July 5, 2009 Driver Update: Qualifying woes put the brakes on gutsy Goodwin but fighting spirit remains
Young Sale-based karting star Jay Goodwin was knocked down and rebounded more times in his most recent meeting than most drivers do over the course of an entire season – but even if he was denied the result he deserved in round four of the hotly-contested 2009 Formula Kart Stars (FKS) Championship at Rowrah, he was nonetheless able to prove that at the very highest national level, he is right on the front-running pace.
Following a seemingly interminable run of bad luck, Jay travelled to the demanding and undulating Cumbrian circuit – what he describes as ‘a great track to race at, and very challenging to drive’ – buoyed by a podium finish in his previous club outing at Shenington and aiming for a top ten finish. He would partly accomplish it.
Quick throughout practice, the Ashton-upon-Mersey speed demon initially lapped second only to championship leader Jack Barlow, and encouragingly paced the last session outright despite being only the driver not to run on new tyres. And then, on only his third lap in qualifying, a brake seal on the calliper burst…
“Our speed in practice gave me quite a lot of confidence going into qualifying,” Jay underlined, “but after being really quick for the first two laps – and looking like I was going to be on pole – the brakes failed. I went to slow down and the kart didn’t want to, so I had to react pretty quickly! Some people think karting is just about turning the wheel and putting your foot on the accelerator, but it involves a lot of split-second reactions too.”
Admitting that the setback was ‘a bit of a bummer’ to say the least, it left the Joe Bloggs and Matrix-backed Evolution Racing ace a lowly 17th overall in the 29-strong Mini Max field, slipping inexorably down the order from second at the time of his brake failure as his rivals improved. The pre-final, at least, would yield a far more satisfying outcome.
“Going into the first hairpin I received a whack from behind, which allowed about five people to go up my inside and dropped me to 18th,” recounted Jay, at 12 one of the youngest drivers in the class. “After that I just focussed on getting positions back again all the way through the race.
“I got back up to sixth by lap five, but then into the chicane the driver behind me went for a silly move that wasn’t really on. He hit the kerb and rode up over the back of my kart. I really felt it and thought I was going to have to come in, but when I realised what position I was in I thought ‘I can’t come in now – I’m doing too well!’
“That left my spark plug hanging off, which cost me about six tenths a lap, and the chain guard was threatening to fall off too – but for once, fortunately, luck was on our side and we were able to hang on to the end.”
With tyre marks on the back of his race suit bearing witness to his assailant’s unwelcome attentions, in the circumstances seventh place was an excellent result, and one achieved under pressure from a train of drivers behind and in a not inconsiderable degree of pain. If anything, the grand final later in the day would prove even more eventful still.
“There was light rain and we were all on slick tyres,” Jay recalled, “but I managed to keep on-track at the start despite getting hit from behind. I came out of the second hairpin well in sixth, and then two drivers ahead got tangled up with each other which moved me up to fourth.
“I was closing on third, too, but then I got passed and when I tried to re-take the place on the following lap we both went wide and I fell back to tenth. I fought my way back up to sixth again and went for a move on the guy in fifth, but he turned in on me and that bent the whole front of my kart, which dropped me to 11th.
“On the last lap I was sixth behind Oliver Myers, but he braked really early to try to get a run on the driver ahead. I didn’t realise he would do that and hit the back of him, which sent me flying off the track. I just managed to keep it out of the barriers, though, so it could have been worse I suppose…
“All credit to Jack Barlow who drove brilliantly for the win, but I feel sorry for my team-mate Harry Crawley whose chain came off on the warming-up lap when he should have been on pole, and my other team-mate Jody Fannin who was black-flagged. It wasn’t a very lucky day for the team all-in-all. Still, now I know I can race at the front in the British Championship, which has given me a lot of confidence, and even though I didn’t finish, I don’t think that reflects how well I drove. We could have been fourth – at least…”
It was indeed an immensely encouraging performance that demonstrated the North Cestrian Grammar School pupil’s clear talent and promise, and the fifth-fastest lap time to his name only went to show what might have been. Returning this weekend to PF International – a circuit that seemed to hold some kind of curse over him until he broke it with an assured rostrum finish there on his last visit – Jay has his focus firmly set on securing the result to match his undoubted pace and potential.
