2013-12-09 09:17:19.2
After the team’s recent run of disappointment, Eddie has been talking about the areas of improvement that need to be made before the end of the year and has highlighted his own weaknesses as well.
IMSD Racing have suffered a dismal season and have finished outside the top 20 in the last four races.
“There isn’t one particular problem that we can highlight but a number of issues that have gone against us this year.
“Firstly our qualifying has been a problem for us. In the Premier Championship if you don’t get a good grid slot you are stuffed, basically. You can see at the start that the guys at the front are already almost half a lap ahead by the time the guys at the back cross the line.
”Unfortunately I have to take responsibility for this because, aside from the first race at Rye House, I’m the one who qualifies. I have just struggled to get single lap pace out of the kart. I usually qualify well at Buckmore so I’m hoping for a good grid slot at the next race but I know it is something I have to work on for future races.”
After a thoughtful pause, Eddie also admitted that there were deeper issues and highlighted a number of other problems that have hampered the team.
”I think with Ian [Miller] and Steve’s ‘semi-retirement’ this year and the knowledge that neither of them are racing next year has had a negative impact. Firstly, they haven’t had much track time so they’re obviously a bit rusty when they do get behind the wheel, which is a huge handicap in the Premier Championship, especially with the closeness in the mid-field. There is also perhaps a lack of focus and motivation as well because only doing a handful of races, you’re not really going to be thinking about the championship. Of course as a result of Steve not racing, Seth has been pushed up into the Prems perhaps a bit too soon and certainly he has really struggled in the last few races, which has contributed to the poor results and that is what is really damaging morale.
“I think lack of motivation has been our biggest problem in fact. Because of these problems, added to the fact that we have had so much bad luck as well, we have not been doing a good job. Our pit work and general communication in the pits has been awful this year. I think when you go to a race knowing that you’re not going to do very well it is very hard to find the motivation. We are still a good team and we always try to look on the bright side and put a brave face on things, but it is getting extremely difficult to find anything positive to say, to be honest. Until we get a good result to lift our spirits, I think we are going to struggle."
