Sport Unlucky to miss out in head to head
A wannabe racing driver from Barmby-on-the-Marsh has narrowly missed out on a place in the grand final of the prestigious Dunlop Race Academy after going head-to-head with six other drivers from the north of England.
Phil Davies (36) secured himself a place in the regional final of the competition, dubbed the 'X-Factor of motorsport', giving the IT project manager the chance to show off his skills at the Donington Park circuit.
Driving a race-prepared SEAT Leon FR and a Porsche 968, the contestants were put through a full day of intensive driver training.
The seven finalists were evaluated by the judging panel, which included top GT driver and former Le Mans 24-hour star Calum Lockie and former Race Academy winner Simon Shaw.
And, despite just missing the cut, Phil was delighted to have had the chance to take part.
He said: "It was a fantastic day and I'm grateful to Dunlop for giving me this opportunity. Iíve always been interested in motorsport, so getting the chance to learn from the professionals out on the track and put my skills to the test was a real thrill.
"I gave it my best shot and ultimately came up just short. Of course I'd like to have made it through to the next stage, but the standard of competition was really high and I was pleased with the way I handled the cars. I can't be too disappointed.
Dunlop's James Bailey said: "The standard this year has been incredible and all of our regional finalists can be proud of what they achieved on track.
"Philip impressed the judges with the way he responded to tuition and there's definitely foundations to build on if he would like to use this experience as a springboard to a career in motorsport."
Two drivers from the northern semi-final are now through to the grand final at Bedford Autodrome on August 22.
Mark Sheerin from Harrogate and Ryan Cafferty from Oldham will go head-to-head with two finalists from the southern semi-final.
The overall winner will then line up on the grid alongside the professionals at Rockingham in October, competing in the Dunlop Sport Maxx Cup, before jetting off to Monaco to experience the luxury life of a racing star.
Phil Davies just missed out on a place in the grand final of the Dunlop Race Academy.
(17-07-87 SU)
Published on 17th July 2008 in Sport.
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