Practice through the week had got me very near my personal best time from previous events so was happy with my expected pace. I started tweaking a stable race setup and found more improvements. My best in qualifying was a considerable 0.35s improvement over my pb. This was good enough for 6th and was the same time as 5th, but I did my time later. This was only 0.4s to pole position.

Started with real close driving with those around for the first few corners, then already thing began to space out for me, while maintaining my start position. On lap 2 I was fully aware of Jouman behind me as we reached the back straight and expected not to be able to defend my position. I managed to survive just by the slightly shorter braking distance of the RAC over the FZ50. The next subsequent laps were not quite as close and Jouman had to worry about defending his position. For the second half of the race it was DaveWS, Klouczech and myself battling for 3rd. I managed to get past Klouczech on the back straight on lap 8. DaveWS was missing some of his usual alien speed and was actually holding up me and Klouczech. I couldn't pass a FZ50 (Dave) on the straight, but Klouczech (RAC) retook my position instead. All this fighting had not been kind on my tyres and I started dropping back, I finished the race 5th after Niall09 had disconnected.

Top 10 reverse means I started in 6th again. Lost a place off the line. 2 laps later and messed up my turning onto the back straight to make it easy for Rudi van Buren to pass (how did he get up here so fast?). Lap 3 and there was 6 of us bunched together arriving at the chicane, this was tight racing. Coming out of the hairpin GFresh does a mini slide and we brush which means I lose my momentum, so at T1 and there's 3 of us wide as troy has joined us. I'm on the left coming over the brow of the hill and GFresh taps troy on his right who has to make a detour over the gravel. I'm up to 6th and loving it.

Next lap and I take Jouman’s FZ50 on the outside of the esses, and then KaiqueBRA coming onto the back straight. Jouman’s past again down the straight and KaiqueBRA is level with me onto the chicane. I’m defending hard against him but we give each other room and there’s no contact. I nip through for 5th. Next lap and I’m giving Jouman pressure again, drafting as much as I can down the straight until the long legs of the FZ50 take effect. After the chicane I think Jouman is going wide approaching the hairpin and do a half hearted attempt up the inside, he quickly closes the door to reach the apex and I have to back off. Sorry for the touch there. This brings DaveWS along side and he’s just ahead coming over T1. I don’t make it easy for him and try and stay alongside on the left, I was not aware of lag but I come off worse in a lag touch and I’m spinning out on the grass.

I can’t see any traffic as I set off again but now realise I make it awkward for Fuse5, sorry for that. Next corner and I’m drifting round with hot tyres and not on the ideal line, KaiqueBRA hits my back corner and I’m spinning again. By the time I set off I’m down to 15th place, all the good racing is over. I have to take it easy for a few laps while my tyres recover, then I get my head down to rescue the situation as best as possible. This was progressing nicely as I’m up to 10th on lap 17. I’m lining up GreyBull [CHA] at the hairpin but he disappears, I see everyone else is stationary on the mini-map and I keep off the racing line. Alas the packets did not get through and I disconnect, it’s all over. DNF. Was great fun while it lasted.