as I careered off onto the grass at Surtees.

Watching Malcolm Sanders expire in a cloud of smoke and flames at the marshall's post at Surtees then being engulfed in a cloud of fire extinguisher foam as tried to move out of the way breathing some of the mist in and then finding that I had lost my voice for the next hour.

Having the dubious honour of being the first car to retire in a LOTRDC race (at least I got a mention on the MSV web site), David Harvey being the first to cause a red flag in qualifying and Jez Braker being the first to stuff it into the kitty litter also in qualifying.

Being towed back to the paddock and then waiting almost 2 hours for the AA recovery truck to turn up, standing in the drizzling rain and freezing cold, could have sat in the car but expected the AA to turn up at any minute and wanted to make sure they found me.

Spending 2 and a half hours travelling back to Enfield with a monosyllabic AA guy and getting stuck in a traffic jam on the M25 to make matters worse.

Having said the above what could have been a disastrous day turned out to be one of the most enjoyable I've had in BlownK, racing is completely different to a normal trackday and just gives you that extra buzz, the dices I had in qualifying were very exciting and were more like a race than practise.

Big thanks to Paul and the rest of the committee, a brilliant job to put on a very successful show. Also big thanks to Sarah for introducing me to her mechanic Tony who spent a good 20 minutes repositioning my loose battery as I didn't have any tools with me (talk about being badly prepared), Tony and Sarah I owe you both a drink when we meet in the bar, and Sarah I'm pleased that I made your day by making sure you didn't come last!!!!!

Of course congratulations to Walshy and Christian for achieving race victories.

As for BlownK, it will be back hopefully at Snetterton with a more reliable power plant.