[woodcote]

Race Report - F1 Qualifying Heats

We welcomed three new HO racers to our September F1 race. Frankie was racing at the club for the first time, alongside his dad Ryan, who has one HO race under his belt - albeit ten years ago in March 2014, when he finished sixth in the F1 race. Isaac and Simon raced at the WHO Digital Wednesday last month and were back for their HO debuts. In total, there were 25 drivers on the grid, ready for the challenge of a new layout...

   

The West Bend inspired track was fast, with some tricky corners and certainly offered something in every lane. Super-Gs were quick round three quarters of the track, but many of the Mega-G+ cars were dominant in the central technical section, which was pretty busy for the marshals all night...

   

Big scores were posted during the first pair of heats, but there was some wreckage for a few of the Super-G+ runners, including June's F1 winner Darren. At the half way point, Pete led Ryan by less than half a lap, Gareth a further lap behind. Ollie was top junior and debutant Simon was top rookie and top club car racer...

   

There was a lot of movement in the second half of the heats, some improving, some tumbling down the order. Darren's expected rise up the table did not materialise, with a second heat written off with a dislodged shoe and spring. That left him hovering in the midfield...

   

At the top, Pete held off Jerome to give us a Burley 1-2. Ryan held on to the final automatic A Final spot, followed by Terry, Andy and Gareth who were separated by 0.4 of a lap. It was even closer further down the field - John, Tracy and Simon equal on 51.6 laps and their dropped score determining qualifying position. Ollie qualified as top junior in ninth place. Nathan was top rookie in an excellent eleventh and Simon best of the debutants and club car drivers in eighteenth...

   

The finals will follow...