Le Val des Terres record-holder and current national championship leader Martin Groves competes in Jersey today before arriving in Guernsey ahead of Saturday’s rounds. (Picture by Richard Wainwright, 0607563)
NICK SAUNDERS is out to cause a few upsets on Saturday.
The island’s quickest driver up Le Val des Terres will take on the best hill climbers in the UK at this weekend’s rounds 21 and 22 of the British Speed Hill Climbing Championship on the Guernsey track.
‘Hopefully [I will], but there’s some strong competition coming over,’ said Saunders.
‘We’ll just have to see how it goes.’
In his single seater EI Sturdza Reynic racing car, Saunders has been consistently posting fastest times of the day in recent meetings on the Terres.
Remarkably at last year’s national, the Sarnian qualified third fastest for the second top-12 run-off of the day, having set a class record 29.90 in his second timed run, before mechanical problems set in.
‘I had a good one last year, qualifying third in the second run off but unfortunately I broke my chain in the esses,’ he said.
‘Hopefully that problem is sorted this year.’
Last year’s meeting was dominated by Martin Groves. The Englishman, who has family ties with the island, chalked up his eighth national win on the Terres.
He also holds the hill record with a staggering time of 27.86sec.
Groves is currently leading this year’s National Championship with 151 points.
Scott Moran is biting at his heels with 147.
Saunders reckons the pair will be the two to beat on Saturday, when the action starts at 9.30am.
‘These two are fighting it out closely this year,’ said Saunders.
In his class, Saunders identified Eynon Price and Will Hall as his main threats.
‘They are breaking records in the UK,’ he said.
‘They are going to be hard to beat.’
But Saunders believes the tough competition coming over from the mainland helps his driving.
‘You get a bit more pressure,’ he said.
‘It raises everything. You really have to be on the ball.
‘Going to Jersey helps as well.’
Saunders is also competing alongside the British hill climbers in rounds 19 and 20 at Bouley Bay, Jersey, today.
He just missed out on qualifying by one place in both rounds there last season.
‘I like Jersey as it’s a different and challenging hill,’ he said.
‘It’s nice to drive there a couple of days before the main event.’
Article posted on 16th July, 2009 - 2.30pm
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