ON
TRACK WITH RICK PEARSON
By Rick Pearson
Welcome to the fifteenth of my weekly articles about the National racing scene and my journey through it over the past few years. This week, the final installment of my TOCA race weekend description: "I showed up, I qualified, I went home Part III" or "How to waste 3 days of your life for 20 laps in a racing car."
Race day starts a whole lot like qualifying with snoring mechanics, a freezing race-truck and bacon sandwiches at Renault hospitality. The only difference being the air of excitement in the paddock. The crowd starts to build very early on, (in fact I woke at Knockhill to see them all trotting in past the end of my bed), in order to have a wander around the paddock before staking their claim to a decent viewing spot.
With no warm-up on race day, time tends to be passed meeting and greeting guests and the public. My press officer is usually around pretty early, so if we've not had breakfast together, I'll spend some time with her over a carry-out Danish assessing what we are trying to achieve and what commitments I have during the day to meet members of the press or camera crews. Then if the schedule permits it, I get to spectate my only racing of the weekend by watching the Sprint round of the Touring cars and perhaps the Lotus or Fiesta races as they usually (after the Clios of course) provide the best racing of the weekend.
Then it's back to the awning, a quick final agonize over the settings and tyres I've chosen to run and we strap in to the ActiveShop Clio for the race. There is always a special moment in the collection area as we wait to go out onto the track where the mechanic closes the door, the helmet is on, the mirrors checked, belts are fastened but I haven' t fired up the engine.
Suddenly all is quiet and for the first time in the day there is nothing to do. You might think this is a good time to take a deep breath and relax but in fact if I start to think what lies ahead, I get nervous and hence I usually bang my fists on the steering wheel a few times and try and get pumped up for the start...
...lights go red, lights go green, Clio launches (hopefully) off towards the first corner. Check the relative pace of the cars around you, good start or bad one? Look towards the first corner, inside line available? Or be brave around the outside and risk being collected by an errant Clio? Recognise the colours and hence the drivers of the cars around you, decide what you can risk, who is likely to hit who and try and judge where the wreckage is going... before you know it the first lap is over and the start finish straight gives you an opportunity to count the cars in front and see how you've done.
When leading at Brands, the Clio was running right up against the pit wall, leading a snake of chasing cars, trying to cover the moves of the guy behind and desperately wishing down the laps-to- go counter to 0 while you are leading and up when you are not! Finally it's the last corner of the last lap; take off the speed and cover the inside line. You don' t care if the second place guy gets a run on you into the first corner, it's going to be all over by then! Foot down out of the corner and sprint for the flag.
For one terrifying moment you think the mechanics have miscounted the laps-to-go as there is no sign of the Chequered Flag, then suddenly it 's held high above you and dropped as you pass. Sheer relief, elation and relief again in that order.
The crowd is clapping; it was obviously pretty entertaining to them as well, try desperately to wave to every single one of them on the slowing down lap. Straight into the pitlane and into scrutineering. The camera crews are waiting, as is Mark Fish, my team manager.
Out of the car, big hug for Mark who is looking pretty tearful, please Mark don't start me off I'm already out of my tree on adrenaline and emotion! Shake hands with the Head of Renault Sport UK, Tim Jackson, he's obviously pretty pleased, a close, clean race in front of the big Bank Holiday crowd is exactly what he desires.
The hard bit is over. Two days of testing, one day of qualifying, over 200 laps of the Brands Indy circuit in total. Now it's time to get up on the podium truck, wave to the crowd, thank the marshals and try and drown the kiddies who were second and third in Champagne.
In two weeks time we'll be at Oulton, doing it all again but for now? Well, it's going to be a long night...