After so many seasons, the preparation was routine. The car was so good last season that hardly anything was changed. Only maintenance work was carried out on the engine, no search for additional power, which would have immediately compromised reliability. As a driver, I had resolved to prepare better for the individual races. This was primarily done by studying my own videos and also recordings of my direct competitors. This work was extremely valuable and led directly to better results.
In April, we booked two test days in Dijon. There was a lot of driving practice in the rain, but no clues about driving behavior in the dry. Nevertheless, it was nice to be back in the race car and drive again after the winter break.
Hockenheim, Germany, April 22-24
The intensive work on driving style, line choice and the like paid off. I was much closer, set better times and was therefore also at the front in qualifying and the first two races. In the rain, it was still not the yellow of the egg. In addition to the wrong tires, I also had two spins, which - apart from losing position - had no further consequences. In any case, we left Hockenheim as the first championship leaders of the new season.
Zandvoort, Netherlands, May 28-29
Zandvoort is always a highlight of the season. The track's location on the North Sea and the circuit itself make the races here something special. As one of the home tracks of our Dutch competitors, we wanted to show our strength here too. This was achieved with a decent qualifying position and was rounded off satisfactorily with two second places in the two races. We stayed ahead in the championship.
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, June 24-26
I had big plans for this event. But not much came of my intentions. In general, most of the drivers did not achieve the lap times of previous years. So I also had to settle for fourth place in the class. With over 40 cars in the field, the race was very close. Contact with the direct competitors was guaranteed when the road ran out in turn 9 and I was pushed, which ended in a spin without hard contact. With only 25 minutes of racing time, there's hardly anything to make up, so all that remained was fifth place. The second race started in the rain. After two laps of acclimatization, I was able to overtake many cars and was classified in second place at the end.
Assen, Netherlands, August 06-07
Another home track for the Dutch! Again, I had set my sights high because I didn't do well here last year. This time, thanks to studying the lines and braking points, everything should be better. And how was it better! I finished qualifying and both races in first place; in the second race I even set the fastest lap of the entire field. What a feeling that was! And the lead in the standings was also consolidated.
Anneau du Rhin, France, September 16-18
The circuit in Alsace was on our calendar for the second time. For us Swiss, the Rheinring is also popular for testing, as it is well located and close by. Many spectators from our personal environment wanted to see whether we could hold our own here. So we were challenged. Qualifying went very well, as I was able to win the class. The following three races were also something for the stamina, as they lasted 40 minutes each. Many duels later, I was able to finish all three races in first place in my class. With a reassuring lead in the championship, I was able to prepare for the final races in Zolder.
Zolder, Belgium, October 14-16
We were racing here for the fourth time after 2013, 2014 and 2016. I had fond memories of the track from the 2013 race. For many, however, it was new and the weather forecast was not very promising. It was wet in qualifying. As a result, the times were not that great, partly because the surface was quite slippery. I ended up in fourth place, which was okay considering the small gaps. It was all about keeping in touch with the front runners and getting there. The conditions weren't easy: the racing line was almost dry in places, but many parts of the forest were still quite slippery. My plan worked out quite well in the first race with second place. The second race started with more or less the same objectives. I wanted to put the pole setter under pressure and tempt him into making a mistake. We were both able to pull away from the rest of the field and complete our laps. After about 20 minutes, the tactic was successful: the leader slid into the gravel in the small chicane and I was able to take the lead and win the race.
It was therefore clear that I had won the championship with a 60-point lead over Detlef Walter in the Warwick GT350 and Marcus Weidenbach in the TR 6.
Restaurant Kreuz Emmen, November 4
Around 30 MG drivers gathered in Emmen that evening. The main reason for this was probably to check out the new temporary home venue. It was a very successful event with great hosts who mastered the evening with aplomb, despite the unusually large number of guests. Hansjörg Suter didn't miss the opportunity to celebrate us as European champions - a bit much of an honor, but the season still filled my wife Monika and me with a little pride. The gift from Marcus Bründler in the form of a signed MGB model was the icing on the cake.
Many thanks to the MG Car Club and to everyone who supported us in any way during the season. Preparations for 2023 are already underway. After the season is, after all, before the season.
