2013-12-09 09:17:19.2
Eddie has said he is not expecting a repeat of his Buckmore Park triumph this weekend. Eddie cruised to a comfortable win in the opening race of the season to take the early championship lead. However, he has said that he is cautious going into the next race and is expecting a much tougher challenge at Rye House.
“Buckmore was an exceptional weekend and it was a great feeling to win my first race back in the sprints but I’m not getting too excited about it. Buckmore was just one race and we have a long season ahead and anything can happen.
“To be honest, I had a lot in my favour at Buckmore. Most of the guys probably hadn’t raced since the end of 2007 and may have been a bit rusty and certainly wouldn’t have had any running in the new chassis before the race. I did a couple of tests over the winter and, of course, raced the previous day in the Endurance championship, which was a huge benefit. Also, Buckmore Park is a circuit I know very well and usually go well there.
“I think Rye is going to be a lot harder. Historically I haven’t gone well there in the past and there is always trouble there, especially at the first hairpin. I also think guys like Lee (Kemp), Guy (Holliday) and Dan (Gore) are going to be a lot stronger. If Seth carries on with the form he showed at Buckmore, I think he is going to be serious trouble this year.”
Despite being typically downbeat, Eddie was still in confident mood and is still aiming to be competitive and challenging for the podium.
“Buckmore was my first sprint race for nearly 2 years and I didn’t really know what to expect. I just drove very sensibly and cautiously through the qualifying heats and tried to keep out of trouble. If I can drive like that, still qualify third on the grid and win the race from start to finish, I think that has to be a good sign for the season. I will be taking the same approach this weekend because I know how much carnage there is at Rye. As the season goes on and my confidence builds, I will get faster and more aggressive in qualifying, rather than driving at seven or eight tenths.”
Eddie will be in action on Saturday, racing for 3Cubed in the Premier Endurance and again on Sunday for the Sprint Race.
