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At the end of an exciting 2008 Sprint season, speedyseth.co.uk has invited Stephen Deuchar - that's Dad - to give an assessment of the year's racing in general and Seth's performance in particular...
SS.co.uk: Tell us first about your own season!
SD: I only did a handful of Sprint races throughout the year. It started quite well - I won a couple of heats and qualified well up in the A finals at Buckmore and Bayford, for example - but I did find the driving standards a bit poor (sometimes including my own) and I got into quite a few tangles here and there. My final race was at Clay, where I was running in 11th in the A-final, nicely on the pace and just behind Seth, before I threw it all away... But I'll be back next year for a few appearances to keep my hand in - it's good practice for my Caterham speed events, which are becoming my main priority.
SS.co.uk: OK, on to more important things. How did Seth do this year?
SD: He's one of the emerging stars, without a doubt. Considering how young he is - for most of the year he was just 15 - he did brilliantly, given how intensely competitive and unforgiving C100 sprint racing is. He won several heats throughout the year, and was a potential overall race winner on two or three occasions. For example, I thought he was outstanding at both Whilton Mill races: 6th in the A at the first one, from near the back; and at the second he would have qualified P2 in the A-final but for a last corner tangle with Guy Holiday when he was just about to win his second heat of the day...
SS.co.uk: Did he meet his targets for the year?
SD: Well, his target was to get onto the podium, which of course he achieved with his fine 2nd place at the opening race at Buckmore. But having done it once it was obviously a disappointment whenever he didn't manage a repeat performance! But I'm sure he's going to be a front-runner next year. He gets quicker and cleverer all the time. He is very, very good at working his way through the field on the opening lap, for instance. At the last Whilton race he led all 3 of his heats, and in one of them he went from 16th to 1st before the second corner. He's always great to watch.
SS.co.uk: What about the other drivers and performances?
SD: Of the top four, by the end of the year Parmveer was pretty much unbeatable, of course; Guy Holiday was fading after an excellent first half of the season; Lee Kemp was getting quicker and neater all the time; and Eddie, the early championship favourite, had really bad rib trouble that undoubtedly took the edge off his performances. I was so pleased to see Eddie running at the front, though. He's always fast and fair, and was a great team mate to me at IMSD for several years, so if Seth can't win the championship next year, Ed will be my next choice! But in 2008 I think Dan Gore wins my Driver of the Year award. He was certainly consistently one of the quickest guys out there, and was an awesome overtaker. He was particularly good at Lydd, I thought (though on that occasion threw away a certain front row qualification with an unforced spin out of the lead of the of the heats), and will undoubtedly win some races next year, mark my words.
SS.co.uk: Season highlights?
SD: Doing the Le Mans 24 hour race as Team Club100 (with Seth, Eddie, Dan, Simon Young and Ashley Evans) was certainly memorable, even though kart trouble prevented a good result. And seeing Eddie and Seth come first and second in the Buckmore A-final was good too. I should have been on the podium too that day, after starting just behind them, but that's another story..... |
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