Formula Vee - Round 7
Paul Heavey and the Leastone team returned to their home track last weekend, following their recent top 5 at the Anglesey Circuit in Wales last month. With limited testing, Heavey was not 100% happy with his JH004 and this carried into qualifying where he logged a time good enough for the 3rd row.
The initial foray was cut short after just one lap, when an incident brought out the red flags. When the race got underway proper, Heavey made a solid start to hold position for the opening few laps. During the opening phase, he was in hot pursuit of 5th place and his hard work paid off on lap three, with a nice move allowing him to break into the top 5.
The following couple of laps saw Heavey build a small cushion to maintain a comfortable 5th place but as is usually the case in the hectic opening laps of a Formula Vee race, the lead group had broken clear of the battling pack behind. Heavey then settled into a rhythm for the remainder of the race, with the top 6 becoming unusually strung out over the closing stages.
With that, Heavey logged his 4th top 5 of the season and took B class honours for the event, adding 25 points to his championship tally. Despite missing 2 rounds earlier this year, Heavey is still in the championship top 3 and may well pose a title threat later in the year, given the two drop scores that come into play.
'Overall a fairly boring race. It was an enjoyable battle with Jack in the first few laps but once I cleared him, I was in no-mans land and just settled into driving consistently. We're still missing a little bit on overall pace, so work needs to be done there. Once I start qualifying closer to the sharp end, we will be back fighting for wins I'm sure!' said Heavey following the event.
The Formula Vee Championship now enjoys a long summer break, before heading north of the border for Round 8, at Kirkistown on August 24th. The championship is well and truly in its final stages, with just 3 rounds remaining following the Kirkistown round, so Heavey will be keen to return to winning ways.
