Skip to main content

Two wins on Welsh weekend aids Wood’s title push

31 Jan 2019

With two wins and a strong third at Pembrey over the weekend, Lea Wood gave his push for the Pickup Truck Racing title a major boost.

Having set fourth and third best times in wet qualifying sessions, he started from fourth on the grid for the first of the weekend’s three races.

It was still wet as the grid assembled, but when the lights went out, he soon slotted into third behind David O’Regan and Mark Cooper.

Having ousted Cooper exiting Hatchets on lap three, he began to threaten O’Regan’s lead as they both eased themselves well clear of the rest of the field.

By the end of lap five the gap was only 0.323s, but patience paid off two laps later, not only snatching the lead on the inside of the new chicane, but quickly consolidating to secure the win, leaving O’Regan to duel with reigning Champion Scot Bourne. “I had the new tyres on and managed to get a break, but there was a river across the start and finish line and they had nearly cancelled he race,” he explained.

It was still damp for race two, but Wood and Bourne had both fought passed early leader Dale Gent by the end of lap two.

On this occasion Bourne couldn’t stick with Wood’s pace however and the lead quickly exceeded two seconds and continued to grow. “It was still wet enough for the wet tyres, but they started to off towards the end,” he said.

Having peeked at over three seconds, Wood backed off slightly in the closing laps, but Bourne still had pace and began to close the gap again, leaving Wood  to manage a still fairly comfortable lead over Bourne, to secure win number two of the weekend.

It was finally both dry and bright for the final race, but Wood had a fight on his hands. For the first five laps he was fifth behind O’Regan, having started from sixth on the part reversed grid.

Having finally got by on lap six, Mark Willis was the next target, but it took another two laps to breach his defence. “I managed to get him at Brooklands Hairpin, but it was hard he can be very defensive, with all that experience,” said Wood.

With Michael Smith retiring on lap 10, fourth became third, but the gap to second place  Bourne was still three seconds at the flag, with winner Gent a further three clear.

Two wins on Welsh weekend aids Wood’s title push

With two wins and a strong third at Pembrey over the weekend, Lea Wood gave his push for the Pickup Truck Racing title a major boost.

Having set fourth and third best times in wet qualifying sessions, he started from fourth on the grid for the first of the weekend’s three races.

It was still wet as the grid assembled, but when the lights went out, he soon slotted into third behind David O’Regan and Mark Cooper.

Having ousted Cooper exiting Hatchets on lap three, he began to threaten O’Regan’s lead as they both eased themselves well clear of the rest of the field.

By the end of lap five the gap was only 0.323s, but patience paid off two laps later, not only snatching the lead on the inside of the new chicane, but quickly consolidating to secure the win, leaving O’Regan to duel with reigning Champion Scot Bourne. “I had the new tyres on and managed to get a break, but there was a river across the start and finish line and they had nearly cancelled he race,” he explained.

It was still damp for race two, but Wood and Bourne had both fought passed early leader Dale Gent by the end of lap two.

On this occasion Bourne couldn’t stick with Wood’s pace however and the lead quickly exceeded two seconds and continued to grow. “It was still wet enough for the wet tyres, but they started to off towards the end,” he said.

Having peeked at over three seconds, Wood backed off slightly in the closing laps, but Bourne still had pace and began to close the gap again, leaving Wood  to manage a still fairly comfortable lead over Bourne, to secure win number two of the weekend.

It was finally both dry and bright for the final race, but Wood had a fight on his hands. For the first five laps he was fifth behind O’Regan, having started from sixth on the part reversed grid.

Having finally got by on lap six, Mark Willis was the next target, but it took another two laps to breach his defence. “I managed to get him at Brooklands Hairpin, but it was hard he can be very defensive, with all that experience,” said Wood.

With Michael Smith retiring on lap 10, fourth became third, but the gap to second place  Bourne was still three seconds at the flag, with winner Gent a further three clear.