2013-12-09 09:17:19.2
Eddie scored his first win of the season at Clay Pigeon on Sunday when he crossed the line in the C final to qualify for a place in the B final for the third consecutive race.
His task wasn't made easy, however. He struggled throughout the day with brake problems, handling problems and transponders falling off! WIthout these, Eddie thinks he could have had a much better result.
"I was running in the top 10 in the B final with a kart that had no brakes and dodgy tyre pressures at the rear. Without this I'm pretty confident I would have finished in the top 6."
ROUND 1, HEAT 4
Eddie started third on the grid but it became apparent as soon as the race started that he had a problem. He ran wide at the bottom of the hill seemingly unable to stop the kart. A lack of brakes was the cause. Places were made up through some aggressive driving and the misfortune of others. Further complications arose when his transponder worked loose and Eddie had to drive several laps one-handed to hold it in place before it fell of completely and his positions could not be logged. He was finally classified twelfth.
ROUND 2, HEAT 3
Starting 10th on the grid, Eddie was badly boxed in at the first corner and lost a couple of places. Gaining a handful of places over the course of the race, it was a rather uneventful and unspectacular finish down in eleventh position.
ROUND 3, HEAT 2
Again starting from 10th on the grid, Eddie was caught napping at the start and dropped right to the back of the field at the first corner. Again having to fight his way through the field, Eddie picked of a handful of drivers through some aggressive driving to finish a disappointing 10th.
C FINAL
Eddie's poor performances meant that he started in the C Final. The good news was that he started from second on the grid and had a good chance of qualifying for the B. Making a good start, Eddie only just failed to take the lead at the first corner but achieved it at the hairpin at the bottom end of the circuit. Over the next 12 laps, Eddie built up a sizeable lead to win his first race of the season and qualify for the B final for the third consecutive race.
B FINAL
His C Final win meant that Eddie lined up 23rd on the grid for the B Final. Again making a cracking start, Eddie gained a few places by the end of lap one but, as in his first heat, it soon became apparent that he was struggling with a lack of brakes. Adapting his driving style again, Eddie continued to make progress through some forceful driving and was well in the top 10 before an altercation with another kart. Although he managed to keep pointing in the right direction without any damage, several karts passed him and he had to fight his way through the field again. Finally finished a disappointing 16th after a three-place deduction for his earlier contact.
