AUSTRALIAN RACER GODDARD WRAPS-UP MAIDEN F4 BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON EIGHTH IN STANDINGS FOR DOUBLE R
Two points results help Goddard conclude rookie UK season P8 Woking team ends F4 British Championship with tally of four wins
Zane Goddard concluded his first season of racing on UK soil eighth in the F4 British Championship driver standings at Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit on Sunday, 2nd October, after securing two more points results – with a best finish of sixth place – for the Double R Racing team.
The rapid teenager, from Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast of Australia, headed into the final event of the 2016 season at the Woking squad’s ‘home’ track in confident mood after a double victory at Silverstone a fortnight ago. While he did, unfortunately, miss out on adding another podium to his tally at Brands Hatch, Goddard concludes the year with four wins and four other rostrum finishes.
“It’s been a strong first year in the UK for Zane, he’s a very quick young driver with a lot of potential and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with him”, said Double R team principal Anthony ‘Boyo’ Hieatt, “If qualifying had gone our way then I’m sure Zane would have been capable of challenging for the podium again this weekend as his race pace was right up there and a match for anyone.”
The final qualifying session of the season on Saturday, 1st October, took place in wet conditions and Goddard ended the run with the 11th fastest time. He was, though, elevated onto the fifth row of the grid for race one when Jamie Caroline had all of his times deleted.
With rain showers coming and going throughout Saturday, the first F4 race of the weekend was also affected by the weather but Goddard put together an impressive first lap on the tricky damp circuit to slice his way through into seventh position before the Safety Car was called into action.
Racing resumed on lap five with the Double R driver holding an improved sixth place, as a result of compatriot Luis Leeds dropping down the order, but Goddard’s hopes of challenging for even more went awry after an excursion in the final sector of the lap.
Rejoining the track in 15th position, having lost 10 seconds in the process, the multiple category race winner managed to battle his way back through into 13th place when the chequered flag fell at the end of lap 11.
From the seventh row in round 29 on Sunday morning, Goddard made a very good start and again put together a terrific opening lap to slice his way into the top 10. Pressuring Nicolai Kjaergaard, the Double R racer tried everything to find a way past but he spent the rest of the 14 lap contest sandwiched between the Danish driver and Luis Leeds – just a few tenths of a second splitting them.
For the last race of the season, Goddard lined-up eighth on the grid and made swift progress into the top six before then becoming stuck behind Leeds. Circulating nose-to-tail throughout the 14 lapper, a mere 0.4 seconds separated the compatriots at the chequered flag as they pulled well clear of the pack behind.
Proving what might have been possible from a higher starting slot, Goddard’s fastest lap at the wheel of his No.93 Ford-powered Mygale was quicker than that managed by race winner, and eventual champion, Max Fewtrell and less than three hundredths of a second shy of the best of all.
Carrie Schreiner, who wasn’t in action this weekend but did contest four events with Double R Racing in the F4 British Championship this year, ended the campaign 17th in the driver standings with a best result of fourth position from the Thruxton race meeting in May.
Final 2016 F4 British Championship Driver Standings:8th Zane Goddard, 239pts; 17th Carrie Schreiner, 14pts
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