Snetterton. Great setup, a pain to get there and a nightmare to get out of.

The track is a very smooth "car park" with green islands marking the circuit. The curbs have grown and can be lethal.

Arrived Saturday 5pm and Peter was straight out for a practise. Weather fine but track still a bit cool. Not much rear end until about 4 minutes. Track is twisty and needs punch rather than out and out speed. Different from Halifax and Tibshelf.

Tent erected in a likely spot, more later.

A few tweaks and out again. Bit better and learning track, not getting airborne as much as before. Change servo and behold, lap times 2 seconds better, into 13's. How will that hold up on Sunday?

Hunger strikes, and as we dont fancy a "Little Chef", headed for Thetford. Eventually find a Kebab and Pizza place that fits the bill. Back to Snetterton to feast.

Peter decides that in the dead of night, by the light of a small torch is an ideal time to strip his car down and set up the suspension.

Settle down for sleep when our neighbours decide to return from the pub! Spent the next few hours learning more about them that we care to.

Woke at 6.00 and are greeted by a  "heat haze". Booking in starts at 8 and we find that Peter is back in heat 2. Spent all last season getting to heat 7 and because we weren't at the first round, its back to square 1. No point complaining, just get on and race.

Usual drivers briefing, at which we are told that anyone who does not marshal their final will not only loose the points for this meeting, but also their best points score in the series! Harsh or what?

First round is usual mix of spins and offs and a fairly modest 19 in 309. Track not warmed up yet. Finish round in middle of D, a bit to do yet.

Round 2 is a shambles, crashes everywhere and no improvement. Still won it though.

Track temp was coming up so we got out the new 32s. What is it about superglue at race meetings? It never sets as well as at home. Anyway it has set by start of round 3.

Round 3 heat 2 was a "stormer". The car was ballistic and was glued to the track (damn that superglue). Apart from the other cars on the track it was great..... until 3 minutes when lo and behold, the receiver batteries go down!!!!!! The print out shows lap times down to 13.82sec. By my reckoning only 4 other drivers were that quick all day. (What might have been.) But it all hinged on the 4th round. What else could go wrong?

Round 4 and all drivers were now used to each other, slower drivers were keeping their lines and letting quicker drivers through properly. Excellent. Peter was again having a great race and despite a few scary moments was lapping quickly. 20 seconds to go and the car shoots down the straight and veers left rather than right!! If I had been quicker I could have caught it about head height!. Only damage was a top link off but I could not get it back on to complete the race. Its strange how these "interference" problems happen at the worst time!

Despite protests there is nothing to be done but get on with things. Peter's time was still his best and but for those 18 seconds he would have been battling at the bottom of the A or top of the B. One of these days, at least we know what is possible.

Peter ends up 9 in the D final so at least we will be away quickly. The Collari engine, that has been faultless all day decides that it would stall at idle. So at the off I am re-starting the car. Nothing like giving the opposition a 10 second start.

But the car again is performing perfectly. Same problem at refueling and off Peter goes, with a trophy in mind. Finishes with a flourish, nearly a lap ahead of second place. So a good days racing even if the points result is not as good as we might have hoped. Next round at Tibshelf, so we are looking forward to that.

We learnt a lot.

1. Don't expect to hurry in or out of Snetterton. Hire a helicopter.

2. Fresh rubber makes a lot of difference. (loose 0.3s per lap after 1 race, 0.5s after 2 races)

3. CHARGE ALL YOUR BATTERIES REGULARLY, TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER. CHECK AFTER EVERY ROUND.

4. Get a personal Transponder. It makes life so much easier.

5. Don't pitch your tent near a bunch of lads.

6. Make sure you run the first round of every National series.

7. Have fun while racing hard.