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After a long summer break the Lancaster Insurance Hyundai Coupe headed for Rockingham for rounds 9 and 10 - hoping to continue our success from the last race at Mallory Park and also to try and remain a contender for the series winner.

After scrubbing in a new set of tyres in free practice, I made an early attempt in qualifying to set a quick time before everything got to hot. I did set my quickest time early, it was however still a second off Steve Kites pole lap.

I’ve always found my tyres (and race car) act a little different at Rockingham to other circuits so it was tricky to know exactly what direction to go in, in terms of set up. My qualifying time saw me 3rd in the grid in a field of 20 coupes for race one behind Steve Kite and Wayne Rockett.

A couple of small changes to the car were made before the race and with a reasonable start the three of us front runners were three abreast into and out of the Dean hairpin. Once we’d got onto the infield section, I had moved up to 2nd place and was challenging for the lead.

By lap three I could already feel the car “going off” and with Kite pulling away into the lead I was falling into Rocketts clutches. Eventually after spending a good few laps making my car as wide as possible, I dropped down to 3rd which became my final result for race one.

This win was all Steve Kite needed to win the 2018 Coupe Cup so congratulations Steve and Misty racing, superb effort.

Now with nothing to lose but still as hungry for wins, I made some slightly more radical changes to the car for race two. Again starting from 3rd on the grid behind my usual rivals, we all dived into the first hairpin which I came out in second place. This time though, much to my delight I had a car with no understeer.

It would go where I pointed it! Lap after lap I was never more than 0.5 of a second from Steve Kites lead, confident that the lead would soon come as I had the quicker car. Two laps from the end, I was still in second place due to the high track temperatures but was starting to lose the grip needed to make and impact and I had to follow Kite to the chequered flag.

I will still be chasing those wins next time out at Croft circuit in September and as always I’d like to thank Lancaster Insurance and REIS Motorsport Insurance for all your support and in getting me a double podium this weekend.