If someone had said to me before my very first race weekend (along with being the only classified novice on the grid) that I’d have had two top ten finishes and 22 points on the board I wouldn’t have believed them. But this is what happened:

Race One:
After a nice clean start, I found myself in P11 at the end of lap one. A safety car intervention kept those positions for a few minutes, and at the resumption, I found myself in a nice battle with the three following cars. I’m pleased to say I came in 10th in my first ever race, something I could only have dreamt of.

Race Two:
I’d been bumped up a place on the grid due to my previous result. While I got away nicely again, the car behind jumped the gun and moved in front of me. I then fell a little behind before finding my rhythm and started reeling him in quite quickly. Unbeknown to me his false start had led to him incurring a ten-second penalty so I would have finished in front anyway, and during this time with just a lap and a half to go, I made my first mistake and unfortunately got caught out on the marbles and ended up in the tyre wall.
All in all, I couldn’t have been happier with how things went, and while there is an incredible amount to learn, I’m certain I can take on board all the experience gained and improve as the season moves along.

After arriving at Silverstone on Thursday for my first ever outing at the home of motorsport, I’m very pleased to say I finished both races in 13th position while improving my times every outing throughout the weekend!
Thursday went well on a busy track, followed by steady progress over the day on Friday. Qualifying would again prove slightly frustrating, but I posted a reasonable time considering it was my first venture on a damp but drying track on slicks.

Race One:
Race 1 was a good clean one from start to finish, and I managed my best time so far. However, I fell back a little further than expected from the pack but managed to keep my distance from the quicker AM class drivers to finish 13th, one above my start position.

Race Two:
Race 2, although again finishing in 13th, was an altogether more satisfying outing as I shortened my overall time by a full 10 seconds, hanging onto the group in front and pulling away a full 9 seconds from the cars behind. I also managed my fastest lap of the entire weekend on the penultimate one. Given I had no dramas and made further solid progress, I feel, on reflection, that this was my best meeting so far.
Lots more learned and more points to focus on. I now have some time between rounds, so I’ll be busy practicing in the SIM and training hard. Thanks to everyone for the continued support.

The weekend of 28-29th May saw us compete in rounds 9 & 10 of the championship at Thruxton, the fastest circuit in the UK.

Another new experience for me, not only having not raced here before, is was also the only weekend not to feature the all-important Friday testing and so Saturday morning was straight into qualifying – slightly daunting to say the least!

My qualifying frustrations continued, not helped by being hit by another car, so with class adjustments I found myself in the now-familiar 14th place on the grid, a spot in which I would start both races.

The first race began well enough, and after a good lunge at the second bend taking me past five cars, I soon found myself giving them back after not quite completing the move and having to brake heavily to stay on track.

A nice rhythm followed for a few laps until I was again hit from behind, this time leading to a spin and dropping back down the pack. I recovered sufficiently to get back on and have a nice battle with another driver over the closing couple of laps, managing to pass him just before the line to finish 14th in class.

The mid-race incident led to a visit to the stewards where, after putting my case forward, I was cleared of any blame while the driver who took me off got hit with a 10-point deduction and two penalty points added to his license.

Race two was to be my second live on ITV4 so I was desperately hoping for more luck than the debut one. Another good, clean start enabled me to gain a place and stay with the target group in front for a full five laps until tyre degeneration started to become apparent.

Not wanting to force a mistake, I eased off just a little once I realised I couldn’t keep up and whilst being aware that I had pulled away from the AM class leaders to around 10 seconds, so had built up a nice cushion.

All was calm until my teammate got hit off on the penultimate lap resulting in yellow flags just before the last series of bends. Naturally, I did what I was supposed to do and slowed to the required speed which, while that is the correct thing to do, I found out later may have been a little naïve, as the two more experienced drivers behind quite clearly didn’t.

However, this meant quite an exciting finish as I had to fend them both off for the last lap and as the race director cut to the battle, it meant great coverage for the cameras as the three of us crossed the line.

