Donington despair as Cassey's an early casualty (From Cotswold Journal)

Donington despair as Cassey's an early casualty

6:17pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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TOCKWITH Motorsport's Cassey Watson made her Donington outing difficult last weekend when an uncharacteristic first lap trip into the gravel trap left her with a damaged front anti-roll bar on her Ginetta Junior making for extreme under steer for her qualifying attempts.

Despite setting competitive sector times during qualifying, the Vale racer was unable to string together a quick lap from the ill-handling car and had to settle for 13th on the grid.

"I have to apologise to the team for my mistake yesterday, they have worked so hard to get this car right after a difficult start to the season and now we definitely have the car to challenge.”

Cassey Watson

With the car repaired for Sunday's two races, Watson knew she had to get on with the job quickly with only nine laps of racing to be had in front of the live TV cameras.

By lap three, the teenager was sixth and just one lap later fourth in a side by side battle with championship leader Dino Zamparelli for a podium spot.

Unfortunately, while Zamparelli went on to catch and pass the leaders for victory, Watson was hit from behind entering McLeans and put into a spin dropping her back down to 14th.

However, she again set about a comeback, lapping quicker than everyone except the winner. She caught up and passed four cars and, by the end, had entered the battle for sixth but had to settle for tenth.

The second race took on a very similar feel but this time Watson was an astonishing fifth by the end of lap one and on the tail of a breakaway front pack.

However, a three-car shunt on the exit of Redgate saw Ashley Craig on his roof and the safety car deployed, bunching the field back up.

On the restart, the Evesham girl found herself in a tough four-car tussle for fifth finally ending the race a place lower down the pecking order..

"It seems daft to be disappointed at the end of such a promising day, but the results could have been so much better," Watson lamented.

"I am certain I could have had two podiums if things had fallen slightly differently. However, I have to apologise to the team for my mistake yesterday, they have worked so hard to get this car right after a difficult start to the season and now we definitely have the car to challenge."

The RDA student now moves on to Thruxton standing sixth in the championship.

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