It has been a hard fought season so far for Nick (Credo has sponsored Nick this season) competing in the Hyundai Coupe Cup series for 2019. Having achieved 3rd place finishes at Brands Hatch in race 2, Mallory Park in races 1 and 2 and Coventry Motofest in front of 140,000+ spectators the pressure was on to finally shake the curse of the bottom step of the podium.
Thruxton, like the previous rounds, was sure to provide close wheel to wheel action supporting the British Truck Racing Championship in front of a bumper crowd. With Thruxton being the fastest circuit in the UK, Nick performed well on a test day in mixed conditions to ensure the car was where they wanted it to be. Misty Racing, the team behind Nick’s success so far this season, messed around with the set up whilst Nick learned the track ahead of his first outing at this circuit.
Qualifying saw Nick put the number 22, Credo Asset Finance Coupe Cup car on pole, 0.245s ahead of P2 which was a great achievement for him and the team and testament to the hard work that has been put in. Race 1 saw Nick lead the pack for the majority of the lap before spinning at the final chicane as he desperately tried to hold onto the lead of the race. He managed to keep the car running saving as much time as possible however, he still slipped down to 7th place out of the 22 runners. The rest of the race was a fight back to the sharp end of the field. He made quick work of the cars directly ahead however once in 4th place, it was difficult to get passed. A few laps from the end of the race, Nick saw an opportunity which saw him jump from 4th to 2nd and whilst he closed the gap to P1, he ran out of time. A great comeback drive, but a case of what could have been!
Race 2 saw different fortunes. Nick learned from his previous mistake in the first race letting the leader go. He took his team and waited for the best opportunity to attack at the end of lap 2 overtaking the leader in the same place he spun the race before. From here, Nick managed the gap to the chasing pack to take his first outright win of the season!
Well done Nick on a terrific season so far..next stop, Snetterton for RD4 on the 17th August, we can’t wait to see what happens!