Date 30th May 2008
Event Super1 Round 4 First Practise
Another new track to learn but despite appearances, the track was very fun to drive round. Took two sessions to get on the pace. Got down to being in the top 5 overall all by the end of the day with 3rd quickest time of 47.44. At one point we had a team 1,2,3 in times in a session which was pleasing.
Date 31st May 2008
Event Super1 Round 4 Second Practise
More grip was on the track today and was again on the pace. Had a few good dices
with people. Me and teammate Max Haynes went head to head and I had a session battling
with British Champ Tommy. Ended the day with a quick time in the top 6 but wasn’t
happy with set-
Date 1st June 2008
Event Super1 Round 4 Raceday
We sorted the problem out with the handling ready for raceday. However when we turned up it was a monsoon. YAY! Love the rain. I lined up 3rd on the grid and had a feeling I could win it. We got going but pole man was very slow away so lost 3 places. Got back up to 2nd by the end of the lap though. 1st place man had already pulled about 7 kart lengths ahead so I got my head down. The kart was brilliant and I reeled him in and passed him with 5 laps to go. I was half a second quicker than everyone, I managed my first British Championship heat win by 3 seconds. I was chuffed!!!! Will came in 9th from 12th on the grid, Max got into 4th but got taken out by no.19 deliberately, Max eventually finishing 11th.
Heat 2 I started 13th and gambled on wets on the damp track,for the first 5 laps it looked to be working I was in 3rd, but then it dried out too much and the wets wore out, I ended up falling to 12th at the flag. Will came 6th and Max was 5th.
Heat 3 I started 12th and had an amazing start got to 5th, but coming into the last corner, braked hard and hit a damp patch which lost all grip and I slid off the track down to 13th, tried hard to get back through the order eventually finishing 9th after also struggling with a tail happy kart. Will came 11th and Max stormed to victory.
The final I started 6th, Max started 4th and Will started 9th. I got binned off down to 18th and last at the start, I was fuming! Redmist kicked in, and the heavens opened. When it was raining I was 2.5 seconds quicker than the leaders, by lap 5 I had got to 9th and had gained a deficit of about 10 seconds on the leaders. Iburst through the pack and Will followed me through. Going into the last lap I was 4th, Will was 5th and Max was ahead in 1st. Coming into the first corner, no.19 in 3rd binned off no. 2 in 2nd , I went for the gap around him but got caught by his bumper sending me into a huge slid rally style over the wet grass, I rejoined in 6th and that's where I ended up at the flag. I was very disappointed, could have come 2nd if I didn't get caught in the accident. Will came 3rd and MAX WON!!!!! WELL DONE LADS! It should have been a team 1,2,3 and so easily could have been too. But after the race Max was docked 13 seconds for apparently taking no.12 out, even when no.19 had knocked Max into him. I was gutted for Max as he deserved the win. This elevated me into 5th place, and Will into 2nd.
Overall I felt it should have ended up with a team 1,2,3. I felt the final was my best race of my life, I was so quick in the tricky conditions. I’m still 5th in the Championship. I hope to build on my drive in the final into the TKM Festival and the last two rounds of Super 1.
