Carbonia Cup - Autodrom Most - July 9th

Team boss Paul Heavey swapped the pit wall for the cockpit earlier this month as he came out of ‘retirement’ once again and headed to Autodrom Most in Czechia for the latest round of the Panattoni Carbonia Cup. At the wheel of the Selco Hygiene Supplies backed Leastone 1000, the boss was competing in the D1 -1400ccm category (the equivalent of Monopostos M1400 class), lining up against a varied field of Gloria, Formula BMW and other motorcycle-engined single seaters.

Having not raced at Most since 2024, free practice was all about reacclimatising to one of Europe’s fastest and most demanding circuits. The 2 free practice sessions were interrupted by several red flags and traffic, limiting meaningful running, but Heavey steadily improved throughout the morning and left him well placed heading into qualifying.

Qualifying saw him continue to build confidence and pace. Improving throughout the session, Paul stopped the clocks at 1:42.2 securing 19th overall on the 31-car grid and, more importantly, 3^rd in class behind the pair of rapid Gloria C8Fs.

The 20-minute race was contested in hot conditions and the full field featured an eclectic mix of Formula 3, Formula 4 and Renault machinery. Paul settled into a consistent rhythm from the outset, focusing on staying within touch of his class rivals while managing traffic from other categories. The Leastone continued to show good pace throughout the five-lap encounter, with Heavey navigating around a number of incidents, as the sweeping Most turns caught out some of the other class runners.

At the chequered flag, Heavey crossed the line 16th overall and 3^rd in class, less than five seconds adrift of second place after twenty minutes of racing. With the two Gloria C8Fs claiming the top two class positions, Paul and the Selco Hygiene Supplies Leastone 1000 rounded out the podium, finishing ahead of a trio of Formula BMW runners.

While a class victory remained just out of reach, the weekend marked another enjoyable run for the boss, and the Leastone 1000, on the international stage. The Carbonia Cup has been a fantastic addition to the teams calendar, with great hospitality and comradery among the competitors, with the added benefit of racing around one of Europe’s sleeper tracks!