2006
Kelly Rogers Racing
Rounds 4 & 5 SPA EURO RACE
After travelling for 8 hours on Thursday we
reach our destination to the famous Belgium race circuit
SPA-Francorchamps. This three day advent for the team is like a small
holiday whilst also concentrating on bagging as many points as possible
towards the championship.
Friday morning, the rain had stopped and the track was slowly drying out,
qualifying was set for 12.15 pm. The normal things were checked on the car
ready for the 30 minute session.
All the cars rolled out onto the track, with 4.32 miles for one lap the 3
minute barrier was the bench mark. Most of the drivers had been here before
but the bus stop chicane had been changed so the drivers were all eager to
see how different it was and what time it would cost them from the last set
of data they had. Kelly set off slowly checking the car as he familiarised
himself with the track once again. There were a few damp patches on the
track if you went off line but nothing to worry about. Setting one fast lap
was not the be all and end all to this circuit but consistency of every lap,
slip streaming will play an important part also in the race. Kelly completed
9 laps in the session recording a time of 2:58.448, this puts him 2nd on the
grid for race 1, for race 2 Kelly will be on pole position as he recorded
the 2nd quickest time in the session taking away there fastest times.
Saturday morning, the race is scheduled for 5 pm so the team had a relaxing
morning heading off to the track at midday.
The cars all lined up on the grid, Kelly was under no illusions that this
race would be won or lost on the last lap. The green flag was waved for the
cars to start there warming up lap, a steady pace just to get the tyres warm
and check that everything was ok. The red light went on and within a second
it went out, Kelly got a superb start trying to pull hard up to les Combes.
The chasing pack had a great hole in the air as Kelly and Sollis side by
side get swamped buy Sims, Hall and Baldwin putting the slip streaming to
there best advantage. Lap 1 complete and Kelly was in 5th position crossing
the
start/finish line. With great drive and slip streaming Kelly was able to out
drag the four in front of him to take the lead. Sims was pushing Kelly and
was able to push himself into the lead coming into the bus stop. Next corner
La Source, Kelly dives under Sims to re-take the lead, Kelly was superb on
the brakes into the bus stop and the hairpin La Source. Kelly knew that even
though you are leading coming down the main straight by the time you reached
Les Combes you could be as low as 4th or 5th from the slip streaming. With
only 6 laps of this great circuit Kelly had worked out exactly where he had
to be when they started there last lap. 5 laps completed, once again Kelly
crossed the line still in 1st place with Hall and Sims reeling him in as
they approach Les Combes. Flat out in 4th gear pulling nearly 9,000 revs
Hall creeps up on the outside of Kelly, with Sim's using all four wheels on
the grass to try and overtake. Hall leans on Kelly whilst Sim's had grassed
tracked his way to get a wheel in front, both clipped Kelly in a bizarre way
which sent him spinning straight into the barrier head first at about 115
mph. Kelly's impact bounced his car back onto the track where Sollis had to
brake excessively to avoid the stranded car. Sim's went onto win the race
with Peacock 2nd and Ralph Saunders 3rd.
Round 4 & 5
Spa
Round 12
Donington Park
