HARRIS KEEPS UP MOMENTUM WITH SEMI WIN
BRISCA F1: Semi-final 1 Sheffield Raceway
Organiser: Startrax Where: Owlerton Stadium, Sheffield When: August 4 Starters: 39.
Tom Harris took a giant leap towards recapturing the World Championship title when he won the first semi-final at Sheffield on Sunday. Harris’s win guarantees him a front-row starting spot at King’s Lynn in September, a track where Harris won his only world crown in 2013.
At the drop of the green flag, Harris went wide from his outside pole starting spot, allowing fellow front-row starter Mat Newson to grab the lead on the next turn. Newson spun his machine which handed the lead to Lee Fairhurst, with Mark Gilbank in second. Harris recovered from his first lap woes to take up third while Newson managed to regroup but was way down the charts in 10th place.
Following a restart to remove some stricken cars from the racing line, Harris moved into second when Gilbank suffered a flat rear tyre. A few laps later, Harris nudged his way into the lead, which he held until the drop of the chequered flag. Fairhurst held on to second, while Newson fought his way back to third.
Harris said: “I had concerns about starting on the outside. I had some issues going into Turn 1 and Fairhurst and Gilbank got through, but I managed to get in behind them and getting to the inside of the track was the most important thing to me.
“I wasn’t fussed how far back I went as long as I had four wheels on it after the first turn. Fairhurst got stuck in some lapped traffic and I was able to get past him. I have never won a semi-final before, so I am pleased.”
Harris will board a plane later this week to compete in the prestigious Knoxville Nationals for sprint cars in
Iowa, USA, before flying back to race at Venray, Netherlands, the following weekend.
Runner-up Fairhurst said: “I always go out to win and that was the case today, but if there is ever a race where it is all right to finish second then this is it. The second row in the World Final is not bad.”
Results
1 Tom Harris; 2 Lee Fairhurst; 3 Mat Newson; 4 Dan Johnson; 5 Liam Gilbank; 6 Karl Roberts; 7 Neil Scothern; 8 Tristan Jackson; 9 Ashley England; 10 Phoebe Wainman.