2013-12-09 09:17:19.2
Eddie managed a solid fifth place in the B final after a mistake forced him out of the lead. Eddie scored his third B final pole position of the season.
The day started with a heavy downpour just before the racing started. The rain had stopped by the time of Eddie’s first heat so he decided against wearing the wetsuit.
In tricky conditions, Eddie started his first heat from third but found himself way down the order after getting boxed in at the first corner. The track gradually dried during the course of the heat, making driving conditions very unpredictable. Slowly getting to grips with the conditions, Eddie managed to climb up the order to finish a disappointing seventh.
Starting tenth in the second heat, Eddie made an awful start when the engine refused to pick up on the line. Dropping right down the order, Eddie had to pick his way through the tail-enders. On a track that is notoriously difficult to overtake, Eddie got stuck in a traffic jam and could do no better than 10th.
Starting 13th for his final heat, Eddie was helped at the start by some drivers not knowing where they were supposed to be on the grid. With a number of clear spots in front of him, Eddie had a good run into the first corner. On a track that was now completely dry, Eddie climbed up to fourth and again could do nothing about the karts in front, who held him to the line.
Aided by a large number of penalties in the other qualifying heats, these mediocre results gave Eddie his third B final pole in five races. Starting alongside him in second position was Lydd adversary Garrett O’Connar (the two having sportingly settled their differences prior to the race). With Simon Mace just behind him in third, Eddie had his work cut out.
Eddie maintained his lead at the start, but Mace was all over the back of him and showing his nose at every opportunity. Under pressure, Eddie made a mistake into the final corner and got all four wheels onto the grass. This mistake cost Eddie three places. With the lost momentum down the straight, he dropped another position and out of the A final.
“I have no excuses” were Eddies remarks after the race. “Simon was all over me and I knew both he and Garrett were quicker than me and I just cracked under pressure. I turned in way too early for the last corer and was carrying far too much speed. I simply ran out of road and that’s where I lost the race.”
Back in the action and Eddie was still fighting for his life to get back into an A final qualifying position. He spent the entire race glued to the back of the fourth place driver, both of whom were not helped by an un-cooperative backmarker, who refused to move out of the way.
“Both of us were not happy. The blue flags were waved for the top three but then disappeared when we came up behind this guy. Despite both of us gesticulating to the marshals, we had to get past him the hard way.”
During this struggle, Eddie briefly claimed back fourth position but ultimately lost out, crossing the line just a fraction behind and losing yet another A final race.
“I’m not too disappointed with this. I mean I can accept not making an A final because of my own stupidity. Other than that, I think I drove well in the final. The guy I was racing with very aggressive but was also clean and fair. He drove a brilliant defensive race and deserved to get into the A final.
“There is no way I would have stayed in front of Simon – he was just far too quick today. I think without my mistake I could realistically only have expected third.”
