2013-12-09 09:17:19.2
Eddie finally had something to smile about this weekend as he qualified for the A final in his first heavyweight race and only just missed out on a podium position in the endurance race yesterday. (read separate story to hear about the endurance race).
Eddie had high hopes of making the A final at this circuit, where he knew that he would no longer be disadvantaged by being overweight.
The day got off to a cracking start. Eddie lined up 13th on the grid for his first heat and made a good start to break straight into the top 10. He made no mistakes and finished a respectable 8th.
Starting 4th for his second heat, he again made a good start and got third before the end of the first lap. He then chased the leaders hard but could do nothing to haul them in.
His third heat was impressive. Starting down in 11th, he made a brilliant start to get up to fourth after the first corner. He then passed another kart on lap 2 for third. He then spent most of the race trying to wrestle second off a much slower driver. A half-hearted overtaking attempt at the hairpin allowed two other drivers to gain the advantage over him. Eddie finally finished 6th, which was good enough for 17th on the grid for his first official heavyweight race.
Starting on the inside row, Eddie failed to make the great start around the outside of turn 1. He spent the entire race in a train of karts that started right at the front of the field. He enjoyed lots of battles and was running just outside the top 10. Over the last two laps, however, Eddie’s brakes were starting to go a bit soft and he dropped a few places to eventually finish 16th out of 26 and 110 points.
Eddie was understandably elated with his day. “It has been a brilliant weekend overall. The endurance race yesterday was fantastic and it gave me a lot of confidence to know that we were on the pace. Today everything just went right for a change. I wasn’t taken out, I didn’t make any silly mistakes and I proved that I have what it takes to mix it with the best.
“After the grids were announced I tried to keep a straight face when I went to tell my dad but it didn’t work because he had apparently seen me punch the air in the paddock!”
However, Eddie is not getting too excited. “Obviously I’m happy, not least because this is the first time that my Dad has witnessed me in an A final, but this is just one race. Until I become a regular A finalist I’m keeping very quiet. I made an A final in my first season and then didn’t get back in one for 18 months!”
Eddie also commended the driving standards. “I have to say that I’d heard some pretty bad rumors about the aggressive nature of the heavies, but I have to say that I thought the driving was of a much better standard than the lights. Nobody tried pulling any silly moves in silly places, nobody banged wheels, nobody nudged me from behind and when I made moves, people made room – it was great and I’m really happy to have made it through a whole day without getting taken out!”
