After success at round 1 in Invercargill I was excited to again be heading to a track I’d never raced at for round 2, Levels Raceway in Timaru.
Round 2 was a condensed single day of racing, with the optional Friday testing which I also attended. Levels being only 2 hours out of Christchurch it was much easier round to get to. As a result we had two extra MX5 drivers this time around, Ayven and Benny (the guy I’m leasing the car from). And bonus Dad managed to come down and watch the racing, an extra fun weekend.
For Levels we had negotiated to have our own grid this time (so no chance of losing laps like Teretonga) but at the expense of changing from the planned 8 lap races down to 6 laps, a deal we were all more than happy with.
Friday morning I was set to leave when Dean messaged that his flight was very delayed. With Mike set to pick him up but also needing to go past Timaru to pick up my car and bring it to the track we changed plans and I waited in Chch to get Dean.
It worked out great as I got to chat with Dean for the drive down and as we arrived at midday Mike had just got my car off the trailer. Ready for racing.
Mick had already been practicing all morning. He was seriously buzzing with excitement when we arrived it was awesome. Because this was a smaller race meeting there weren’t too many cars practicing and they had split into only two groups, saloons and open wheelers, which alternated 20 minute sessions throughout the day. Mick was getting some serious seat time.
Dean did one session in his car not at full speed to bed in some new brakes. He then jumped in Micks car to see what the car was capable of and help Mick with some driving advice (they’d talked about it at round 1 after Mick was off the pace). Turns out the car was capable of greatness. Dean set a 1:17.1, a clear 8 tenths faster than the MX5 lap record from the previous year and over a second clear of what anyone else was doing that day. Wtf the guy is such a legend.
To hammer home the legend status Dean proceeded to call it a day, he didn’t need more practice he was ready to race. Also his car had a dodgy bonnet and massive flat spot (which he was going to fix overnight) so he didn’t want to run it but the badass “I don’t need practice” story is way cooler.
Ahead of the round I’d again been learning the track in the sim, this time in rFactor2 but I’d only managed one session after being home sick much of the week prior. My first session on the real track and I was again grateful for that sim experience. I knew where the track was headed and approximately how I should tackle each corner. The big difference was just how busy it felt though the last sector of the track vs what I’d felt in the sim.
So every 20 minutes we were back on track getting heaps of laps in. I was loving it. This track is so much and so tricky to master. The commitment required into turn 4 was a thrill much like Teretonga T1, throwing the car up on the kerb exiting T2 had me feeling like a supercars pro, and balancing the car at full throttle as it pushed wide out through T9 I was just hanging on.
It was fun to see my times coming down too. I was straight away best of the rest behind Dean (missing Eevee, Ayven, and Benny who skipped practice only arriving Saturday morning) which had me excited but there was a long way to go to catch him (although I had suspicion/hope he wouldn’t be able to match that time in his own car). This time around I had my in car timing sorted so with the delta showing each sector I set about experimenting with different lines to compare what was quicker.
I was even trying different gears through a few corners. I had again watched Deans onboards from last year and started with using the gears he was in. That didn’t fit the corners and tidily as it did for him. It seems Deans gear ratios are different from the rest of us, I noticed it later when racing next to him too he would be shifting at different points. Odd for a spec series. Anyway I used the delta time each lap to see where using a different gear gained me time. 3rd through T3, holding 4th through T4&5, and getting into 3rd early before T9.
With all I’d learnt through the afternoon I really felt like I was on top of the track by the last couple of sessions. I was down to a 1:18.1 but between having to navigate slower saloons some laps (one particular BMW was braking waaaay too early) and knowing I hadn’t nailed all sectors in the same lap I knew I was capable of being into the 17s. With the previous years lap record being 1:17.9 that was awesome. Very happy with my effort for the day. Certainly a fun one and again the car came home straight and running great.
So hopefully I was going to be competitive with Deans earlier effort an outlier. Although last years onboards had also shown me Benny was quick enough to take the fight to Dean so who knew what pace he would arrive with.
