2013-12-09 09:17:19.2
It was a frustrating weekend for round 5 of the 2009 championship as Eddie showed great pace on both days only to be denied good results due to his increasing bad luck.
Saturday
Target Racing were always going to find the going tough at Rye, racing as they were as a two man team. The duo of Eddie Hall and Marc Laukam were the only Premier team not to get their kart tested in practice and Eddie duly qualified a season best 4th on the grid, setting the exact same time as third placed Team Red Steel.
Laukam took the start and ran well with the leaders until lap 2 when Just So Racing suffered complete brake failure and crashed into him, removing Ant Teal from Tanked Up Racing as well. This dropped the team back almost a lap.
Both drivers set a blistering pace and held the fastest lap for much of the race as they fought their way back through the field. As was to be expected, they struggled in their pit stops with a lack of support and lost time in all stops. A further accident for Laukam in his second stint when he was assaulted by Glen Beard only compounded their misery. Nevertheless, the duo managed to claw their way back up to 8th in class at the flag. Although obviously disappointed with another missed opportunity, Eddie once again said he was encouraged with his team’s performance.
“It is getting a bit frustrating now. Every race this year we have had the pace to be on the podium but for one reason or another we’ve not quite got there. Today was always going to be difficult with a two man team but, even with our poor pit stops, we would have been second or third without the two accidents. I feel really sorry for Marc because he drove brilliantly – we both did – and we deserved better.”
Sunday
After a strong third place at Bayford and two strong showings in the last week at Rye, Eddie was feeling more confident about his chances in the sprint race. He duly delivered with his best qualifying performance of the year, lining up fourth on the grid. This would have been second had it not been for Eddie being punted off from third place in his final heat.
His joy would be short-lived, however. Despite inheriting the front row after Richard Higham comically spun on the warm-up lap, Eddie’s race lasted one corner as the field bunched up at the start and somebody mounted the back of his kart and ripped the ignition off the engine. Without power, Eddie coasted down the back straight and pulled over at the hairpin to retire without even completing a lap for the second time this year.
Eddie was in surprisingly high spirits after the race and gave his usual tongue in cheek views of both his qualifying incident and the race accident.
“The guy in qualifying was immature and probably too young to be racing here. I was following Lee all race and we were both carving our way through the field. Lee took the guy at ‘Kemp Corner’ and I followed him through. The guy tried tapping me at the exit of stadium and then hit me up the back going into hairpin one and then completely wiped me out going into hairpin two, removing the guy in front as well. Fortunately I managed to keep the engine running and finished ninth. The worst part was that he didn’t have the balls to apologize afterwards and when I confronted him he shied away and got his old man to fight his corner for him, which is just pathetic. He obviously wasn’t going to share the same point of view but seemed adamant that his boy was faultless because he races in Super 1. He didn’t take too kindly when I suggested that he should buy his son some race craft. Fair play to Club100 because I think he was excluded from the heat so thanks to the COC for spotting that one.”
Surprisingly, he had less to say about the first lap accident that caused his retirement.
”I’m not really surprised any more to be honest. I thought starting that high up and being ahead of a lot of names I didn’t recognise I was either going to finish on the podium or be taken out. I made a good start and slotted in behind Matt Brooks. Then I felt a big hit from the back and then the rear wheel landed on my arm – which hurt by the way. I thought I had got away with it but exiting Stadium I realised the ignition had been torn off. I desperately tried finding the lead but it was gone and I had to park up.”
Eddie finally admitted afterwards that any small hope of challenging for the championship has now gone.
“No chance. I’d already used my three dropped scores and this makes it four bad races. I think Lee has it this year. He’s done a brilliant job and I’ve obviously lost my mojo so what can I say about it? Congratulations?”
