In his latest column for Crash.net, Emmet O'Brien looks back at the British round of the World Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch.
Well where do I start? Brands was a busy weekend. I drove to Dublin airport in my new
BMW 320si and I just have to mention that it’s the best handling road car I have ever driven, not the fastest car in the world but unbelievably well balanced.
So where was I? Dublin to Heathrow, London, early on Thursday morning and headed for the Alex Reade Motorsport Shop on Regent Street, where I had an Autograph signing with some of the other WTCC drivers. Stefano D’Aste and I were the only non UK drivers at this event where I had the opportunity to catch up with the other drivers; it very relaxed atmosphere thinking back on it! I then had to drive up to Northampton to collect the HANS device that my helmet painter, Martin Robinson, had painted for me, and what a stunning job he did! So I didn’t get back down to my hotel in Bexley near Brands Hatch until late Thursday evening.
I went to Brands early on Friday morning to sign on and meet with my team. I had a test session later on that evening at 4 o’clock. It was really just a session to bed in the car after it had been rebuilt since Magny Cours (after I had been rear-ended by Ceresoli) - and I also had a newly rebuilt engine. Towards the end of the session I pushed harder and coming into Paddock Hill bend, possibly one of the most daunting and exciting corners in the world my clutch exploded! A big plume of smoke was all I could see in my rear view mirror. I immediately feared the worst and thought I had blown my engine, luckily it was not to be.