Onto Saturday and 10 minutes of qualifying first up. I had the timing in my car so could see how fast I was. I was loving it. Pushing hard with Dean in the distance up the road. Quickly I had beaten my best from the day before! And I noticed Dean wasn’t pulling away, if anything I was getting closer to him. That’s a good sign but lots of time to go I can still improve! Pushing on I could see my lap times coming down each time around. This is awesome. So much fun in the car having a clear track feeling the limit of what is possible, flowing through the corners aiming for the perfect lines. On lap 4 I set a 1:17.9. Woohoo. On lap 6 I hit a 1:17.3. HELL YEAH. Fist pump time. And I was way closer to Dean now I had to be beating him! This is epic. But I saw the timing board had 30 seconds left. I’m bloody happy with that but there’s time for one more lap. Might as well commit.
So I went for it and was up in the first sector! Let’s go. The second half of the lap was mint but not quite perfect and I crossed the line to see… 1:17.2!!! Hell yeah baby!
Man I was fizzing when I came in. That was an epic session I was proud of that effort. Nearly a second faster than my best on Friday! Boy is it satisfying to improve with every lap. And to have surely beaten the benchmark Dean that was epic.
When I got back to the pits there was a small dent in my excitement but it couldn’t bring me down. The official results were live on Speedhive. I had beaten Dean (woohoo) but only qualified second with Ayven setting a 1:16.9. Holy smokes that’s quick from a guy that rocked up that morning doing zero practice.
Race one starting off the front row was exciting. It was clearly going to be tight into T1 with such a short run. I got another horrible start and was kicking myself. Straight away I was forgetting about attack and going super defensive.
Out of turn three I was already well back from Ayven with Dean close in behind. With Dean in the slip stream I was hard on the inside defending as we headed down the straight. Into turn 4, the commitment corner, Dean was on my outside and I knew he’d go deep. Balancing the need to pull it up to keep it clean and the hunger to stay in front I picked my braking point. I could hear Deans tyres squealing to might right as I turned in and battled with the car wanting to slide out. Nervous about leaving him enough space I was just about making the corner. Glancing across to see check Dean had just enough space to stay on that tarmac (knowing I was forcing him onto the run off). He wasn’t fully alongside and I was confident with my inside line into the next turn. Then exiting the corner I glanced up in my mirror and my word. It was chaos further back. I only had a split second but it looked like everyone behind was off the track with massive dust clouds being kicked up.
Indeed I did manage to hold Dean off through the following corners before we were greeted by safety car boards and flags as we hit the start/finish straight. Thankfully it wasn’t for any damage it was just Mick stuck in the sand after that off at turn four.
Whew. Time to get my breath against. Ok so still second and now this lets me catch back up to the back of Ayven. Plus I can’t get a bad start since it will be a rolling start after the safety car not a grid start. Alright this could be awesome actually.
A couple laps later and that restart comes. I was waiting ready for the lights tucked up behind Ayven. As they went out I put my foot down! And almost instantly Dean is next to me. Squeezing up the inside as we race towards turn 1. How did he do that? By turn 1 he was already slightly ahead and with the inside line I couldn’t hold the position. Dang.
I can’t wait to see the footage from one of the cars behind me on how he did that. I was so focused on Ayven I didn’t really see what he did but I know the rules are you can’t have overlap until the light goes green.
I tried to fight back but with Dean also getting the slip stream from Ayven I didn’t have anything for it and a quick three laps later it was over. I finished 3rd. Still a great effort given the strength of drivers ahead but equally disappointing that two poor starts cost me a better result.
Onto race 2 and this time it’s grids of the race 1 results so I’m on the second row with the inside line in 3rd.
This time I have no problem keeping pace with the lead. I was all over Dean hunting for a way through. A couple times I tried a move. A couple times he tried a move on Ayven and I was just hoping they’d open the door. But there was no way through. I could get a much better run out of T8/9 but never quite had enough to get him into T1.
On the final lap I was still pushing like crazy hoping for a last second chance. Right up to the final corners I was there and again I got a better run out of the hairpin through T9. Onto the straight I had the momentum and was pulling up the inside begging the car to go a bit faster go go go.
But the line was too close. I finished 0.046 behind Dean. Wow. Dang.
Race three was a reverse grid based on fastest lap. Unfortunately that included my mega lap from qualifying which meant I was faster than Dean and therefore starting behind him. Only Ayven was behind me.
I was super excited for the new format. I was excited to get some overtakes as we came through the field. I knew I was fast enough to win. It would just be who would pick the right moves on the frantic first couple laps as we fought for positions.
