Donington Park is always a weekend I get really excited about but dread at the same time, excited for it being my home circuit and having all my family, friends and sponsors coming to watch, but dreading the misfortune that seemed to have plagued my last 5 visits to my local... and the start of the weekend didn't fill me with much confidence of changing my fortunes.
With learning a new car and series, highs and lows are always bound to happen, and Friday was probably the most difficult day I have ever had driving the car. Struggling massively with handling imbalances throughout the morning and all round confusion as some sessions the car seemed to be close to the ultimate pace, and then other sessions resulting in being over 1 second slower, with no real reason as to why. We finally locked down a set up in the final session that maybe wasn't the ultimate fastest the car could do, but I was able to put 2 laps together of similar time, instead of not knowing which way the car was going to try and throw me off next!
Qualifying; and time to try and improve the record we have had throughout the year which seems to have always resulted in my qualifying 15th, consistent, but not where I'm aiming to be.
With more changes made to the car to try and improve the car and the chronic understeer that had plagued us through Friday, hopes were high on improving previous qualifying form. However, with the changes we made, the car went back to being extremely difficult to drive, which was summed up by nearly going off on the outlap!
After a quick pitstop to try and address some of the issues, I went back out, only to do a lap time 1 second slower than I managed on Friday, where others found time, resulting in another 15th place qualifying result. Deflated was an understatement.
Before Race 1, another handful of changes were made to try and address the issues from qualifying, going into the race with the mentality of using it as a test session to try and find the improved pace we had seen at Oulton.
The start was probably one of my finer starts, even with the threat of rain in the air, I quickly gained a couple of places going up the inside into Redgate, and from then they usual first lap Supercup chaos ensued, as we fly down towards the Melbourne Loop for the first time, defending my position from the cars behind, I was hit on the apex, but got away with it online others, getting a run of the exit to somehow gain another place, but that was as far as I would get in terms of progress as the 2nd lap proved that the set up still wasn't allowing me to get the most out of the tyres resulting to me hanging on until the safety car came out...
I have to be honest, the next bit wasn't my finest moment, but in my defence the last time I could visually see the safety car it still had its lights on, it was only coming out of the Melbourne Loop that I realised the cars in front had well and truly bolted... not my finest moment.
From then on it became a race of trying to defend 11th place which I would eventually lose to Alex Miller, resulting in a 12th place finish but more disappointingly, still a lack of overall pace in the car.
Sunday thankfully was a whole new day, and bigger changes to the car for Race 2 meant I had yet to go into a session throughout the weekend with the car in the same state as the previous session! But this time, it worked, and worked well!
Another solid start saw me hold position through the opening lap exchange, and from there instead of hanging on, this time it was time to start picking people off, a feeling i've not had since 2021! Quickly picking off Alex Miller and Tom Griffiths on lap 2, and then setting sail after the pack of cars in front, which I would ultimately battle all the way through the race, and with some rather unsurprising track limits penalties post race, I ended up finishing 7th, my highest finish so far in the Supercup.
For Race 3 of the Supercup, a number is drawn to reverse a certain portion of the grid, and unfortunately for me, this time number 6 was pulled, meaning I technically missed out on starting on Pole by 1 position, ultimately meaning I started 7th, where I finished race 2.
After another good start, and then Declan Lee deciding to help John Langridge to the scenery at the Old Hairpin, I found myself battling in 5th for the opening few laps of the race, and just hanging onto the front group as they were battling.
Unfortunately on lap 3 coming out of Goddards I had a slow gear change from 2nd to 3rd, dropping me down to 7th, and lucky to not lose any more positions, the battle was on to maintain the position, ending up finishing 7th again but only 0.5 away from 6th place. Finally a weekend where all the hard work we have done over the year started to show results!
Now we move onto the finale at Snetterton next weekend, hoping we get some October sunshine to finish the season on a high!
Massive thank you to all the support I have had over the weekend at Donington, from all the Tucker Motorsport team, my Sponsors Airbourne Graphics & Signs, EPTA Projects & Melliard Motorsport, and of course, my family and friends that came to show their support!
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