It’s make or break weekend in many ways for the various championship squabbles, 2/3 of the way into the season, and the overall title chase between Palmer and Harrison is closer than expected. With the three Kutuka cars having a superb track record here in terms of outright speed, and the pressure is on in Palmer’s corner, if the class E car of Alex Harrison can out-perform him here the points gap could narrow significantly or even disappear heading for the last races of the year at Snetterton.

The class E battle can also be finished here this weekend, Palmer is again easily the winner-in-waiting, whilst in G Lyddall is about to sew up the title again, a full V12 turnout guarantees full points for once in class. Things are closer in class D, Harrison’s two DNFs have allowed Drage to stay within easy reach. Still not one entry in class F this year yet.

The XJS record at Cadwell mostly consists of red flags and body damage. 2007 saw 8 cars damaged, 2008 saw 3 red flags and 6 damaged cars, surely 2009 would fare better? It’s a tight track with few places to pass, it’s a place that can require a driver to yield his position rather than fight a challenge all the way to the collision, and there are at least 4 corners that absolutely invite a spin that’s going to end in the Armco.

Add to that the sheer mass and potential energy in a flying Jaguar, and it’s small wonder there are incidents here. It’s a bit of a Marmite track for many, but there’s nowhere so rewarding to thread, slide and float 1.5 tonnes of lumbering luxury coupe in search of that perfect lap.

TESTING

A fairly heavy sprinkling of saloons, but only three XJS, the Harrison duo and Peter Burton. With a split wet/dry test day conditions were interesting, to say the least, but there is fun to be had on the changeable track and nothing out there was faster than the T1R shod XJSs on the drying track of the last session.

For those who’ve never done it, to chase a herd of saloons round here in testing in the faster XJS is incredible fun. We don’t have a merged race this weekend so this is the only chance to play with the other species, and a line of big Jags of varying types and colours flowing over the Mountain, each one slinging the tail to the left as the wheels go light is a hell of a sight.

No casualties from testing this year, it’s remarkable.

SATURDAY

QUALIFYING

As is now customary the Kutuka trio led the field out. Cadwell is unusual in that you start the first timed lap almost immediately, the green flags out round the circuit are misleading, it’s hot from the word go and you have to make them all count, quali here is maybe 8 laps and squandering any one of them is foolish.

With so few XJS here space, for once, isn’t that much of a problem, but still in the 15 minute session you can expect to lap 2 or 3 cars, and catching one at the wrong moment ruins your lap. It’s very difficult to judge how much of a gap to the car ahead you need, a fast car on a hot lap can gain over 20 seconds on a tail ender in a single lap. A car going down the gooseneck as you hammer along Park appears to be a long way ahead, but could be in the way going into Coppice!

The three Kutukites are favoured for qualifying, all ran well in ’08 and it’s not an enormous shock to see the team take 1, 2 and 3 on the grid. Lyddall leads Harrison from Harrison. The order is almost unimportant.

Palmer takes 4th, critically, he needs to defeat Alex Harrison to minimise the damage to his points lead, and to be high on the grid was vital.

Russell makes his first appearance since Brands Hatch in that big V12, but alongside is Doyle in Junior’s XJ6 coupe, the only PBJ entrant and looking to make some ground using the 888 tyre against the T1R boys.

Burton rounds off G class on row 4, Comer the second class D runner in 8th.

Hill and Drage customary sparring partners, whilst Merrett’s historic problems at this track have him 11th despite huge horsepower.

Seath and Taylor make up the back of the grid.

Pace difference Lyddall to Taylor is 15 seconds and 9mph average.

Class G 1st to last gap - 7 seconds, 5mph 1st to 2nd gap 4 seconds, 3mph

Class E 1st to last gap – 9 seconds, 5mph 1st to 2nd gap 1.6 seconds, 1mph

Class D 1st to last gap – 12 seconds, 7mph. 1st to 2nd gap 6 seconds, 3.5mph.

