Wow, what a mad weekend! We drove 1,000 miles in 48 hours towing the car down to the Nordschleife and back only to have the engine break on the first lap of the race. But what an experience up until then!

It's easy to do a track day or even just arrive-and-drive on the Nordschleife, but to race there is something else, quite a privilege. I don't think I could enjoy just driving round there again, the thrill of side-by-side racing is just too much.

In practice, it was Frank & I dicing for a time. I'm normally quicker than Frank round the corners, but his car goes like a scalded cat in a straight line and I couldn't make a move stick out of the turns. Chris D tried, but he couldn't go past either so he dropped back to get a clear lap...but I was enjoying the dice too much even if it murdered the lap time so I stuck with it. Finally got alongside Frank on the straight approaching Flugplatz, side-by-side at 100mph+ for a mile or so before I finally folund a way past. Over the course of the rest of the lap I pulled out 8 seconds. But what fun - 30-odd miles where we were never more than a car's length apart and very often far less.

In the race I was in a high speed train for the first 10k, comprising David, Ben, Joop, Peter in an MGB, Chris and I - the first time the 1300 engine has produced anywhere near its potential and it was really, really flying, on the rev limiter in FOURTH! Then the engine tightened and cried enough, finally expiring just before the Karoussel.

But this mad weekend had another throw of the dice. Towed back the rest of the track by the rescue Frontera on as 2.5 metre rope. Going through the corners at the sort of speed that would have my mother gripping the seat cushion saying "Slow down Maxwell!" and taking the main straight at 80mph just 2.5m behind the tow car were truly memorable!

Engine's now out and another installed. May be quicker, may not - roll on Monza to find out...