Disappointment for Tommi…
4 November 2014
Tommi heads to Anglesey
Tommi Meadows travelled down to Anglesey Circuit this weekend to compete in the penultimate round of his first season rallying in the Junior 1000 Rally Championship.
The Bowland High school pupil has tasted the highs and lows of motorsport this year, and was looking forward to what was set to be a challenging two-day event which contained stages in the dark on Saturday night, bringing a whole new experience for some of the drivers in the championship, aged between 14 and 17.
After settling back into the car on stage one, the 14 year old set fifth fastest time of 23 junior drivers on the second stage, 2 seconds slower than the fastest Nissan Micra driver Seb Perez. Conditions deteriorated as the day wore on, and as the rally moved into the night, the wind and rain made staying on the road a challenge in itself.
‘We started day one really well – I was pleased with the pace,’ said Tommi, ‘however I was way too cautious in the dark stages, so we dropped back down the leaderboard. I was a little disappointed with this, although this year is meant to be all about learning and gaining experience – overall results aren’t everything – the best results can wait until next year.’
Day two dawned bright and early, and the crews were happier to see a clear blue sky over the race circuit, meaning the grip levels would be high.
‘I set out to try and get my times as close to Seb’s as possible,’ explained Tommi, ‘we are still not getting the absolute maximum out of the car yet and I am sure there are a few seconds we can find here and there, but it will all come with experience and time behind the wheel.’
‘One of my main focuses for Sunday was my line – I made an effort to try and use as much of the circuit as possible in order to carry more speed throughout the stages.’
Just as Tommi and co-driver Ian Oakey were starting to climb back up the leaderboard, their Nissan Micra would not start before stage 14. With help from other parents and mechanics, the crew tried to get the car going but unfortunately a finish wasn’t to be, and the problem could not be cured in time.
It is unfortunate that the car broke down, however there are a lot of positives to take from the weekend and it’s all part of the sport we are in. I’m just happy that we managed to do 3/4 of the event before the car broke down, and we got some decent mileage under our belts.’
Tommi is hoping to be back out for the final round at Blyton Circuit, organised by Clitheroe Motor Club, in three weeks time.’
James Alpe Ltd have been sponsoring Tommi throughout 2014.