750 Motor Club - Cadwell Park 10/05/08 (Allcomers Race)
The first race of the season for SHR took them to the picturesque Cadwell Park circuit, near Louth in Lincolnshire - and saw a dream start to the season by taking a commanding pole position, race win and fastest lap.
Arguably better known as a motorbike racing circuit, Cadwell's narrow track and daunting (in some cases blind) corners make for a real drivers track, and one which punishes mistakes severely. Effectively divided into two distinct sections, the first two thirds of the lap consist of a succession of fast, flowing corners which reward smoothness and precision, whilst the final third of the lap (which includes the famous mountain section, where cars momentarily leave the ground) is tight, twisty, and punishing on both the arms and the mind alike.
Qualifying
Qualifying saw near perfect conditions, with unbroken sunshine and ambient temperatures into the mid twenties. Simon took an understandably cautious approach, with the wide variety of cars and speed differentials meaning that manoeuvring through traffic was always going to be critical to getting a representative lap time in the short 15 minute session. Simon's decision to arrive early (for once!) at the Assembly Area was quickly vindicated when the cars were released, as it enabled him to get in three conservative but clear laps which by the end of the session would see him take pole by a comfortable 3 second margin. A couple of close shaves with slower cars notwithstanding, it was a highly satisfactory qualifying session. Next up were Andy Hiley (Taydec Mk2) and Andy Waters (Lotus Exige).
Race
In view of the performance gap between the front and rear of the grid based upon qualifying times (over 25 seconds a lap), a clean start and three clear laps were going to be critical in order to convert pole into a race win. The Taydec had hit problems after qualifying, meaning that Simon was alone on the front row and he was determined to capitalise on this into the first corner.
Once the lights had gone out, the Radical bogged down slightly meaning that a fast starting David Wale (Fisher Fury, 4th on the grid) briefly drew alongside on the run down to Coppice. However, Simon had the racing line and used the superior power of the Radical to draw ahead by the time they reached the apex. The performance of the Radical on cold tyres has always been a strength, and the end of the first lap saw it a commanding 6 seconds ahead of a squabbling Waters and Wale. Thereafter, Simon concentrated on maintaining neat lines, and avoiding any trouble. The battle for second was intense, and was instrumental in allowing the Radical to stretch its lead to an amazing 18 seconds after just 3 laps, although potential danger man Adrian Terry (Genesis RR) was charging through the field having started from the back of the grid.
A rear wheel imbalance was the only problem on the horizon, meaning that a severe vibration was manifesting itself each lap on the fast Park section of the track. However, with the gap further extended to 30 seconds by mid-race distance, Simon could afford himself the luxury of easing off to a pace around 5 seconds a lap from his best to take a comfortable win by over half a minute from the valiant Terry. The Exige of Andy Waters was a further 12 seconds back, having pipped Roger Donnan (Crossle Sports Racer) to the final podium place.
Summary
Pole Position, 1st Overall, 1st in Class, Fastest Lap.
