Flashback to a pair of podiums for Perez

In round 18 qualifying Seb Priaulx and Kyle Hornby were penalised for exceeding track limits losing their best lap times.

The Dronfield-based team were debuting a new driver, 14 year-old, Jenson Dineen who unlike others had no race experience – neither driven in karts or any cars before – and was jumping straight into Ginetta Juniors. However, he had benefitted from multiple test sessions to give him vital track time.

From qualifying 5th in the race, in the closing stages, 14 year-old Priaulx was in a 4-car dice for the lead, but finished in 4th-place, with Chesterfielder 17 year-old Perez not far behind in 5th.

Kyle Hornby and ‘new boy’ Dineen both had strong opening laps, each picking up three positions on their first tour: Hornby continued his power drive to finish in an eventual 8th-place.

While Dineen came home last explaining, “Some of the more established racers do not like me to race with them, I was tapped and spun down the field to last and stayed there.”

Having struggled around in 13th-place Geri Nicosia’s engine was found to be down on power, but hopefully was rectified for the rest of the weekend.

Round 19 had Perez move from 5th to 3rd-place battling over 2nd-place before settling for the final podium place.

Priaulx did not have the best start from 5th, before spinning down to 16th-place at the flag.

Dineen enjoyed an amazing start, picking up seven positions off the line, but did not complete lap 2, while Nicosia had a better race with an 8th-place finish.

The partial reverse-grid round 20 saw Perez getting up to 2nd within a couple of laps but a race of intense dicing had dropped him down one place to take the chequered flag for his second 3rd-place of the weekend.

A grinning Perez reported, “I’m over the moon as I had a fantastic battle with the top-two cars – it is tricky to get positions and then hold on to it – so I’m really happy as the front of the championship is massively close– so I am really happy to get two 3rd-places!”

Priaulx made six places on the opening lap, then set fastest laps driving through the field to catch up with Nicosia, the pair battled on the last lap, but the more senior Nicosia held off the young challenger for a 6th-place finish, commenting, “The racing is challenging but good, being out of the top-10 yesterday, I am happy to do so much better today”.

Nicosia is 6th in the Championship and just 2 points off 5th in the table, a place ahead of Priaulx, while Perez is 9th in the table.