So, a dramatic finish in 12th place was a very pleasing end to another huge learning curve of a weekend. On a lighter note, I also was asked for my very first autograph – something I will never forget.

I seem to be getting noticed by other drivers and team owners now as the word has spread that this is my very first season of racing of any type, and with that some very encouraging compliments, which are all gratefully received.

My data is improving with each outing and although I still have a lot to learn, I’m getting closer to my goals.

Thank you again to everyone for your wonderful and continued support.
Sam

Last weekend saw us move up to Croft for rounds 11 & 12 of the championship, another one featuring on the BTCC package.

Friday’s weather was mixed, but a good dry morning session saw me pick up where I left off from testing there the week before, resulting in a positive start to the meet. The afternoon session was abruptly halted by a huge downpour which caught out nearly half the grid resulting in 7 cars spinning in the gravel, 4 of those getting stuck. However, myself and 2 of my teammates had thankfully passed through that section of track before it hit, enabling us to dart in once the red flag came out. The session was completed with my first outing on wet tyres, and whilst we only managed a handful of laps it was great practice and experience on a personal level.

Saturday looked mixed but thankfully stayed dry and at last I was able to get rid of my qualifying frustrations and hit the ground running, enabling me to out pace all the AM class drivers and a Pro for the first time. This resulted in a genuine 13th on the grid without requiring class adjustments, something I was very happy with.

Race one started off awkwardly as the driver in front jumped the lights and despite my quick push I had to ease off as he’d realised what he’d done and so slowed, meaning I got boxed in. This put me back 4 places but actually resulted in some good racing as I quickly got back 3 of them. The next was a bit more of a challenge but I managed to do this, and then once clear and in hot pursuit of the next car I set my fastest lap of the entire weekend before my bonnet pins sheared causing it to pop right open meaning an unavoidable pit stop. With little time left this meant I was of course running at the back, but I did gain another place at the death. A frustrating end but I did still manage 14th in class and points.

Sunday also looked mixed but we managed to avoid the rain again. Another good start followed but I didn’t have much room on what is a pretty tight track so despite that I did actually fall back a spot. However, the next few laps where probably the most satisfying to date. One of the front runners and a former championship leader spun and picked up right behind me which lead to a great battle and I was very happy to learn the scrap had been picked up by the director so I had my best live TV coverage to date. I managed to fend off the attack for the majority of a lap, leading to some nice comments on the feed and also a few high fives after the race. Although that battle meant we fell back from the pack slightly I eventually finished in 12th.

All in all this was my most satisfying weekend so far. Despite the little bit of bad luck in race 1, I had good pace, wet laps, some good overtaking and a proper battle with a leading driver, all great experience.

We now have a two-month break until Brands Hatch so time to get my head down in the SIM, work on my fitness and try and attract some further sponsorship. The next target is to make sure I start off on the front foot again enabling me to push on into the pack!!

Thanks again to everyone for the brilliant support.

The penultimate weekend of the championship brought us to the iconic Brands Hatch!

A strange scenario as Friday practice was held on the much smaller Indy circuit due to noise constraints, so it wasn’t so much about learning the track, just purely more time in the car.

For the first two sessions I was only allowed to use 80% of the throttle following a partial engine rebuild, frustrating to say the least but all part of the discipline of racing. Session three was a little better as it was almost bedded in by now, then just before the fourth and final practice session the heavens opened!

The majority of drivers opted to sit this one out but due to my very limited wet running I decided to go out. With standing water and torrential rain, it was very tricky but I managed a full run without any dramas so ended the day on a pleasing note.Saturday morning qualifying was, yet again, a little frustrating as the car had now developed some issues with the gearbox.

However, I still managed to outpace a few and was placed in P11 for race one. After a great start, I got stuck into a midfield battle which would prove to be the theme of the weekend.

