Qualifying
After being at Rowrah since Friday, I was expecting a top 15 in qualifying. I went onto the track behind another driver, hoping they would be quick so I could pick up the pace from yesterday’s practice. After 4 or 5 laps of following around this driver, I thought about passing him as I wasn’t gaining much. I went to get past on a corner but I span as I was getting passed. I ended up on the grass and on my own. When I got back on track I saw a kart in front of me so I decided to try and use them to set a lap by trying to catch up. It sort of worked and in the end I did a lap of 57.9, which was only good enough for 16th out of 26.
https://results.alphatiming.co.uk/cadetkartchamp/2020/rd1/s/43/
Heat 1
With a qualifying position of 16th, I was aiming for 12th. Off the start, I got up to 14th but on lap two I fell back down to 15th. On lap 4 I got up to 14th as someone pit because of a problem. By lap 7 I managed to work my way up to up to 11th fairly easily, but on the last lap with a couple on my tail and pushing, I got squeezed onto the grass and span. In the end, I finished 14th. This got me 22 points.
https://results.alphatiming.co.uk/cadetkartchamp/2020/rd1/s/44/
Heat 2
At the start, I was starting the 14th. I was hoping for a good start so I could try and attack the top 10. Off the start, I got up into 12th place by going around the outside into the chicane. On lap two there was a spin in front and I got up into 8th. On the 3rd lap I got up into 7th but on lap 4 I fell back down to 9th. Two laps later I got back into 7th and one lap later I got into 6th. On the last lap, I was defending too much and I ran wide and went back into 7th. This got me 29pts.
https://results.alphatiming.co.uk/cadetkartchamp/2020/rd1/s/45/
Heat 3
There was no heat three due to lack of time and daylight. Instead the points were an average of 1st and 2nd heats and my average was 25pts.
Final
Going into the final I had 76pts and was starting 10th. I was hoping to get into 8th off the start. I managed to do this by cutting in front of the first driver I passed fairly and then going around the outside of the next one. On lap 3 I got passed a driver with problems so I got into 7th. Up until lap 8 I was all over another kart until I got bored of sitting behind and decided to send one down the inside. Surprisingly, it worked I was ahead for one lap until I had a bad exit had he got passed (with a little help from the driver behind him pushing him passed me). I stayed here for the rest of the race and I got 32pts.
https://results.alphatiming.co.uk/cadetkartchamp/2020/rd1/s/47/
In the end, all of the points added up got me 108pts and put me in 9th overall for the day. I am looking forward to the race next month at Lydd as it looks like a really good and fast track. Not many drivers have experience there, so I am hope to be pushing for the top 6.