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Round 04
30 April 2005 - 02 May 2005
Oulton Park International
Oulton Park has always been a favourite track of mine and I was really looking forward to racing there. I managed to get my best result at Outlon last season, so I was hoping to do well again this season. It was very mixed weather conditions in Friday's practice and I was fastest in both of the sessions proving that I was up for a good weekend.
Saturday's qualifying went even better with me clinching my first British Supersport pole position. It was very close all session between me and Tom Sykes but I just managed to better my time at the end of the session. The whole team were really pleased and very excited about the race.
Ten minutes before we were dew to go to the start line the rain came down very heavily. I wasn't fazed by this and I was quite looking forward to the race ahead. As we pulled up for the start line procedure the track was steaming as the sun came back out and was heating the track back up. I could see people changing to dry tyres on the grid but I stuck with wet tyres as I knew the other riders would have a big disadvantage at the start of the race.
As the light changed I got off to a great start and I took the lead at the end of lap one. The track at this point was still very wet and I knew I had to try and get a good gap, ahead of the pack. With the track drying out every lap I knew my tyres would begin the tear in the dry conditions and make it very hard to ride.
As I had predicted the tyres began to get very hot and made it difficult after 10 laps. I had six laps left with an eight second lead. The lead came down drastically over the next few laps. Tom Sykes passed me with two laps remaining. Tom had chosen a wet tyre as well but he seemed to have a lot more grip than I did. I knew at this point that he had chosen a hard wet tyre compared to the soft wet tyre I had chosen.
I crossed the line in second place 30 seconds ahead of third place which I was happy with. Obviously I was disappointed to have not won the race after leading for 14 laps of the race. It was just luck of the draw because I knew I couldn't push it any harder on the tyres I'd chosen!
I was pleased with my own and the teams performance. Great to get on the podium for the first time and I now I'm looking forward to Mondello Park in Ireland. |
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