2013-12-09 09:17:19.2
A second consecutive B final pole position was ruined yesterday after Eddie was taken out at turn 2, costing him yet another A final result. This is the fourth time in as many sprint races that Eddie has been robbed of an A final result.
The day got off to a brilliant start with Eddie scoring a fourth and a fifth place finish in his opening two qualifying heats respactively. He only needed a top 10 finish in his last heat to qualify straight in to the A final.
Starting 13th, Eddie deliberatly held back off the line to move to the outside going into turn 1 (a move that worked very well for him last year). Unfortunately, he went slightly too wide and got onto the dirty side of the track. He nevertheless made up ground and was fighting well in the top 10. Racing in a very competitive field, he got caught up in the mid-field battle and couldn't make up much ground. He crossed the line tucked up behind the tenth placed driver.
These results put him on pole position for the second consecutive sprint race. This advantage was short live, however, as he was forced into a spin going into turn 1. Eddie takes up the story.
"I made a good start and lead round the first corner. I saw the guy behind me try to stick his nose in going into Billys Blind but I had track position and turned in. Suddenly, I am hit up the arse and I'm facing the wrong way! The guy who hit me claimed he was hit by someone else.
"This is getting really annoying now. It happened to me twice at Rye House and I was also knocked out of contention at Bayford. When I moved up to the heavyweight class last year I thought I had seen the last of this kind of driving. I had a really clean season last year. So far this year, a certain percentage of the drivers are driving like complete twats."
A furious Eddie nevertheless continued round to complete the race, making the point that he would have been in contention with the win by lapping consistently quicker than everybody else on the circuit.
"This is what makes it so hard to take. I know I was one of the quickest guys in that field. I was really confident and I know I would have won the race."
