It’s been a busy summer with GCSE exams and racing but I thought I’d update everyone on how things have progressed since my last article.
Round three of the GB3 Championship at Donington Park proved a positive weekend with my first race win in race one, seventh place in race two and sixth place in the frenetic reverse-grid race. The race win was special as it was my first in GB3 and my first at Donington. I’m pleased we will be returning at the end of the season.
Snetterton at the end of June also proved productive, albeit not quite as good for points. I got my first pole position of the 2022 series, and, after a good start, I converted that to a lights-to-flag win in race one; a pretty much perfect Saturday! This was going to be difficult to match on Sunday and it proved to be, as I had a “moment” at turn one whilst I was running fifth in race two and unfortunately span out. The final reverse-grid race of the weekend was a case of damage limitation as I started at the back – the downside to pole position – and had to use old tyres, so it was always going to be tough to move forward under those conditions.
The GB3 series then moved to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium in July for its only foreign race. Although I really enjoyed the track I did struggle in qualifying, indeed so did the whole team, and finished mid-pack. Again, it was a question of maximising the points I could in races one and two and trying my best for the reverse-grid race. This I did coming over the line in first after the restart caused by a red flag for my third win of the year. Only afterwards, once all the teams had packed up and left – indeed we were halfway through France – did we discover the restart grid had been incorrectly set by the stewards and, as the restart, was deemed non-compliant. I was therefore relegated to second, my position one lap prior to the red flag. This was quite tough for all the drivers affected as there had been plenty of time to properly set the grid, but mistakes happen and I guess that’s motorsport!
A week later we were at Silverstone again and it proved successful with a double pole, two-second places and a fourth from the back of the grid. In some ways, fourth place in race three was the most rewarding as it allowed me to try some ambitious overtaking and score some good points.
At the time of writing going into the penultimate Brands Hatch round, I lie third in the GB3 Championship with two wins, three poles, and five podiums, and feel that I am gaining in confidence every time I race.
