Fourth place for Paul at Donington Park

Bob Marsh - Last modified: 18th Aug 2009

This race was not only support to the Super League Formula races but also over 30 minutes and for the first time using the Grand Prix Circuit.
Qualifying
This was an early 09.00 qualifying session on a dry circuit with the added benefit of using the whole of the GP circuit.
Paul, as ever this season, needed to be close to the championship leaders on the grid and made a great start to the session setting his fasted lap on the third tour which brought him close to the leaders.
As the session continued unfortunately the main group of three started to get quicker and quicker all setting their best times late in the session, as did Andrew Clarkson and Steve Greensmith to relegate Paul to sixth on the grid.
Grid:
1 Tom Roche 2:01.856
2 Jonathan Greensmith 2:02.230
3 Rob Boston 2:02.150
6 Paul Sheard 2:03.546

The Race:
Around the paddock before the race all the drivers were making their calculations for the amount of fuel required for this much longer race and as they lined up on a dry circuit Pauls aim was clear keep as close to Ton, Jonathan and Rob as possible during the early part of the race then make a move into the top three.
On occasions plans never go well and on this occasion this was the case as the three championship leaders were quickly away and into Redgate determined not to let anyone else near them.
By the end of the lap Paul was lying in ffth place just behind Steve Greensmith but over two seconds behind the leader, Tom Roche.
The leaders on lap two really started to pull away even further and it was now obvious that nobody was going to get anywhere near them and by the end of the lap Paul was in fourth place but was now a massive six and a half seconds behind the leader.
The race was now starting to split into many groups all jostling for position with Paul heading a group of ten cars all within three seconds of each other.
This was now a matter of defensive driving to protect his place and forgetting anything about the leaders as the laps passed by the half way stage Paul was almost seventeen seconds off the pace but still hanging on to fourth place. Each an every one of the following cars tried at some stage to challenge for his place but failed on each occasion.
Suddenly following an incident on lap twelve Paul found himself back in seventh place and now having to battle his way back up the field and as they entered the final two laps there was less than two seconds between cars in fourth and sixth places.
In these last couple of laps Paul managed to claw his way back up to fourth place and what was probably the hardest race of 2009 for him but he was still forty five seconds behind winner Tom Roche with Rob Boston in second and Jonathan Greensmith in third.
Results:

1 Tom Roche 30:31.110
2 Rob Boston 30:35.789
3 Jonathan Greensmith 30:40.853
4 Paul Sheard 31:17.065
Fastest Lap:
Tom Roche 2:01.021 Average Speed 74.38mph

The next round of the championship will be at Oulton Park on Saturday 15 August after which Paul will be travelling up to Scotland to compete on the Sunday in the Ginetta G50 Cup at Knock Hill.