Swapping places with two other drivers on several occasions proved great fun and I finished where I started. Race two was on Sunday morning, this time starting in 12th position.

Again, another great start took me past a couple of the quicker pro-drivers and up the pack. Some drama in front lead to a safety car and one of the other cars got the jump on me at the re-start. Certainly something I’ll learn from, so I again ended up in 11th.A long wait until race three ensued as we were last out at 6pm, again starting from 12th. Another fun battle with the same drivers continued for the majority of the race, again swapping places throughout when more drama unfolded ahead. Waved yellow flags turned into red with two laps to go when I was quickly catching the car in front.

As frustrating as that was as I was confident of passing him which would have meant my best finish in 9th, I was still happy with matching my season best in 10th.So all in all another great weekend for me which meant my biggest points haul of the season to date.

Lots more learned and certainly further progress. We now have another month off before the season-ending meet at Donington in mid October where I’ll be hoping to finish my first season on a high.

Thanks again to all my sponsors for the wonderful continued support.

That’s a wrap!

The recent final weekend at Donington was the last meeting of the season and it was certainly eventful. The Friday test day was nothing short of frustrating. As has proved the case this year when several makes of car take to the track, there is always disruption and this was certainly no different.

Three red flags in each of the first two sessions meant very limited running time, then another one in the third, quickly followed by a torrential downpour meant I only completed around 8 laps in the dry. However I did venture out in the rain to gain further experience and although we weren’t expecting any more over the two race days at least I gained some more wet running practice.

Saturday morning started dreadfully with me making what I can only describe as a schoolboy error. We were allowed out on track for qualifying on a slightly damp track but on slicks. On entering the track I pushed too hard on cold tyres causing me to spin and hit the barrier. I sustained too much damage to continue and therefore no time was set. To say I was devastated would be an understatement, not least of all as I had more guests there than any other meet this year. Technically, you aren’t supposed to race unless you’ve completed at least three qualifying laps but after an anxious wait following a visit to the clerk’s office I was allowed to continue having proved I’d previously completed enough laps.

Due to my error I started race one at the back of the Pro Class in 16th. A good start moved me up to 12th, only to be tapped once again by a team mate putting me last. I managed to get back past a few cars in what ultimately lead to some good racing, finishing in 13th place.

Race two was another 16th place on the grid but another good start saw me taking four cars by turn one again. Without too much drama this turned out to be a steadier race with an eventual 12th place finish.

Race three was the very last race of the season and given my finish in the previous one I started in 12th. Yet again I took four places from the green lights getting me up to 8th. However, much drama up front including 3 spins, a blown engine and a safety car meant all sorts of carnage and a pack all over the place. After the re start I found myself in 13th but some more good dicing and a last lap lunge meant an 11th place finish.

All in all a fairly satisfying weekend after some frustration and self inflicted wounds but still lots of positives to take, especially the fact I’m beginning to gain a bit of a reputation as one of, if not the fastest, starters on the grid.

On reflection this has been without doubt the best experience of my life and certainly made me more determined to try and carry on. My data has constantly improved, my confidence has grown and whilst maybe not quite finishing as high in some races as I’d have liked a handful of top tens is certainly very encouraging. There have been a total of 27 entrants across the two classes this season and I finished 13th from 17 in the Pro Class, higher than anyone expected. There have been highs, lows, tears and laughs and I’ve made friends for life.

As I have done wherever possible this season I’d once again like to thank everyone who has helped me start my dream of becoming a racing driver. I couldn’t have done it without my family, friends, team & team mates, driver coaches and most importantly all who have so generously sponsored me and for that I am eternally grateful.

I shall now sit down with my dad and look at all the options for next season in the hope that we can carry on with another exciting opportunity and to hopefully further my career.

