Issue 5 - MG Racing

Page 17
MG RACER
You and Robert had quite a scrap.
Did you ever think you were going to
get past?
I started the weekend slow but soon
realized I had similar pace to Robert.
At the start of the memorial race we
were side by side, I focused hard
and had a better start easily taking
the lead, but after a lap or 2 Robert
managed to pass me on the outside
ripple strip on turn one, the same
turn where we had touched in race
2 the day before.
He was right on my rear quarter but
driving right on the strip as we
headed to turn 2 – he seemed very
determined to continue down the
ripple strip which was about to run
out and I decided to move over as I
feared for his safety and mine if he
touched me. After I moved away
from the strip to give him some room
I also gave him the advantage of a
clear inside run for turn 2 and he
took the lead. He was very determined
but so was I. After a couple
of laps I got good run onto the main
straight and planned to have a go
on the inside of turn 1.
With me hard on his tail we came up
to turn 1 but we were also catching
Ken Price in his F. This is going to be
interesting I thought. Robert was on
the outside and I came up directly
behind Ken about mid track. Then as
they both braked I went inside Ken,
braked much later and took the
lead from Robert who was left on
the outside of Ken and the corner. I
drove hard to get a small lead. From
that point some quicker cars frustrated
Roberts attempts to catch up
and I focused on my driving like
never before. At one point I even
held back one of the faster Midgets
(that I would normally have let
through) to keep him between
Robert and myself. Once I saw
Robert busy with Peter Sortwell. I let
him through and a lap later took the
chequered flag for the Historic Class.
There is a lot of luck in racing and
had the race not been shortened,
Peter Sortwell would have certainly
passed me on the next lap.
You shocked the MG Racing scene
with a spectacular debut at Phillip
Island in '07. What racing experience
had you had before that?
None. Well no racing experience
any way. I had done some hill climbs
and sprints in my Robnell Cobra Replica
that I built in 2002. I bought the
MG and my very first drive of it was
doing the OLT for my License and my
second was my first race at Phillip
Island .
Since then your form has ebbed and
flowed from being thereaboust to
being right at the pointy-end. What
do you account for this?
Competing in my Robnell taught me
respect for power, speed and had
trained me to concentrate for a
short time with no other vehicles
around to put in a good sprint time. I
frequently pushed my Cobra beyond
its limit and would always have
a good spin in a safe place – lots of
fun. Now with an MG I had little
power, had to concentrate for a
long time and had to deal with cars
all over the place.
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