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Round 4, Oulton Park, May 6/7th - Feature Race

For the second weekend in succession Parr Motorsport's Barbara Armstrong had to watch a Michelin Porsche Cup race from behind the Armco. As in the Sprint event at Donington Park last time out, a first-lap incident put paid to her race, leaving the former ladies' rally champion sidelined and unable to continue.

For the first time the pressure of a full race schedule and Oulton Park's early evening curfew meant that the Cup's Sprint race was cancelled, leaving conventional qualifying to determine the grid order for the Feature race. Armstrong had come through the single session to claim eighth slot for the rolling start and appeared quite satisfied with her prospects.

On past performance she works best in race situations, so a good fight from the fourth row looked as though it would suit her style. "In some ways I'd prefer to start from that sort of position," she explained. "It means I can concentrate on the guys ahead of me without worrying too much about someone pitching me off on the first few laps."

These proved to be prophetic words, but no one could have anticipated the kind of chaos she would face as she came around Old Hall for the very first time. After the dip through Deer Leap, and the run down the startline straight, Old Hall is partially blind, so she was quite unprepared for the sight of Robert Babikan spinning wildly in the middle of the track. With the field yet to break much from their start formation the cars were being forced either side of the blue and yellow car.

"I went to the left, someone else went to the right. The next I knew I had another car up alongside, pushing me further wide onto the grass," explained a visibly dejected Barbara. Once the car was off the tarmac even Barbara's considerable rallying skills were insufficient to prevent the Porsche sliding headlong into the tyre wall. The impact was quite heavy and there was no way she could resume. "It was a racing incident," she conceded. "I'd have probably done the same in his situation."

Hers was a generous attitude, especially considering the bad luck she's endured of late. "As team manager, my heart goes out to her," said Paul Robe. "The brief was to stay out of trouble, but she had nowhere to go. But, that is racing, after all. At the end of the day, she's doing a great job, and we've just got to dust ourselves off and try again. Luck will run her way again soon."

Unlike Donington, where she had a second race to prove her skills, she now has to wait three weeks before the next Michelin Porsche Cup meeting at Croft. Although this had been her first visit to Oulton Park, Barbara admitted earlier to liking the track. "It's a real driver's circuit," she said. "Plenty of nice dips and sweeping bends." Croft may be flat, but it's a circuit she knows far better having raced there in rallycross. It will be the first time this season that her knowledge of a track will be almost equal to those of her co-competitors. Now all she needs is an equal share of good luck.