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What’s in store for 2008?
After adapting to the DD2 class well last year Patrick and the team have decided to compete in
this class again for 2008.
Once again Patrick will compete in the Rotax Euro Champs
with
races
taking places in France, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic.
As far as the British Championship goes the team will take into account of how many
competitors enter and if enough will race then Patrick will compete in the British Super 1
in conjunction with good friend Leki Peak.
Other events that will be entered will be the TV Kartmasters and British Open and selected club events.
Watch this space to see what kart Patrick will be driving this year and possibly new team.
Fast and furious at Buckmore!!!
Patrick travelled to the last round of the British Championship at Buckmore Park in Kent.
Patrick hadn’t raced here since a novice race in 2002 so it would be a case of having to learn
a new track. Having not competed in all rounds of the championship Patrick could not have an
impact on the championship but was still going there to show that he had pace just like at the
other rounds.
Two out of the three heats went well with Patrick setting the fastest lap in the third heat after
changing the set up.
With all three heat results taken into account this put Patrick 3rd on
the grid behind the fast Amanda Lassu.
After the start Lassu held the inside row up with a
major technical problem and the outside row took advantage of this relegating Patrick to 10th!
A few competitors crashed out on this start and the race was red flagged. Lassu was allowed to
fix the problem and on the restart Patrick and Lassu got away from the field cleanly.
Patrick tried to pass but just couldn’t get past and this allowed the pack behind to catch up.
Patrick went for a pass at Lassu and slightly overshot the corner, which allowed 4 karts to overtake.
This really made Patricks chances of winning slim and he only managed to pull it back to 4th.
Extremely disappointed Patrick commented, ‘My Dad and I have worked well this weekend and to be
honest we had the fastest kart in the final. I just didn’t take the opportunities when they arose.
This has definitely been an encouraging weekend and gutting at the same time as I just lost out
again on a podium place. We have again proved that we are one of the fastest again. The WildKart is
working really well now we understand it.’
Due to Patrick only competing in 4 out of the 6 British Championship rounds he
finished 10th in the championship.
Classified results
Medium success at last round of the Euros
Patrick went on to finish 10th in the final of the last round of the Rotax Euro Champs at Genk in Belgium.
Having only competed in three of the four rounds Patrick finished 14th in the overall DD2 Euro Champs.
Here are some pictures from the week
Patrick enjoys Alonso outing
It was the weekend of the TV Kartmasters and was the fourth consecutive weekend Patrick had raced.
GMS Motorsport had supplied Patrick with a free drive on the Formula 1 World Champion,
Fernando Alonso’s brand of chassis.
The heats went very well and with the best guys racing from all over Britain Patrick qualified a very
respectable 6th. For the first final Patrick was losing power at the end of the straight and went backwards
to finish 15th. For the Grand Final the engine was no better and Patrick finished further down the field.
0’plate heartbreak
With a small grid competing for the British Open title at Whilton Mill in Northamtonshire the chances
of winning were good. For qualifying Patrick lost out to local driver Paul Granger by just 0.03 seconds!
Throughout the heats Patrick played second best to Granger and for the final it would be
the same two on the front row.
The DD2 class had the best drama of the day out of all the Rotax classes.
Two races before the Final it rained and it was very hard to decide what tyres to choose.
Patrick and his Dad decided that if it was dry it was likely they would play second best again to
Granger so they decided to put wets on. Patrick was one of two competitors to choose wets.
This decision proved the right decision for the first three-quarters of the race and by lap 15 of 20
Patrick had a 50second lead! On lap 15 Patrick overshot the first corner. He had lost his rear break pads!!!
With the track drying the combination of the lost rear break pads and wet tyres graining didn’t help
and Patrick went on to loose out and finish a gutting 4th.
Patrick drives Kightley to Championship
Patrick mechaniced for youngster Harry Kightley in the NatSKA British Honda Championship. Harry drove
well all weekend and went on to become champion. At the presentation Harry was presented with the
Championship shield and given a scholarship into the Stars Of Tomorrow championship for 2008.
Go Harry!!!
Transloader driver takes gold
Congratulations to Transloader supported drive Lee Barnard on becoming V8 Stock Car English Champion