Round Two - Gang Warily 23rd May 1998

After the action packed first race Lukes father and my Dad cornered Luke and I in the paddock and told us to cool it!. Don't think we did much!! Of the six races during the weekend I won two, Luke the rest.

Practise :- Practice for me was generally good, I was testing the engine as Dad was changing the carbs main jets. Most of the field were out there re-learning the course and having fun before the racing began that day.

Race 1 :- I was coming from the back of the grid because of our engine problems at the previous meeting. My only tactic was to try and get past the slower craft before the tight turns. This meant clipping/driving over a few people, but didn't cause damage to any craft. By the time I got to second, Luke had a considerable lead. But I managed to catch up by taking a tighter line and generally pushing very hard. When we reached the back markers two laps later I caught him and knocked one of his rudders off when he went wide and I went inside and we met (heavily) on the exit of the corner. From the ensuing spin Luke managed to get away first (which is probably fair given the way of the crash). From the Fawley Bank turn to the checkered flag we were hard at it all the way.

Further down the field there was some interesting racing. there were a few more juniors which made the racing all the more fun. Also the slower craft proved a little more difficult to overtake because they all were racing each other and were all bunched up. The end of the race was close because of his rudder. But he managed to shut me down and hold his position. 

Race 2 :- Due to powervalve problems pick up off the grid was rubbish. Luke has just got the edge over us speed wise and therefore I could only make up time on the corners and back markers. I was catching him up but the powervalve kept dropping off.

Race 3 :- We had bought a brand new powervalve servo from Scott Tilley. So while the F25 craft were racing between each other, Luke and I were getting closer. I was trying to pressure him into a mistake so I could pass him. On the top u-turn we were coming up to a back marker he overtook on the outside, while I shot up the inside and got ahead of him. Simon O was battling it out with a new F25 which has made his racing more fun. Bridgewater were battling with Team Wilson.

Race 4 :- On this race Luke was getting more out of his craft and was beating me again, so it wasn't that exciting as all I could do was keep going and be in position if Luke had a problem.  The main racing in this event was between the slower craft as they were forever changing positions and having some good racing.

Race 5 :- This race I was working really hard on keeping corners tight and always overtaking on the inside so I was right behind Luke putting the pressure on all the way.On the last lap but one we came up to a back marker on the tight Fawley Bank turn and I overtook the back marker and Luke on the inside. Going around the chicane we were side by side and as we were about to lap another back marker I had the inside line and he had to go around it which slowed him right down and that left me with a clear run to the chequered flag.. This race was brilliant from all of the competitors (and spectators) point of view.

Race 6:- I got a brilliant start this race and could have shut Luke right off on the first corner and put him into a bale, but didn't, so going round the first corner of the 2 chicanes he hit me with his thrust which gave him quite a strong lead which I could never re-gain - so close were our craft matched all weekend. About 4 or 5 of the slower craft were racing really closely and proving difficult to overtake. Luke kept clear of them and so they didn't produce an opportunity for me to sneak past Luke

Stephen Scotney (last years National Junior Champion) in his first first race as a "senior" in formula 3 walked it to win first for the weekend. He used the same craft that was used in junior racing last year. This shows how quickly we are going in junior racing at the moment. There are some rumours about limiting the performance of the junior craft in the future because we are going faster than formula one craft were 15  years ago

1st Luke Sedzikowski - Python Kawasaki

2nd Edward Hurn  - Eagle Yamaha

3rd Mark Coles - Self Yamaha

4th Simon Kearle - Eagle Yamaha

5th Fernqvist / Grey - F25

6th Simon Oakley - F25

Despite the recent flooding of the track the drop onto the water in the middle of the turn was nearly as steep as last year. (entry from the right in the photo on land exitinggoing to the right on water)

Luke cornered going outside the backmarkers I elected to take the inside line.....we met on the other side of the corner in a fairly heavy collision.

Luke had to swing wide to avoid a another craft in the Fawley Bank hairpin and hit a catch fencing post which took out several segments..

This was the aftermath of a tangle between the midfield craft who had a coming together just as I arrived to lap them. I had to make fast decisions as to which route to take through the scattering craft.

I got inside Luke on the Fawley Bank turn but he came back at me going into the chicane...

which we went through side by side...

and on the last corner he was boxed in behind a back marker ....for once my corner and race, Luke!

Racing was close throughout the field with the F25's of Fernqvist/Grey against Simon Oakley as well as Mark Coles against Simon Kearle in F3 craft.