2013-12-09 09:17:19.2
Eddie has admitted to being amazed at how far off the pace their kart was at yesterday’s endurance race at Bayford Meadows. As has been the case for most races this year, the team struggled all day with a kart that suffered from a lack of top-end. Despite this, Eddie said he couldn’t quite believe they were as off the pace as they were.
“The kart didn’t feel all that bad to me in practice. Stephen said it felt more flat at the top-end than the first, which of course I hadn’t driven. I went out and it felt pretty good. We decided it might be worth getting the mixture adjusted but there was such a huge queue in the pits because none of the karts had been run in that we ran out of time.”
Eddie qualified a lowly 20th on the grid and was amazed just how far back they were.
“I couldn’t believe it when I came in and found out where we were. I admit I didn’t feel 100 percent comfortable in qualifying but I expected to be around the top 10 somewhere.”
The team did a brilliant job to bring the kart home in third position in class and tenth overall, but were again left wondering where they might have ended up without the kart problems.
“I think it could have been a win. We were leading the Clubmans before our pit stop blunder, which ultimately cost us second but we would have been even further up if our kart had been better. I was struggling to keep up with people that I normally beat easily and, as a result, in my second stint I got caught up in that group you find in the mid-field who don’t know how to race. The guys who bang wheels and force you off the road if you try passing them. I decided to stay behind them, close enough so that we could jump them in the pits – which of course we did.
“The whole team did a fantastic job. Our lap times were obviously down because of the equipment, but we were all very consistent and our pit stops were blinding again.”
The team can still mathematically win the Clubman championship with two races to go, but Eddie admits that it is a long shot.
“Of course we will fight until it’s mathematically over but I think realistically we are fighting for third. We just need better reliability for the final two races.”