Thank you all again.
Sam

Spectacular start to the season for Sam

It was a weekend of great satisfaction for racing driver Sam Harvey as he secured no less than three podium finishes in his second season for Xentek Motorsport over Easter. But what makes his feat more impressive is that all three races in the Ginetta championships were achieved under ever changing and challenging conditions at Oulton Park.

Whilst race one was dry and fairly drama free the young driver from the West Midlands showed great skill and composure in navigating the treacherous conditions on the track in races two and three, pushing himself and his car to the limits to claim the results against some tough competition.

For Sam, this is not just a personal achievement, but a testament to the hard work and dedication of his entire team.

Sam comments: “Every member of the team played a crucial role in this hat-trick of podium finishes and I am absolutely delighted with the results. It was another big learning curve and patience also played a big part in being able to get round."

As Sam looks ahead to the rest of the season, he knows that the challenges will only get tougher. But with his determination and the support of his team, he is ready to take on whatever the Ginetta championships throw his way.

Good afternoon friends, sponsors & partners.

Well, what a weekend. The strong feeling was that 7 races & 3 qualifying sessions just in our classes alone was simply too much to fit in over one extended weekend. From the moment we got there on Thursday morning, until leaving the clerk of the course’s office on Sunday night, it was the most full-on experience most of the team have had to date. There’s a lot to cram in so I’ll try and keep it brief.

The event was spiced up by the return of three former race winning and championship contending drivers, so it was hoped they’d come in and mix it up a bit and give a good indication of how far the rest of the pack had come. Practice commenced on Thursday before the rescheduled race (round 4) on the GP circuit from Silverstone took place first thing on Friday morning. Great race for me as finished in P2 and held of a strong challenge from one of the above mentioned returnees, so I was delighted with that.

An hour's turnaround to get ready for qualifying for the days next 2 races saw a flurry of activity from all involved. I was pretty happy with my 4th place on the grid and just about got into the lead by the first bend when I felt a loss in power. It turned out to be a failed alternator and I quickly got passed by the whole field but due to needing the points I stayed out and limped home only to be classed as a none finisher by the timekeeper, something the whole paddock, including the clerk disagreed with but unfortunately the stewards wouldn’t review so the decision stood. A solid 4th in race 2 of the day was the best I could manage but I was just happy to get the car back to near normal.

Saturday turned out to be a serious mix of fortunes and emotions starting with a poor qualifying position of 6th which I managed to turn into a P3 and was involved in some really tight racing again proving I could now mix it with anyone.

Race 2 of the day was the low point. I again started in 6th but was in P2 by the end of lap one and the front 6 of us where separated by just over a second for the first half of the race which involved many position changes for all of us. A ridiculous mid race lunge by one of my teammates took out Ella, another teammate of mine and the resulting contact meant they just clipped one of my rear wheels as they spun towards me. I went straight into the pits as I had a puncture but as I tried to rejoin it was apparent the damage was terminal. Whilst both Ella & I where unable to continue, Luke luckily got away without too much damage and continued to finish 5th. To say the atmosphere was tense from then on would be an understatement and despite being held to blame by the clerk his punishment was somewhat light everyone else felt as he was still able to benefit from a points finish, despite wiping out his two closest championship rivals.

Sunday came and a his half-hearted apology followed a team meeting to try and calm down the situation. A frantic qualifying session came soon after and again the top 6 where split by just half a second. I came in thinking I was in P2 only to have my best lap deleted for track limits so ended up 5th. Yet another super start saw me battling at the front. The leader did pull away as the rest of us fought it out but I crossed the line in 3rd only to fall foul of the dreaded track limits again so was classed 4th.

The last race of the day was another cracker and could have gone to any of us. I was unfortunately caught out by some over aggressive breaking in front of me and I spun whilst trying to avoid any contact. This resulted in another knock with Ella which could have been much worse but fortunately we both managed to finish this time, albeit with me in 7th. My own trip to the clerk's office saw me cleared of any blame and as a result no action was taken.

