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Festival S/c's and ACU/FSRA Super F2 Championship final round, Mallory Pk, 17th October.
With the Championship already won, you might think that Roy and Dave would be having an cruise round. With 72 F2 outfits in 3 heats all racing for a position in the final championship round, it would have been easy for them to take no chances.
BUT NO, Roy and Dave won their heat, and then won the final, albeit shortened by a red-flag incident, showing their new-found dominance by making their way to the lead position as if it was now the normal expectation. On the way setting the fastest lap of the race.
In the Kevin Lowndes Handicap race, starting from the scratch they moved through the field, setting yet another faster lap than before.
By the seventh lap, of ten, as they swept through the mid-field the faithful tortured "thundercat" said enough, and they rumbled back to the paddock.
This season seemed more like fun, and Roy and Dave were more into the enjoyment than the results at the beginning. As the results came, the pressure rose, but even after the Croft accident on the grid, which shook Roy particularly, (nothing phases Dave), the fun came back and so did the results again.
At their age, how long can it continue?………...YOU'RE GOING TO FIND OUT.
ACU/FSRA Super F2 Championship, Darley Moor, 3rd October.
With their lead cut to 26 points in the series, nervousness was creeping into the camp. Checking and double checking everything.
In qualifying Roy and Dave determined to get pole on a notoriously difficult track to pass on, left it till the last 2 laps of the 15 minute session to take pole.
To no avail, as in every start the best position at the first chicane was 4th. This meant that the race was a very hard fought affair, with Roy and Dave making most of their passes into the last corner, sometimes travelling side by side with the other team. On a dampening track, they moved to the front and looked to pulling away from Neary/Bond when two laps before the end they were baulked by a back-marker, which inspired Neary/Bond to close on them, only 2/10ths second behind at the flag.
The second race was very wet and wets were fitted. Another terrible start saw them fight one by one to the front, passing Neary/Bond into the last corner four laps from the finish.
Roy and Dave pulled a gap, but then eased, only for Neary/Bond to close within 1 second at the finish.
THIS GIVES ROY AND DAVE A LEAD OF 36 POINTS GOING INTO THE FINAL ROUND.
WITH ONLY ONE RACE AT THE FESTIVAL THIS MAKES THEM,
2004 ACU/FSRA SUPER F2 BRITISH CHAMPIONS
IT TOOK 40 YEARS, BUT WHO'S COUNTING.
ACU/FSRA Super F2 Championship, Oulton Park , 25th September.
A meeting badly affected by changeable weather, and so therefore tyre choice.
Roy and Dave found themselves with the wrong tyres in a drying qualifying and ended 5th on the grid.
In the first race they faired no better, choosing wets, and then the track quickly drying during the race to see them, and others, wrecking their wets, holding 3rd and loosing time. On the last lap they were overhauled and finished 5th.
Their nearest rivals Neary/Bond winning the race and closing the gap by 14 points.
In the second race they had their usual bad start and had to fight their way to the front.
On the last lap they caught Neary/Bond who were leading, but when Neary had a moment at the new chicane section Roy and Dave couldn't avoid running into them and smashing their fairing, luckily it was the last lap and they made the line in 2nd place, but still dropping another 5 points to Neary/Bond.
The 45 point lead has suddenly shrank to 26, with 2 races at Darley and 1 at the Festival.
Look out Darley there's a battle coming your way on Sunday 3rd October.
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