Round 10
This weekend's practice only started for Phil on Saturday instead of Friday, which meant less time to prepare for the race. In sessions before Motors TV on Saturday Phil was quickest, or equal quickest with James Duxbury and all was looking good for the race on Sunday.
Three lap practice on Sunday morning was cold, but dry, and lap times were fast. Just before the first heat the heavens opened and the track was drenched, with pools of standing water left by the downpour. From Grid 10 Phil made his way up to first position within the first couple of laps and held a 7-kart length lead from Anthony Lester through the race. Phil posted the second fastest lap time, with Duxbury a whole 4 tenths faster.
For Heat 2 a starting position of 22nd on the gird ensured Phil had a lot of work to do, even though the track had dried up considerably. On the rolling lap going down the main straight, Phil noticed a splash on his visor but attributed this to the small amounts of water remaining on the track. However, as he took the first corner petrol splashed through the opening in his visor and into his mouth and eyes. Phil quickly pulled over in a mad panic and sprinted accross the track to the pits, to grab the petrol tank lid from another kart. He then ran back to his kart, replaced the cap, and hoped that another rolling lap would be offered - but no. Phil pulled his kart into the middle of the grass and scored a DNF.
In Heat 3 Phil started in 4th, with James Duxbury beside him in 3rd. By the second corner these two had separated from the rest of the field, and were pulling away. Phil knew that he had to do his absolute best to make up for his DNF so he overtook Duxbury and pushed hard until the end of the race. Although a gap opened between the two, the lap times were pretty close.
The final saw Phil surprisingly lining up on P5 after his DNF, with Duxbury, Golba, Lester and McBlain in front of him. At the end of the first lap Phil was in second and chasing hard after Duxbury who had a small advantage on the rest of the pack. There seemed little difference in the lap times of the two until about 5 laps in when Phil found 2 tenths on Duxbury and he pulled him in rapidly. Phil made a move down into the hairpin and put his head down, pushing hard to open up a gap, which he did. Phil kept increasing his lead for the remaining laps and took the checkered flag, putting him in the lead in the championship by 11 points even though Duxbury took 6 points more from the meeting.
sn’t expecting much because of the engine problem, but was going to use the races as opportunities to get used to the racing and other drivers. In the first heat Phil was on pole, for about 100 yards!! He left the smallest of gaps from the grass going into the first hairpin and got nailed by Josh Mullholand. He slid onto the slippy tarmac and was on the outside going into the second hairpin, he looked back and there was not even a hint of a gap. He tried to hold it around the outside of the corner but a kart crashed into the side of him, dropping him to 17th!