Everyone involved was shattered by the end and whilst it was undoubtedly tough to take some of the scenarios I move forward with lots of positives. Competing with those seriously good and experienced returning drivers was a huge confidence booster as whilst perhaps not quite so much in qualifying my race pace was at times quicker than all of them. Snetterton & Cadwell are the next two venues, both of which I have very little to no experience of, so the home simulator will be red hot by then as I try and learn the circuits.

Thank you all again for the continued support.

Best regards
Sam

P.S welcome on board with huge thanks to my latest sponsor, JR Machines ltd.

Back with a bang!!

Hi everyone.

We had the next rounds of the Sprint Challenge at Oulton Park last weekend and I don’t feel it could have ended up any better.

We arrived on Friday having had the news in between rounds that the damage sustained in the opening race of the campaign was much worse than first thought, meaning a new shell and a complete rebuild. When we arrived on the morning it still wasn’t finished. This meant that the first session was a shakedown and a seat positioning exercise and despite being the only driver to have not done a single lap on this layout (as a result of missing the prior weeks test) I was very happy to find myself on the pace after just a few laps. Session two was mixed as it was halted by a red flag so running was limited.

After a long evening finishing the set up we headed into the following morning’s qualifying session pretty confident of being in the mix and having put it in P2 I admit I was a little disappointed to not snatch pole. The race started and I took the class lead on the first bend and never really looked back, stretching my lead steadily to claim a comfortable first win of the season.

Sunday was much hotter and with a 1pm start for race 2 the temperature inside the car reached 60 degrees. These cars do have air conditioning but in all the rush during the rebuild the team never got chance to re gas the unit.

Starting in P2 again I made what I thought was another good start but being honest two others did better and I found myself in 3rd half way round lap 1. I managed to briefly regain 2nd only for my main championship rival to pass me under yellow flags so fell back again. However, luck was on my side this time and I snatched 2nd crossing the line just before a red flag came out and ended the race. After the race Oskar, who'd ended up winning on track had been reported to the Clerk of the course by a marshal and others for his infringement, leading to a swapping of places resulting in me claiming my second win of the weekend and also meaning pole for race three.

The race started and I got another clean getaway and led achieving a lights to flag win, rounding off a near perfect weekend. A nice bit of coverage on ITV too was a bonus and although I conducted my first ever live TV interview due to running time constraints it was cut from the feed so hopefully next time. The team put in a monumental effort and also got what they deserved in the way of their first ever Porsche class wins so everyone was absolutely delighted.

It’s obviously the best weekend of my racing career to date and has put me firmly back in the championship fight. I’ve closed the gap to 9 points but there is an ongoing investigation as another yellow flag incident in race 3 by the same driver was reported so hopefully that will drop to just two points.

Lots of huge positives to take out of the weekend and winning early on in the season does take a little bit of pressure off along with proving to everybody I can do it.

A few weeks off again now until the next round at Croft at the end of July but I am able to take part in the official test prior to the event this time so we should all go into it on an equal footing.

In the meantime thank you all again so much for the continued support.
Very best regards
Sam

Good afternoon everyone.

As the Snetterton weekend approached I had slightly lower than usual expectations, as it is the track I have least experience on to date and we were arriving a day later than my fellow competitors. However the weekend panned out quite differently.

Friday morning was not a good start as I genuinely felt I had no idea what I was doing. No feel and it seemed like I had simply forgotten all my braking points. However fortunately the afternoon session was much better and I made good ground up.

Saturday morning and the GT’s were first out on track for qualifying and after a steady start, to say the least, something just clicked. I was on a great lap half way through only to have it ruined in Sector 3 by two spinners right on my line. Thinking my chance might have gone, also unbeknown to me the team boss telling my mechanic to call me in to save the tyres, I had time for a last push. It all seemed to come together and knowing I had just over half a second to make up I gave it everything. Crossing the line I felt I was close but not until I drove through the pit lane and saw Tom (my mechanic) gesturing a “1” sign did I realise I had just secured my first ever pole position. As I got out of the car the look on my Dad’s face said it all and I couldn’t contain my delight, although I’m not sure who was more surprised!

