Walter Hayes Trophy 2019
22nd November 2019
First of all I’d like to say a massive congrats to Jordan Dempsey, Michael Moyers and the whole Kevin Mills Racing team on an extremely well deserved 1-2 finish!
I started 7th in the Grand Final, but was taken out in turn one on the first lap 😞 I rejoined in 27th place and drove my absolute heart out, but sadly 6th was the very best I could do. Not the result I wanted, but I guess, a reasonable result nonetheless.
Full report below.... ⬇️
Testing - Three days testing before the weekend, but it turned out to be a pretty trying few days, with data problems, engine issues and me not being able to get the car quite where I wanted it.
Nevertheless, we weren’t a million miles away from the pace and I set my sights on the weekend.
Qualifying - Very wet and tricky conditions, but the team did a great job to set the car up. I managed to end the session fastest by 0.7 seconds.
Heat Race - Starting from pole, I had a good launch off the grid, but I still got passed going into turn 1. A lap later I managed to regain the lead, before an incident with another competitor swiping across the front of my car dropped me down to 3rd. I persevered and a couple of laps later drove around the outside of 2nd, I was 3/4’s past, but unfortunately he caught my rear wheel and sent us both spinning off track. I rejoined in 9th with a couple of laps to go, and eventually managed to take 8th position on the final time round.
Semi Final - Due to the disastrous heat race I started 15th for the 12 lap semi final. I made consistent progress through the field to take 4th by the chequered flag. A very good result, especially considering we lost a bunch of laps under the safety car.
Grand Final - Despite my bad luck in the heat race on Saturday, I had managed to climb back up the order to start the final in 7th. I had a decent run down to turn one, before I got driven into AGAIN, spinning me around. This dropped me down to 27th. I managed to claw a bunch of positions back before a red flag. Annoyingly, a few of the positions I had made on the previous lap were reinstated to the other competitors as the whole grid had not passed the start line before the red flag. This would mean I would begin the shortened re-start in 18th. In those ten laps I gave my absolute all to finish in 6th and only a second off a podium position. A very good result all things considered, but certainly not the result I set out for at the beginning of the weekend. I’ll just have to give it another go next year!
Final race of the year, which is always sad, but I’ll be back at some point next season. What that will be in or where I’ll be racing is still very much an unknown, but we’ll see.
First a huge thank you to my Mum & Dad, Keelyn, my friends, family and of course the Kevin Mills Racing team. You are all responsible for getting me back in the seat towards the end of this year. Not the way I hoped to end the season for you all, but wins and some very solid results since I returned was a big boost to me.
Thank you’s also go out to BOLD Engineering for my engine performance, Rachel Bourne and Jim Robertson for my pictures.
To all that have followed me these past few years and shown their support, thank you very much, it’s been much appreciated!
Hope everyone has a very Happy Christmas and a great New Year!
Pictures courtesy of Jim Robertson.
