Memorable Races

Without a doubt, winning a major a title will certainly make a race memorable. But i find that some of my most memorable races have been ones where i've not necessarily won a major title, perhaps not even won the race at all, but all the same i've really had to fight and push my driving to the limits to achieve my end result. Here's a few i'll always remember...

Winning the Nationals in 2003 in my class 1 mini was incredible, it was my first major title and i'll never forget it for that reason, but the highlight of that meeting was most definitely winning the overall National Champion of Champions race. Every class winner enters the race whether they stand a chance of winning or not and as a class 1 just doesn't win the champ of champs (unless it's incredibly wet which it wasn't) i was just entering for the sake of it, because i could!
I had the lead due the the handicap of the race as my car was in the slowest class. As the race went on i started to realise that the other cars weren't catching me half as fast as i expected them to. Going into the last lap I was coming out of a bend as the others were all going into it and for the first time in the race i actually thought i could do it. I think i even said out loud in the car 'you can do this Nic'. On the very last bend i could see the class 9 of Kate Feathersone coming up behind me fast, to my suprise she looked like she was going to come up the inside of me (class 9's shouldn't be going inside a class 1 they should go round!). There's no way i was fast enough to beat her except by defending my line and the line she wanted to take. By closing in tight Kate had to back off and that moment of hesitation from her allowed me to win the race. Over the line the front of Kate's car was level with my door, i literally won the race by a bonnet! The sense of personal achievement for me was amazing, and made a whole lot better by the utter amazement of the crowd and spectators too. A class 1 just doesn't win the champ of champs!

Another memorable race was a final in the class 5 at South Wales BAS 2005. It was the first year in the mini and the track suited the car so well so i'd had a perfect set of heats with 3 convincing wins. As the final was set off my car jumped out of 1st gear and i was left sat on the line. In a panick, i was desperately trying to get it back into gear but by the time i did the rest of the pack were going round the first bend. Sheer determination and frustration took me through the rest of the race, i passed a couple after 2 or 3 laps, then a couple more and a couple more. On the last lap i went up the inside of the remaining cars and took the win. I can't remember every single detail of the race, i just know it was a fantastic drive to come from last (half a lap down even) to win the race. That felt good!

In 2006 i raced the class 5 in the Champion of Champions at the Stroud & District Ladies Nationals. I had qualified for the race by winning the ladies class 5 and along side me as reigning Champion of Champions was Sandra Jones, my main class 5 competition. Neither of us won the race, once the class 8 was passed she was well away, but i enjoyed this race so much as Sandra & I fought none stop from start to finish. Most of the race she was in front of me and i was all over the back of her, then we'd swap and then swap back again. I don't think i've ever raced so hard and fast and close to someone yet never touch them. We pushed and pushed eachother harder than ever before and were physically drained by the end of it. It was a great challenge though.