Heading into Race 1 that afternoon full of newfound confidence I couldn't wait for the start, although it is certainly a different feeling knowing you're responsible for the line up. I got away well enough but I had a similar experience to Friday morning when I just had no feel again and unfortunately I got picked off like a bit of a sitting duck.

On arriving back into the pits everyone in the team thought there was an issue with the car given my lap times but I held my hands up and simply admitted I felt I was responsible. I did get several pats on the back for my honest assessment and was assured 99% of racing drivers would have come up with an excuse but it never entered my mind. Leaving the track pretty deflated I just wanted to put it behind me and my teammate Ella and her family asked Dad & I to join them at the pub so we had a good end to the evening and felt much better.

Race 1 on Sunday and starting P3 was totally different and despite losing a place after getting pushed into the pit wall after another good start I settled in to a bit of a rhythm. The top 4 went round all together again and on lap 5 I went for a move up the inside and just clipped the rear of the car in front, something you’d get away with most of the time but unfortunately it broke both my bonnet pins so I had to pit as every time I hit the brakes it shot up over my eye line. Although that was the end of my challenge for a podium I got back out and secured some much needed points. A couple of spins and penalties up front meant had I stayed out, second place at least would have been guaranteed.

Race 4 was much the same but having to start from fifth. I got up to 4th off the line and again the four of us went round bumper to bumper for the majority of the race. I did briefly get up to second in one swift move only to be punted off and giving the places back, finishing 4th.

No podiums this time round and also not the points haul we both wanted or needed but still plenty to take forward, not least of all my pole position which up to this point is without doubt the highlight of my journey. Add to that three solid finishes and the fact I’m now competing for fastest laps in every race means I’m definitely getting quicker……… just want that first win!!

We now have a near five week break before Cadwell Park which should prove very interesting as at this point none of the drivers have ever been there so it should be a level playing field for just about the first time. In the meantime I’ll be working hard in the SIM and focussing all my energy on pushing right on to the top step.

Thank you all again so very much for the continued support.

Best regards.
Sam

Good afternoon everyone.

We got the championship underway last weekend with a test day then triple header at Snetterton which couldn’t have got off to a better start, topping the timesheets for Friday’s test. Saturday was a lot busier due to a return to the TOCA package, on arrival there it was a different experience having to queue to get in for a change!

A wet qualifying session caught me out, to be honest, given I’d never done a single wet lap at this track before and just as I was getting used to the conditions I ran out of time, leaving me a disappointing 3rd in class on the grid.

On to the afternoon's race and it couldn’t have gone any worse given the car in front of me stalled on the grid resulting in an unavoidable contact, ending both our debuts there & then. Utter frustration and disbelief followed but an apology from the driver of the stalled car and a complete clearance of any blame from the stewards eased things a little, adding to the extra determination to put things right the following day.

Starting Sunday’s first race from the same position I was, of course, mindful of avoiding any further contact only for the launch control system to cut out leaving me with having the use of only 1st and 3rd for the entire opening lap. A pit stop followed where the team performed a quick factory reset but unfortunately I was a full lap down by then. Completing the entire race on my own I was able to adjust to the wet conditions gaining a point for the fastest lap and ultimately somehow still finishing 3rd in the Clubsport class. However this meant starting from the very back of the grid in the final race of the weekend.

Swapping from wet tyres to dry and back again as the heavens opened whilst in the holding area was chaotic to say the least but I was feeling good about making up some ground. I managed to clear 6 cars in the opening lap and was not far off the class leader but for a little moment on the end of the straight which caused me to give two places back. I settled in to a rhythm and regained one of those places coming home second in class.