Clearly class E is the close one, all eyes on Harrison v Palmer for the race, presumably. Well yes, but not like we thought…

RACE

The start of this race pretty much resolved everything. Lyddall gets away well, leading Alex Harrison into turn 1 by a whisker. From row two Harrison makes a good start, but Palmer misjudges his move to slam the door on him and there is contact made, Palmer’s move across the track from pitlane to grass partially tears off Harrison’s bumper.

Russell powers past Harrison along Park straight into 4th, and Doyle in the 888-shod XJ6 coupe makes a late dive to take 5th.

Ray Hill uses his greater experience to mug Burton of his place on lap 1, Cadwell does not always reward cubic capacity in that run to Coppice.

Palmer initially harasses Alex Harrison, but with his mirrors full of Russell has to concentrate on defence, within a couple of laps his challenge on Harrison has faded in favour of trying to fend off the big V12.

He fails, Russell is known for being able to pass here, and he uses all that torque to flatten the E class car into 4th.

Harrison’s dragging bumper eventually comes all the way off and goes through the radiator, the car retires from an easy class D lead on lap 3, promoting Philip Comer to class leader.

Merrett’s caution gradually fades and he starts to climb the order, easily dispatching Drage off the startline he is really the only car on the move. Lap 6 sees him cut past Burton, and Comer falls victim to that huge horsepower on lap 7, Merrett easily the highest climber of the race to finish 6th from 11th.

Doyle is still wrestling the saloon round in the XJS sandwich, but there is only so much the extra grip can do.

Hill’s afternoon ends in a DNF, the only other non-finisher on lap 3.

The race settles at half distance, Lyddall leads a closing Harrison from a now-trailing Russell, 4 seconds adrift by lap 5, Palmer tumbling away in his mirrors now 4 seconds behind.

Doyle’s heroics in the coupe have him only 0.5 behind Palmer, but he doesn’t have the car under him to do anything about the fast XJS.

There is then an ocean of time to the class D cars, Comer is 22 seconds behind in 6th place, comfortably ahead of Burton and Merrett, but now being caught quickly. Drage is attached to the rear of this pack, with Seath another 24 seconds behind, with Taylor the last survivor.

Lap 6 and Doyle makes a lie of the truth that you can’t overtake here, he’s past Palmer and away, the reigning champion falling backwards down the grid with no need to race anyone,.his championship rival steaming in the pitlane.

At the sharp end Lyddall has it sewn up, until, released from Palmer’s threat, Harrison finds the pace his testing promised, and closes on his team-mate. The gap narrows inexorably until the pair are nose to tail in the closing stages.

Last time down the Gooseneck and Harrison has to take evasive action to miss Lyddall, which almost becomes an overtaking move by accident. Lyddall holds his nerve and his line to keep the lead, and with only backmarker Taylor to dispatch going up the Mountain Lyddall takes his third race win at Cadwell in succession by only 0.6 seconds.

Seath has never raced Cadwell before, and with no chance to test takes his time to play into the circuit, but that patience is rewarded, with no dramas he takes 3rd in class D as those around fail to keep their cars on the island.

Russell takes 3rd, Doyle an impressive 4th.  Palmer tours in for 5th. There is an enormous gap back to p6 as Comer comes up the Mountain for the class win, and drops it on the exit. He spins late as the car crests the hill and performs what onlookers describe only as a helicopter impersonation, the car airborne and rotating. Mercifully, and miraculously, there is no contact, Drage and Burton in pursuit split to go round him, Burton down the steeply-inclined grass in a move born of necessity, but rejoining without loss or damage.

Comer also rejoins without damage, but his class lead has left the scene already and Drage takes his first ever D class win.

Russell 3rd, Doyle 4th, Palmer 5th, Merrett 6th a huge 38 seconds behind p5. Burton heads Drage from Comer, Seath and Taylor.

A strangely quiet race then, despite the track. Not enough cars. Please bring us more. Mind you, with so few finishers, seeing the flag pretty much guaranteed everyone a trophy.

WINNERS and LOSERS