GR Cup - We tackle Killarney
I tackled Killarney International Race Circuit for the opening round of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Cup, and it left me with a lot of scars, which I intend to fix when we return for round 6 in September.
When I arrived in Cape Town on Thursday, I felt both excited and scared. Friday would be the first day of practice, following around 30 laps from the shakedown and some practice laps at Zwartkops. I had studied the Killarney circuit since I received the calendar, but there is only so much theory one can take before 'analysis paralysis', so I had to wait until Friday's practice to truly test my knowledge and acquire a feel for my car on the track. Friday morning, we left our accommodations to travel to Killarney, and as soon as we arrived, my stomach turned because we were really doing this. We all sat in our cars, dressed in our racing gear, and wished each other the best of luck. On the first lap of practice, I made a rookie mistake by not warming my tyres effectively, and the vehicle spun off the course, reminding me that this was not a joke. While the GR Corolla is an excellent track companion, I needed to get all of the basics right. With seasoned driver Sean Nurse leading the way and doing everything well, I finished last in 1:33:826. Not overwhelmed by some suggestions from last year's GR Cup winner Setshaba Mashigo, I was ready to give the second and third rounds of practice a shot, and it appeared to have worked because 4+ seconds were shaved off. With a personal best time of 1:29:124 on the day.
The second day, the Cape Town weather threw a spanner in the works: rain. This meant that we would qualify in the wet, which was another first for me. It turned out to be a round I would rather forget because it reached 1:43:983 with a lot to learn. This would mean that I would start at the back of the grid, trailing my other media colleagues Sean Nurse, Hannes Visser, Alex Shahini, Jaco van der Merwe, and Bernie Hellberg. Mr Enerst Page's encouraging words boosted our confidence once more, and we were ready for the first race. Lights out, and for the second race, it appeared like the universe was on our side. We finished fifth overall and ahead of Jaco van der Merwe, who sustained a puncture when battling Alex in the middle of the park. Our lap time also improved, which boosted our confidence. I mean, in racing, it's all about confidence. With the second race being the final event of the day, all eyes would be on us. We lined up and set off. This time, the competition was tight, but after a few laps, the basics caught up with me again. Skipping a couple of gears in the GR Corolla increased the pace ahead of me, which increased my displeasure. This time, Lady Luck would not be on my side, and I would finish last, with a lot to learn for the upcoming round at Kyalami. There was nothing to take away from the GR Corolla; it handled hard laps around Killarney without hesitation. The Dunlop Direzza semi-slicks, along with the Ferodo brake pads and powerbrakes, performed admirably. All of the vehicles crossed the finish line without any issues or missing body parts, indicating that the second round at Kyalami could proceed as planned.
See you there.
