Bouncing back in South Wales

2019 BRSCC Mazda MX-5 Championship.
Round 2, Pembrey.

We headed west over the Easter weekend to South Wales and a new circuit to us, Pembrey. Friday was spent learning the track and our pace seemed good.

Qualifying came and I was in a pretty tough group. It is decided on championship positions and after our difficult start at Brands hatch I was 29th in the standings. It went very well though; I was in second place for most of the session but managed to get a lap together near the end and just nicked the fastest time, which was enough for pole position as the other session was slower. Second pole in two race meetings!

On the face of it, race 1A was easy. I got away in the lead and was never headed, taking my 3rd ever A race win in the championship. In reality, it was incredibly hard! Will Blackwell-Chambers was never far away from my rear bumper and so I was clearly keeping a keen eye on him. It was a relief to cross the line and complete a perfect day in the sun – and on Dad’s 70th birthday as well.

Race 2A on the other hand, was as hard as it looked. Starting from pole position, I initially ran in the lead but it was clear I didn’t have the pace I had enjoyed previously and was soon down to second. In my efforts to keep up I braked slightly too late for the turn one hairpin and slid wide, allowing Ben Short to nip past. After that I was trying to attack Ben but also defend from Jason Greatrex, so I was pleased when the flag fell.

The final race was very topsy-turvey. I dropped to 4th from the start but was soon into 3rd and chasing the leaders. Blackwell-Chambers then missed a gear and dropped out, but there was still a gap to Short. I chipped away and managed to catch and pass him. It wasn’t over though and on the final lap Ben set me up well to get back into the lead. I was able to cut back however for a drag race along the back straight and squeezed past to take the win. Mega.

Overall, it was a cracking weekend with amazing weather and the best possible birthday presents for Dad on his 70th. We moved on well from the difficult opening round at Brands Hatch and continued to develop with the team, who were fantastic. More results like this please!

Circuit photos: Dave Luck