What a start! An awesome win for Olly Turner, taking his Samco Sport liveried car to first place in the first two rounds of the Fiesta Junior series. All of us at Samco Sport are super happy for Olly, the rest of the family and the crew at Jamsport. Roll on the next round.

Let’s catch up with his view of what was a brilliant weekend.

Blog 3- Winner! Winner!

Going into the first weekend is always full of expectation and hope. A great deal of thought, money and energy goes into preparing and getting to race one; car prepared and wrapped by the team and me being physically and mentally in the right frame of mind. Its easy to be too under or over confident and disappointments are more frequent that highs. This is motorsport.

I had driven the car once before in February at Silverstone, so I had managed to practice my best laps in my head a few hundred times before the weekend- a great tip from Neil Riddeford that I use.

After months away from the team who I work so well with, who know how I tick, I’m tucked up in the motorhome on Thursday night, although fighting off a cold (why this week?) it felt like home.

Friday

Practice day and time to get together with the other drivers and formulas. Bumping into some well know faces in the Silverstone Pitstop café- who do I hold the door for… the one and only Sir Chris Hoy (racing in the Caterham series). Had a quick chat and onto practice.

Car is perfect, made some changes, went back to what it was, happy with times. Data with Jack Layton my coach, all happy and progressed well, not a lot he could say- job done.

Saturday

Saturday is practice and qualifying. I was joined for the day by Lauren and Olly from BBC Hereford and Worcestershire radio who were great to spend the day with and took such an interest in what it was all about. One more practice then qualifying, brought no real surprises. I was second all day behind last year’s champion and knew with new tyres I would improve and again showed progression by a few tenths which was all that was needed.

Sunday Race day

Later start meant time for a little lie in, warm up and say Hi to all the friends and family who had come to watch.

Race1:

Front row, feeling energetic after throwing a ball around for 20 minutes with team mate Alfie.

Off the line, good start and three of us head into Copse and by Maggots I am into second and from there, I reel in the leader. I get closer and closer within 0.3 seconds half way through the race and loving how I just steer, and the car just goes where I want it- Jam Sport make great race cars. By the last couple of laps, I managed to get along side into paddock straight and take the lead!

For the first time I finish first and fastest lap in circuit racing. It’s taken several years and a hell of a lot of work behind the scenes- but what a feeling!

That was a feeling that now in pole for race 2, I was hoping to replicate.

Race 2

Again, race start was good and it was pretty much the reverse of race one, but I was now being hunted down.  I just knew if I could keep up those consistent fast laps, I know I can do on diminishing tyres, I could come out on top. The diver behind did close in and by the closing laps by Maggots corner, I get pushed sideways and he makes it alongside into Brooklands, but I wasn’t having any of that. I get the under- cut and for the last corner I’m in the lead few, I’m the winner for the second time!

What a feeling, the best in the world. It was not only a victory for me but for the team and my family and sponsors!!

Looking forward to Pembrey next week, it cannot come soon enough.

Olly

Pictures by James Roberts Photography.