So, we’ve already reached the final sprint of the season. I always knew this year was going to fly by but it’s all going in such an amazing blur of sights, sounds and emotions that you just can’t help but enjoy it.

The final really long haul up to an event was completed without too much drama on the Friday afternoon and I pitched my tent up whilst waiting for the wrinklies to arrive. They were good enough to treat me to a steak dinner! A nice evening chat with the other campers and a relatively comfortable nights sleep through the pouring rain and wind.

It was a leisurely morning with the on-track action not getting under way until 11:30am. With the morning weather dry and bright, it was painful having a track so close, but not able to get on it! the weather reports were all saying heavy showers and possibly more persistent rain through the day, so it was always likely to be a pot-luck day.

The Academy sprints are rather alien affairs. We’re not allowed to test at the sprint events ahead of time, so you arrive at the start line with zero experience, in a cold car and as a novice – and off you go! Imagine arriving at a track day, on a track you’ve never been to before, and having to go flat out from lap 1 with no sighting laps! It’s scary. With only 2 practice runs and then 2 official timed runs planned for the day, you don’t even have the luxury of feeling out the track in one of the runs.

I’m hugely happy with my first run of the day for that reason. I’d watched videos of people driving the circuit but it’s a very different experience to actually drive it. Here’s that run…

A good start then – and put me ahead of the field early on. Run 2 was a different affair! A huge shower came over the circuit part way through our groups runs. Unfortunately, that meant my main rivals had another dry practice run – and I was out on a completely soaked track – and cockpit! It was unbelievably slippy! I knew it would be but it caught me out a few times – including a frankly embarrassing start! It took 3 attempts and the first half of the start straight before the wheels stopped spinning! It certainly wasn’t my finest hour but was quickest of the wet runs. Here it all is in technicolour…

It was then onto the first timed runs of the day. After being put a little on the back foot by the wet run, this time the track was dry and I could try and get more speed out of the track. As it went, I took too much speed in several places! It was a scrappy affair – but probably good to watch from the sideline! Plenty of squealing and sideways moments! It was good enough for second place in Group 1 but Henry had set a screaming lap 0.8s faster. That’s was a huge margin to try and find in the one remaining timed lap.

I spent some time watching back the video from the first timed run and worked out a plan of action. 3rd gear for the chicane on the back straight and several places to take slightly less speed in and more out.

The run, amazingly, went exactly to this plan. When queueing, the rain started falling again. I can’t repeat the language that was spoken inside my helmet at the time but I spotted my mum on the spectator bank doing her sun-dance and it made me chuckle all the way to the green light. It felt absolutely brilliant to return back to the pits knowing that you’d not left a lot out on the track as far as times went. However, none of this was confirmed due to the fact that Jenny had hidden all the times… nobody knew the result. However, with a good run under my belt and Henry having a 4 wheels off, I was pretty happy!

And then the bombshell – just as in Aintree, we would be having another timed run added to the day. All the way up until my second run, I would have been extremely happy with the additional run! Somehow, it’s not so nice when you’ve got everything to lose!

As it went, I moved the lap time on again – which I didn’t think I would do. Again, we didn’t have times to compare with others so I had to wait until the presentation before I knew for sure. To say I was happy doesn’t do it justice. Completely bloody over the moon. I had to work hard to overcome the wet practice and a few re-runs that some rivals had and it paid off.

The sprints have been good to me but we’re now moving onto the meat of the season – the racing. That’s what we all signed up for and that’s what everyone’s focus is on. First up on the calendar is Donington and I am already counting the days!