Last night saw me make my Debut for M&M Racing. After racing for SBR for over a year it felt kinda strange rolling out to represent a different team, But what a team to represent!! Ive always considered M&M Racing to be one of the top teams in the whole of TORA with so much experience and talent both behind the wheel and in the workshop, it was an opportunity I couldnt pass up.

Sadly things didnt go to plan at all last night, a Network problem struck just as the Qualifying lobbies were being assembled and by the time i had everything reset i had missed qualifying. Luckily for me (or not as the case turned out) TORA decided that I was to start at the back of my class (LMP2) Rather than at the back of the entire field with the Slower GT2 cars. A Result I thought at the Time, with only 3 LMP2 cars running at Sebring a Podium was guarenteed but I was sure I could make up a place in class to 2nd.

After a few Teething problems Lobby B was all formed up on the Grid and ready to start, I had three GT1 cars to pass before i could have a crack at the LMP guys up front, so i settled in my seat and nailed it off the line, Spinning the wheels further than i thought i would before the Launch Control kicked in and i catapulted up the track, passing 2 GT1 cars in 2 corners.



However the break that the LMP cars got from the start due to their higher grid position, So i settled into a good rythm in 4th place and just thought I would let the race come to me, with a feeling my M&M Lola Mazda would be better on fuel then the Two KRAFT Cadbury's Porsche Spyder's up ahead. However after a few laps the race did come to me with an Accident between the LMP1 car of Chucky and the LMP2 car of Davey James. This promoted me up to 2nd place and with Davey's LMP2 Porsche now damaged by the accident i though i would be able to hold onto atleast 3rd.

However i now had Chucky's LMP1 Coca Cola Acura to battle with, Blitzing it down the straights and then beign caught in the corners again....



I ran wide on the Final corner which allowed Chucky slip back past, however i slip streamed him back down the home straight and we were Side by side going into turn 1. I was relishing the Battle with the big boys, The Mazda finally delivering the kind of performance the Team and General TsO Always said it could... However a star shines twice as bright just before it dies....



Less than 10 mins in, disaster struck... A Shot from behind from the LMP1 car of Chucky....



This Resulted in the Loss of the M&M Lola Mazda's rear wing.... And with it went all control... and my chances of a good finish or even a fun night....



The shot was so hard i was sent spearing into the tire wall, Buring the front end of the M&M Lola Mazda and further damaging the Aero package, this time at the front...



Having not been killed i reversed out of the tire wall and began to check the in car damage system to assess the damage, The car was a mess... The engine was ruined, both sides of the chassis were damaged, the gear box, the drive train, the suspension and the brakes. I pitted that lap and got as much repaired as possible however the Aero package could not be repaired (as it was laying on the other side of the track). Without the rear wing the car was practically undriveable depending solely on the tires the car was a nightmare to drive. after the accident i had dropped to the back of the field... which was probably just as well as 10 mins later i spun the car coming out of the last corner due to the lack of downforce... Striking the Pitwall with the lefthand side of the car square on. The car flew up into the air and spun into the pits.



Having once again not been killed i drove to the pits to once again replace the engine, suspension and drive train. After that things were quieter, Lots of scary high speed spins but no more contact luckily. I was eventually lapped by the GT1 car's which survived the event, but the biggest achievement was wrestling whats believed to be possibly the most powerful car in the series and definately the most powerful in class, all the way to the finish.

And So on my M&M Debut i finished 3rd in class (by default not skill) and 16th overall in the event, however in a race where many failed to complete the full 1hour 45mins i should count myself lucky.

I will be in action in the M&M Lola Mazda again in 2 weeks time at the TORA LeMans Series round 2 at Suzuka Circuit Japan.