Snett prep was quite restrained. New old hubs from a V8 saloon. Not the really good ones, but if they’re 5 years newer than X300 that’s less chance of breaking them, right? Dismantled, cleaned, crack-tested, re-greased and reassembled. At least we know these are shimmed as Jaguar intended.

Other than that, we’re planning for Donnington. I will be running as class E there, but in addition to the lesser weight, I need lights. It’s going to be dark. The glow worms I have fitted are no use, and as it was a quad-headlight car I can add two more headlights plus a pair of spots.

After that I need numberplate lighting for the bootlid number, which is fine as I am planning to MOT the car anyway.

My disconnected front indicators need to be reconnected, and whilst I’m at it, how about making the car more visible at night with some additional lighting? Good for the spectators to pick out who’s coming, so blue led strips are fitted to the sideskirts. In the dark they should identify my car, and we’ll do the same in red to Bear’s.

A careful spanner check of the car reveals the engine mount towers trying to come loose from the subframe again, and all 4 bolts in the nearside subframe butterflies are loose. The prop bolts are all loose again too. Suspension is intact, gearbox and diff still have lubrication, and having fixed the oil leak the car is much cleaner underneath again now. Also, bizarrely, a bonnet hinge has broken, the pin has clearly been seized for a long time and the stubs it was using finally wore down to the point that it simply broke in the garage. Better now than on track.

With an eye to the night race some further lighting mods are carried out, but that’s the Snett prep complete!

I’m not testing Helen at Snetterton. I am happy that we cured the handling, I know that track backwards, and there is no way the class D drivers on the entry list have the faintest chance, so I don't need to hone an edge, I can save the car. I have enough rubber for wet or dry, and just enough brake pad for two races and a quali. With testing dodged that cuts the bill for the weekend by about £300 just for the one car! Instead I’ll be sharing a drive in the red car.

My annoyance at the Cadwell antics manifests itself in an unusual way. I’m going to interfere in the class E fight. Not directly, but in a more insidious way. We have always relied on Alex’s feedback on the red car, and assumed that he is pushing it to the limit. But his feedback can be a little vague, and my suspicion is that a degree of the Stewert approach creeps in, no matter what you’ve fitted, if it’s new, the car is always better even if it isn't. I don't like placebos.

Well, this time, because I’m pissed off, I’m sharing the test. Two drivers in the same car, in the same conditions. That’s how to get feedback, and ego will take this car to its limit, Bear dare not go slower than me in it after two years in the car, he has to go faster. I know what I think that car can do, and how hard I dare push it. Bear will have to then go one better, we will drive each other forward. I’m certain this will take him comfortably out of Chris’ reach.

Not something I’d usually do, but it’s my way of fighting back. Don’t piss me off.