Off the line I actually did an alright job for once! But with Dean one grid place up he had the inside line into turn 1 so I had to slot in behind him.
The opening laps sure lived up to the hectic expectations. Constantly cars close with overtakes all the time. As it settled down Benny had pulled away up front with Dean coming through next followed by yours truly with Ayven still fighting through the pack.
Dean had pace over Benny, as he had all weekend, so it wasn’t long before he’d caught up. But Benny did the honourable thing and put up a massive fight. Defending as hard as possible, even making a dive trying to get the spot back after it looked like he was done. Worked beautifully for me as I was brought in to the fight for the lead.
Desperate to get after Dean I knew I needed to get through Benny quickly. I had to fight for it but I did make it through as it remained a three way fight for the lead. It was so close that one lap I follow Dean through 1 and 2 and brake for 3 only to have Benny in my rear end pushing me wide as he seemingly expected us to be braking later. We’d been laughing between races about if we kept push hard and being willing to send it on each other both cars would be ending up back in his garage afterwards. It was only a few blue paint flecks and a couple chips on the bumper but it made for good banter after the race.
At this point I was second place and I was all over Dean. Using the tow down the straight I could feel the potential to finally beat him. We were so evenly matched but I was desperate to get through.
We had slightly different strengths around the track and out of T8/9 was certainly one of mine. The last few laps I could see Ayven behind, now past Benny, reeling us in. I desperately wanted to get past so as we headed onto the final lap I set myself up with a good run out of T8/9 again. Dean was of course wise to it and defended the inside but I needed this move more than anything. I got right alongside heading into turn one and was full committed to sticking with it. Around the outside which rapidly becomes the inside of 2 as the chicane tightens up. I was right alongside but Dean was not letting up. I swung the car left into 2 wincing as I aimed right up next to the big kerb on the inside and saw the gap closing beside. BANG. Door to door contact with Dean as we come through the middle of 2. Crap. This is all on.
That had me on the inside of 3 but I mucked it up with a slide mid corner as I tried to carry too much speed for the narrow line. Around the outside was Dean as I put the power down on exit. Then on the inside there’s Ayven! Double crap. I hadn’t thought to cover him. My slow corner now meant I had cars coming past on both sides.
Dean had the exit speed and pulled ahead down the straight. As he did the slipstream gave me a boost to keep up with Ayven on my left. But then Dean went across ahead of him and I was left sitting on the outside now maybe a quarter of a car length behind.
But why would that stop me.
I went deep on the brakes trying to stay around the outside of 4. Managing to keep with him I then had to do it again on the outside of 5 and boy I was full committed. Ayven backed off a little not to cause contact but the track layout meant T6 the long left hander I was still out here on the outside. But full commitment I wasn’t going to give the position away I was a man on a mission.
And then I was a man counter steering like crazy stabbing at the pedals wrestling to keep my sideways car from spinning.
I slid off the track as I wrestled the car and thankfully did keep from going right around. But crap the damage was done. Ayven was immediately past then through came Benny as I gathered myself up on the grass. Looking back there was a big gap to the red car behind so I flicked back onto the circuit and started kicking myself for a dumb mistake.
I crossed the line to finish 4th. A solid result but I’d obviously earned a podium. Gutted that I couldn’t pull off the win. But not disappointed in the race. Another third wasn’t enough. I had to put it all on the line, all or nothing. I wasn’t mad about my attempt. I was proud I had the speed to have won that race if only a couple small moments had gone my way.
So I didn’t achieve my mission, Dean beat me in every race, but it was still good results. Certainly I had good pace to be fighting for the lead each race. And I had a hell of a lot of fun racing at the front and hanging out in the pits all day.
Just wish I could have had one top 2 from it.
After the race Dad and I stuck around while Benny and Mike dropped cars off south of Timaru before coming back to get their own. We hung around until we were literally last in the pits and had the gate closed on us as we moved outside. Not a bad place to hang out for a couple hours to be fair.
For round three we will be heading back to Teretonga. I’ve been excited to get back to a track I now know but unfortunately some drivers have had to withdraw which brings the round into doubt (looking like only 3 entries). Failing that it’s Ruapuna the week after so either way I’m excited to be back in this MX5 soon.