I was feeling deflated as we left and the current class leader will never have an easier weekend having not been put under any pressure whatsoever. On reflection however there are some positives to take as I know I have the pace to be the quickest in both wet & dry conditions, adding to that a fastest lap and two podiums so it’s not all bad!! Despite there being a split in class and our numbers a little lower than hoped these meetings really are a step up in quality and being part of a Porsche championship is already proving to feel so special…… not to mention that hospitality suite!!

We have a month’s break now and I’m away on holiday for a couple of weeks before we’re back racing at Oulton Park for the next rounds. In the meantime we’ll be working hard trying to raise my profile to help the exposure for all our sponsors, then back in the SIM to focus on the track.

Thank you for the continued support.

Best regards
Sam

Croft, a tough one.

Hi all friends & sponsors

Last weekend was a return to action and back at Croft for the first time in two years at a track at which I have the least amount of experience.

My family & I all stayed on site for the weekend which is a great thing to be able to do and it’s more relaxing. Friday morning practice was very productive but the afternoon session was a little frustrating as I just couldn’t get the right feel.

On to Saturday and it was an unusual format as for the first time we had qualifying and two races on the same day, leaving just the one outing for Sunday. I led the session the entire time until the very last minute when one of my class rivals put on his second set of tyres and just pipped me at the death.

I was still feeling confident when a huge downpour came an hour before race 1, leaving lots of confusion in the paddock regarding tyre choice.

There was no track action before us and I was the only car to head to the holding area on slicks. Once there, everyone else followed suit but a few spots of rain meant all but two drivers switched back to wets. Without making excuses I’ve hardly raced on a quickly drying track and it probably caught me out a little as my tyre pressures went up and my pace slowly fell away. I finished 3rd in class so still got some good points.

Race two was a disaster as yet again I had someone stall right in front of me as the lights went out, and with Croft being so tight I had absolutely nowhere to go so basically had to stop, leaving me last. Two laps in and I’d passed 5 cars only for the next one I approached to shut the door on me with the resulting contact sending both of us into the barrier. I managed to limp back to the pits and the team did a great job in getting me back out for some much needed points, albeit it 4 laps down. Still, despite heavy damage I managed to finish, although it did mean starting from the back in Sunday’s race.

By the time Sunday’s race started it was very hot. I got away and mafter some serious avoidance measures managed to pass all the AM drivers bar one on the opening lap. I did get stuck behind the fastest one for a few laps and after I finally got him made a slight error when chasing down 2nd but still managed to finish 3rd in class.

All in all a frustrating and costly weekend but I’m glad to get that one out the way as it was probably the track I was most concerned about. We now move onto Donington for the August bank holiday weekend where I’ve had good results in the past so I’ll be looking for an Oulton Park style bounce back, whilst still being firmly in the championship battle!!

Thank you all again for the amazing continued support.

Best Regards
Sam

Dear friends & Sponsors

The Donington weekend has just been and gone and after an extra day’s testing on the Tuesday I was in desperate need of a good bounce back from the disappointment of Croft, and it was almost the perfect response!

We had 4 sessions in mixed conditions on the Tuesday and I felt comfortable from the moment I got in the car and at the end of the day I had topped every session. It’s a slightly different format here for the BTCC weekend as noise restrictions mean no three consecutive days are allowed; consequently we test on the Thursday and have the Friday off. Thursday was equally as productive as I once again topped each session. A nice relaxing day off on Friday allowed me to take some guests from the touring car world for a round of golf at our club.

Back to the track early on Saturday morning and qualifying took place in the wettest conditions I’ve ever driven in, causing several cars to go off on the opening laps. We came in first for new wets giving me some decent space on track once back out and I immediately felt good, producing the 2 fastest laps in class meaning my first ever double pole and an all important bonus point! The first race came along and I led from lights to flag with at one point a 4 second advantage before just easing off slightly to manage my tyres. Fastest lap also meant another valuable point, resulting in a maximum haul of 12 points for a Saturday.

