King’s Lynn – 22nd September
I got a really good start in Heat 1 and was going well with the other blues, catching the yellow tops however, I got tangled up with another blue top early on which lost me a lot of places. I carried on but finished just outside the top 12 meaning that I am in the consolation.
In the Consolation I got tangled up with yellow tops on literally the first or second lap, which bent my front axle, popped my back outside tyre and bent steering arms so I had to pull off as the car was pretty un-driveable. However, lucky for me, the Final was all in so it didn’t matter that I didn’t finish the Consolation!
The Final was really fast, my car was set up nicely. However, I felt like I had the wrong gears in for the track as the engine just didn’t seem to pull as much down the straights as it normally does. We are currently testing out what gears are best at which tracks for my car as every engine, car and track is different, so unfortunately we didn’t have the correct ones in. However I finished the final with tenth which I was really really happy with!
Some good places and a decent haul of points for Danny at King’s Lynn.
Again, the National was a very fast race but I felt a little bit off pace with not having the correct gears in. The first few laps were wet and as I pulled my goggles to clear them, the shale had clogged them up so I couldn’t see! This was literally on the second lap so I pretty much had to do the whole race without being able to see properly.
I would have taken them off but King’s Lynn can be so dusty toward the end of a race and I didn’t want to hurt my eyes! I actually managed to avoid a lot of carnage seeing as I couldn’t see much! I was in 12th place on last lap but as my goggles had packed in I was struggling to see and I spun on the last bend! Bit gutted, as I finished just outside the top 12.
Buxton – 30th September
I did not get a good start in the first heat. I started on the front outside so the flag dropped and everyone came up the inside of me and I was literally at the back straight away! My engine also felt like it kept flooding up so I struggled to catch anyone after that. Despite all that, I managed to finish the race in 12th however, only the top 10 went through to the final so it’s the Consolation for me!
At the start of the Consolation, I counted how may cars were starting in front of me, there were 4 white tops and 8 yellow tops and 3 blue tops! I had 14 cars starting in front of me.. not good! When the green flag dropped I actually kept with the other 2 blue tops for ages, I felt like the car was going well and wasn’t flooding up… touch wood! I started passing a few yellow tops and a few crashed and had to pull onto the middle, so I was starting to get somewhere! I was in 4th place!
I look ahead and Karl was winning, I had to remind myself to focus on my racing instead of trying to watch Karl! The other blue top was behind me and was catching slowly, with 1 lap to go he couldn’t quite get me and I finished in 4th! I was absolutely buzzing and so was my family! Karl won it too which made it even better!
Winner of the Consolation.
I didn’t get much of a chance in the Final, I think literally on the first or second lap, the superstars were right behind me, Dan Johnson hit Bradley Harrison who went straight over the top of me, breaking my shocker bracket and slightly bending my front axle. It actually wasn’t a lot of damage considering Bradley literally drove right over my bonnet! I did more damage to the panels and paint job more than anything so it’s a bit of a mess to look at now. The race was stopped and I had to be taken onto the infield by a tractor as my car had no steering. Oh well, at least I manage to watch the rest of the final from the other side of the fence!
We managed to fix the damage ready for the National, I didn’t really expect much because we kind of bodged it and I knew the car’s set up would have changed so I was just hoping for the best! Surprisingly I was actually going okay, I was having a good battle with other drivers and was moving up in the places.
There was a yellow flag, and on the restart my engine flooded up literally as the green flag dropped… my stomach dropped because I just expected everyone to run into the back of me! Luckily everyone missed me and I manged to start my car up, but by this point I was right at the back, frustrating! I finished the race just outside the top 12 but I think I would have gotten a place if my car hadn’t have flooded up!
Grandad’s car racing in the Heritage class.
My dad won both the heat and the national today so I guess it makes up for the amount of damage and rubbish results I had although, I am over the moon with my 4th in the consolation.
I’m super excited now to go back to Sheffield next week as we haven’t race there for a few months, the last time I was there I got a lot of damage so I’m excited to go back and try do better!
Phoebe
Dad being interviewed for Premier Sports (again!)
It was his birthday this week!
Thanks for the photos – Jordan Cooper, Colin Casserley, James Bowles, Marvin Hall, Dave Bastock, Ant Jenkins.
