01/10/2026
Thruxton | 26th September | P4
First off, I have to say Thruxton is absolutely mega. It’s easily become my favorite track in the UK!
This was my first-ever visit to Thruxton in any capacity—no testing or prior running here at all—so to be straight on the pace right away was super satisfying.
We ended up crossing the line in P4, which was a massive disappointment considering our actual speed. We were running a solid P3 before the Safety Car was deployed for an incident at the final corner (glad to hear the driver involved is okay!).
Unfortunately, the Safety Car came out at the absolute worst moment for us, and even worse for the P2 BMW of Sam and Imran. Imran, who was battling for P1, picked up the Safety Car while the class leader was able to pull away ahead.
The unlucky streak continued when we came around and missed the pit window opening by a matter of seconds. That allowed the cars behind us to pit under the Safety Car and jump us. Normally, that wouldn't have been a huge issue—we had the pace to catch them and set up a thrilling battle for the final laps. However, the officials only allowed a couple of Class C cars to unlap themselves, leaving us a lap down through no fault of our own and ending any chance of a fightback.
I completely understand deploying the Safety Car immediately for safety reasons, but only letting a select few cars unlap themselves felt really unjust. That’s no fault of the drivers who ended up on the podium, but in my opinion, it was a poor call from the club. But that’s racing—sometimes luck is on your side, and sometimes it isn't.
It’s just deeply frustrating when you think about the sacrifices made to be on that grid—endless overtime, time away from family, and working around the clock to fund it. We’ve had zero luck this year. The pace has been there for a podium at every single event except Snetterton, but factors outside our control keep denying us the results that reflect our true speed.
Frustrations aside, there are plenty of positives to take away:
• Thruxton is phenomenal—high-speed, relentless, and rewards absolute commitment.
• Our pace was fantastic despite running Direzzas rather than our usual tyres (which held up remarkably well over the stint!).
• Had a brilliant battle with a Class B Lotus near the end, outpacing several Class B cars and even a Class A car.
• The RX-8 chassis felt incredible through the ultra-fast sweepers.
As always, a huge thank you to the team for working tirelessly to give me such a quick, competitive car, and a massive thanks to my sponsors and everyone supporting the journey.
We go again. See you all at Donington for the final round!
Middlesex Hose and Fittings ltd B K WASTE Management Rocketdog Racing