Sunday came and it was a similar story in the first race, although I did get passed off the line due to a little bit of wheel spin I got back in front shortly after giving me my second win & fastest lap of the meeting. This time it was very close throughout but I always felt I could hang on. Winning that race determined I would again start from pole, meaning that was for all 3 races and another first for me. I briefly got caught again then re-took the lead and did so for 10 laps but got passed with 3 to go and, if being brutally honest, it might have been a very simple mistake from me on worn out tyres that presented the tiniest opening, and whilst I kept up and nearly got the position back I was still happy to bring the car home safe in second place. I missed out on the fastest lap by the smallest of margins but 31 points in a single weekend is still my all time best return. What this ultimately means is I have closed the gap at the top from 18 to 7 points and at the same time extended my lead from the 3rd placed driver from 6 to 12 points.

It would have been nice to claim all 3 wins but if someone had told me the week’s outcome before the meet I would have snatched their hand off!!

It was a brilliant weekend with lots of friends and family coming along to support me, which means the world to us all. A big shout out to the whole team and my coach who were all absolutely amazing and gave me the best chance of competing. Four weeks until the penultimate rounds at Silverstone and we’re right in the title hunt for sure so can’t wait to get back out again.

Once again thank you to everyone for the continued support.

Best regards
Sam

Dear friends & sponsors

Last weekend saw us head to Silverstone for the championship’s penultimate weekend. It is the National layout track which makes for the shortest lap of the season in just under a minute on a dry track, consequently finding space can prove very difficult.

The previous Wednesday was the open test day and the fastest times were shared by four drivers. Moving onto the Friday practice I topped the morning session, setting the fastest time of the day and was just off the top in the afternoon session so I was pretty pleased with that.

Saturday morning qualifying came before the rain set in and after initially struggling to find any clear air I finished strongly and thought we had again secured double pole, only for one of my rivals to snatch the first one from me.

The bad weather set in as the first race was about to start, in second position I again took longer than I had wanted getting enough heat into the tyres. I slipped back into 3rd but maintained a short gap to bring the car safely home in that position. The biggest downside was that the leader of the championship put in his best drive of the year to claim his first win since the opening weekend thereby opening the points gap.

Sunday morning’s race saw me start from pole in yet again awful conditions. Maintaining a lead for the first few laps I then got caught out by one of the RS class cars who was recovering from a spin and unfortunately as he cut in front of me I was slightly compromised and lost the class lead so came home in 2nd.

That brought us to the last race of the weekend and I ideally needed a win to keep the push going. A downpour just prior had meant a wet track and without much traffic before us there wasn’t quite a dry line leaving us with a difficult decision to make.

I went to the holding area on slicks and despite it starting to spit we took the gamble and went for it. I’d say the field was split 60/40 on wets but given my two main rivals where also on slicks it evened it out a little. After nearly spinning on the formation lap I did wonder if we’d made the right call but it was too late for change. All the cars on wets behind came roaring past us in 1st & 2nd taking advantage of the extra traction off the line but after a couple of laps the tyres came alive and I was able to start making ground.

I passed all the Clubsport AMs quite quickly bringing me back up to 3rd, then went into 2nd bringing me into a class lead fight. I was made aware the leader had been given a 5 second penalty so there was actually no need to worry as I was right behind but I was still determined to finish 1st on track. Once I got past, the rain started falling again so it was a question of just managing the conditions. I’m delighted to say I held on in the end for my 6th win of the season and the consensus of opinion was that it was my best drive to date.

So summing up the weekend, it started a little slowly and got better and better. I managed to come away with a slightly reduced gap of just 6 points behind the leader, and with the third placed driver just a further 7 points behind me it really is closer than ever with everything to play for over the final weekend at Brands Hatch in just over a week, where I’ll be giving it my all to try and claim my maiden championship!!!!

Thank you all again for the wonderful continued support.
Sam