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Seth managed to scrape into the top ten at Clay Pigeon last weekend after an enthralling A-Final, but he felt that he could have scored much higher had he been more fortunate in one of his heats.
This was the first time that Seth had raced at Clay Pigeon since he competed in the ‘open-enduro’ in May with his father, and rival Eddie Hall. The weather was miraculously good despite a strong wind which ensured that the track temperature never got very high. After a disappointing race at Rye House two weeks previously, Seth was anxious to prove that he was deserved of some of his better results earlier in the season.
For the first heat Seth started a long way down the grid in 16th. Many find it hard to overtake at the Clay Pigeon track, but this did not seem to be a problem for Seth as he expertly made up 10 places in just 7 laps – ‘It was really good to be back on form after Rye House. One of the things that got me down there was the fact that my overtaking was a bit scruffy. I didn’t seem to have that problem at Clay.’
The result in Seth’s next heat pleased him slightly less. ‘I started 6th and by the time we went through ‘Billy’s Blind’ I was third and had the inside line over the guy in second. Just as I started to turn in, I saw someone in my peripherals that had locked up and was spinning into me. I had nowhere to go and he knocked us both into the gravel. This dropped me down to last place and it was only other people’s accidents that allowed me to take 15th. The most annoying thing was that the driver who hit me hadn’t put his transponder on, so there was no point in him being in the race at all!’
Seth knew that, after this disastrous result, he would have to get a good result in his final heat to make it into the A-Final. He started 8th but after some quick laps and good manoeuvres he managed to take third place, and very nearly the fasted lap.
These mixed results qualified Seth last in the A-Final. ‘I was quite disappointed by that, especially as if I’d got second place in my second heat I would have been on the front row but never mind. I would also have liked to have had the extra track time of being in the B-Final as well.’
Despite his disappointing grid slot, Seth made the most of the A-Final. ‘Once you’re in to the A-Final you don’t have much to lose as you’re guaranteed 100 points, so I really went for it. I made six places in the first lap and then another three on the next. I stayed there for a while before entering into a truly great battle with James Akehurst. I wasn’t taking any prisoners but at the same time he was being equally relentless and this made a truly thrilling race. We swapped places several times every lap before I finally got clear and pulled out a small gap to finish tenth.’
Seth looks forward to Whilton Mill next weekend where he performed well several months ago, and then to the Championship finale at Rye House next month.
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