Donington Race Report
15th May 2004
Thirteen drivers qualified automatically for the final, the remaining places being decided by the results of two heats. The first was decided as we were assembling: Pete Morgan wins, ahead of Paul Tibbs and Ian Laughton.
Heat 2: Pat Grove and Jon Howes on the front row of the grid, John Hemming, John Munday, James Marshall and Paul Sheehan are ahead. I have Robert Foreman outside of me.
Race starts and I get trapped behind Marshall. Howes gets into the lead, followed by Grove, Hemming, Sheehan, Marshall and me. The carnage in the old hairpin removes part of the field behind me, and the six of us are out front to scrap it out. Sheehan carries momentum down Starkeys, and gets past Hemming into the chicane. Lap 2, into Redgate Sheehan attacks Grove, but goes wide. Old Hairpin, Howes and Grove go wide, Sheehan attacks outside around Schwantz, and is on the inside line for McLeans to take the lead. I pass Marshall into Coppice. Through the chicane on lap 2 positions are held, and it's still just as close through the chicane on lap 3.
We catch up with the first of the backmarkers on lap 6 in Old Hairpin, and Howes passes Sheehan into McLeans. The racing remains close and on lap 9 Sheehan is slow exiting the chicane. I get alongside Grove, get trapped behind Sheehan,but hold defensive line. Hemming goes wide into Redgate and I'm through, but my lack of momentum lets Grove back through, Hemming following his line. No further changes in position, Howes wins and I settle for 5th.
Final: I start, lose gearbox, pull over, find 3rd, then trundle around trying not to destroy the engine or get in the way of too many cars as they lap me. I finish a lonely 30th. Paul Taylor wins by a comfortable 10 seconds. A monumental battle for second sees Stuart Pearson, in a class B XR3i, finish ahead of Andy Burgess and Craig Shepherd for a memorable result.