Junior Grand Prix at Rogue Racing - 2008
2nd February:
After a successful practice last Saturday hopes were high - which is more than the temperatures were! With ambient temperatures barely above freezing, lap times would surely be slower.
Only 14 drivers attended this meeting, the most notable absentees being the Baldwin brothers and Sean Rudge. Some careful tactical planning ensured Geri got a better deal on grid positions starting the first heat from pole, the third from third and then the sixth heat (of seven) from 6th and last.
Geri has never been beaten from pole position, the opening heat was to prove no different. He was under pressure for the first couple of laps, but by lap 2 started a relentless run of 27s laps culminating in 27.20 as he pulled away to win comfortably. Luke Doig, starting from 4th, was beaten for the first time this year as he finished third.
Jack Macaulay won the second heat easily enough but without beating Geri's first heat time, so Geri went into his next heat full of confidence. His nemesis from the January race, Guy Grigsby, was behind Geri on the grid but an incident on the first lap saw Geri pushed down to 5th with Guy getting past him. It took Geri a while to get past Guy which he finally did coming off the upper section but was now some way behind the driver in 3rd. A massive effort saw Geri lower the FTD to 26.92 and take over third place in the two laps remaining, so 14 points after two races.
Luke Doig took the 4th heat to level on points with Geri, and then won the 5th to set a target of 22 points with Jack Macaulay 3rd (from last) taking his haul to 14. So Geri needed a win in his final heat, heat 6, to get that all important pole position in one of the semi-finals - remember, Geri has never lost a race he started on pole!
A great start from Geri saw him climb from 6th to 4th in the first lap, taking nemesis Guy Grigsby on the second corner, and up into 3rd just after the start line. With a lot of drivers shoving, and James Massey having been deemed "spun-out", all the drivers were stopped coming off the upper section and James allowed past them all - so back to 4th. Geri progressed back through the pack and up into second but Matt Hayes up front had a decent gap and Geri would have his work cut out to catch and pass him in the last remaining laps. A yellow light incident ended Geri's chances, last month the drivers were bunched up under yellows, this time Geri was too far behind to judge the correct slower pace and Matt extended the gap under yellows - when the yellows were extinguished Geri was unable to make up the distance and finished second leaving him on 21 points. James Macaulay won the final heat from the front giving him 22 points and pole in the first semi-final from Geri with Luke Doig on pole for the second semi-final.
A great start by Geri who passed Jack on the inside of the second corner looked like giving Geri the win he needed but half way down the straight there was a big coming together followed by a loud bang as Geri crashed out, the kart having left the ground. Geri resumed the race in last place and well behind, but also in tears as the crash had hurt him. Last in the semi-final meant a poor points haul and no place in the final. Geri's day was over. Jack won this semi and set a new FTD of 26.88 which would give him pole for the final.
Luke Doig won his semi-final comfortably leaving Jack and Luke to shoot out for the final which turned into an anti-climax as Jack led from the first corner and slowly pulled a gap back to Luke.
Even with this disaster, Geri is still in 3rd place overall, but a long way behind Luke and Jack out front. But there are 10 more months to go, and two worst scores to drop so its far from all over yet.
