|
|
|
Super One, Rd.5,
Shenington: David is Goliath
Report & Photograph: Mike Hayden
31 August 2003
|
When young rival Alexander Sims took pole position for the penultimate round of the Formula A Elf/Hill House Hammond Super One Championship at Shenington last Sunday, David was unperturbed. His Tonykart chassis using Strawberry Racing’s Cream Vortex engine was working well and David knew it.
In action at 'Shenny'!
Only 0.06s away from pole position, David was content with his grid 2 starting position after setting a best lap of 40.83s in only 8-laps, whilst several of his slower rivals did considerably more laps in their efforts to get on terms with him. Sunday morning’s warm-up also went to plan with David testing ‘systems’ before the first heat, as he recorded a best lap of 41.68s.
Heat 1 was a classic five-way fight between the leading five Formula A protagonists in the UK, including the reigning no. 1 2002 British Champion. So tight was the finish though that it needed the timing beam to settle the leading positions, since less than 1-second covered the top five finishers in the race. Setting his fastest race lap of 41.27s in the closing stages of the race, David netted a solid 3rd place finish only 0.20s adrift of the winner. It was the second heat, however, where David made his mark, as he romped home a clear winner, with a fastest race lap of 41.10s, at an average speed of 55.41mph.
The two combined heats results left David’s Strawberry Racing entry on pole for the first final, and it was a starting position that he showed every intention of keeping. Resisting the intense pressure from former multiple karting champion, and ex-single seater Formula Ford racer Gary Catt, David proved equal to the task. Even when his rival moved briefly ahead of him in the closing laps, David kept his composure and quickly retaliated, setting the fastest lap of the race at 41.12s, before going on to win the race. It was a result that more than made up for his Rissington troubles the previous month…
Final two was more of the same as David made a good start from pole position. And just like he had done in final one, he looked remarkably unstressed as he kept Catt’s persistent attacks at bay for the full 18-laps of the race, to take his second major win of the afternoon, and with it a 100-point maximum point’s score that moved him into 7th place in the Championship with one round remaining at P F International in two weeks time.
“Those results were very good; I’ve been waiting for it all year,” was David’s view after the race. “I had a lot of pressure from Gary Catt, so it was important for me not to make a mistake. I knew that I was putting in very fast laps, so that would have made it difficult for him to get past me. When he did get past me in the first final I made sure that I got him back straight away, and then did not leave him any room to try and re-take me. I just stayed calm and knew that I had one more lap to get him back, which I did so it was OK.” Asked what the odds were on trying to get his mum to watch one of his races delivered a grin. “They are not high!” he said with a smile.
David was quick at the Kartmasters GP at P F International recently, and now following on from his double-header victory at Shenington, moves towards the final Super One round at the Lincolnshire track with a positive frame of mind. Few drivers are able to take four consecutive Super One victories – David hopes to add that one to his, and Strawberry Racing’s, growing CV’s.
|
|
|
