Imagine racing a powerful 2.2l Evo 8 car with no front end or clutch and in heavy rain. Even for a professional driver it would be a challenge.
Those conditions are exactly how Marc Kemp clinched second place in the Club Sport 4WD class in this year’s Time Attack Series.
The drama came in the seventh and final round of the series at Snetterton.
Kemp (32), of Cowbit, crashed in qualifying and his team – led by dad Martyn – had just half an hour to get the Mitsubishi back on the track.
So to still clinch the runners-up spot was a brilliant achievement.
Martyn, who’s chief mechanic, said: “I was just amazed that we got the car out there.
“The rain was so hard that I thought we were just going to have to call it a day, but Marc pulled it off.
“All things considered, it was just great to see.”
Time Attack is all about being the fastest on the track, not being the first to a chequered flag. Practice, qualifying and finals are all 20-minute sessions and Martyn says a good deal of skill, cleverness and mind games are pre-requisites.
He said: “It’s so hard on these cars that a 20-minutes session is like a three-hour session racing a different car.”
Martyn has spent £50,000 on the car this season, added to another £40,000 previously. Sponsors include Spalding firm GMK Panic Link Ltd, Bush Tyres and KW Suspension.
Next year Marc makes the step up from Club Sport to Pro.