Caitlin May enjoys consistent weekend of improvement at Thruxton

Caitlin May had a strong weekend at Thruxton in the AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship, overcoming an issue in qualifying to finish twice inside the top five of the Am class, with an impressive charge from 17th on the grid to fourth in class in race one, securing vital points for her championship standing.

Photo credits: James Roberts

Continuing her season in the AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship, Caitlin May enjoyed a positive weekend at Thruxton. Finishing twice inside the top-5 of the Am class, May bounced back from a technical issue during qualifying to end the weekend with strong performances in changeable conditions. Her best race of the event came in a dry race one where she battled back from 17th on the grid to finish ninth overall, fourth in the Am class.

Arriving at Thruxton fourth in the AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship Am class standings, May was aiming to build upon a consistent season to date. A little over 50 points separated the top-5 in the championship prior to the event and therefore the races were set to prove pivotal in the race for the title.

Like many of her rivals, Caitlin had little experience at Thruxton with the high-speed track featuring on the calendar for the first time in recent years. Therefore, gaining familiarity with the circuit and honing in on a good setup would be crucial at the beginning of the weekend.

Qualifying was the first session of on-track action and took place on Saturday afternoon. Track conditions were good and the weather remained dry as the racers were given twenty-minutes to set a fast time. It was a challenging session for May who experienced a technical issue and was therefore not able to achieve her potential. Caitlin’s fastest time therefore placed her 17th overall, eighth in the Am class.

A great job from the team saw the car fixed for the opening race of the weekend which took place on Saturday afternoon. Lining up from the 16th after an issue for a driver ahead, May gained three positions on lap one to move into 13th position overall, sixth in the Am class.

Despite losing out to the recovering Pro class machines of Simon Horrobin and Isaac Hayden on lap two, May’s pace was strong despite her limited running in the morning’s qualifying session.

On lap four, Caitlin moved ahead of James Pope as the former Am class championship leader encountered trouble and this incident necessitated the red flag to be displayed. The race resumed for 13 minutes and May made another exceptional start, gaining four positions to move into ninth overall, third in the Am class. Now holding a provisional podium position, Caitlin’s progress was halted by a safety car period as the car of Dan Lewis required recovering.

As the race resumed, an issue for John Cooper elevated May into eighth place overall, nine positions higher than she started. She was then involved in a great battle with Charlie Ellis and the fellow Am class runner was able to move ahead on lap six. A consistent run of laps in the closing stages saw May take the checkered flag in ninth position overall, fourth in the Am class, to complete an excellent charge through the field.

Sunday brought a change of conditions at Thruxton with persistent heavy rain throughout the morning. As a result, the timetable was delayed with the second AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship race of the weekend taking place on Sunday afternoon.

All drivers fitted the wet weather tyres and faced a challenging start following a small issue with the starting lights. Caitlin made a measured start and fell to 16th overall, seventh in the Am class at the end of lap one after starting inside the overall top-10.

The race was brought under safety car conditions at the end of the first lap as Morgan Kidd impacted the barriers at the Club chicane. Due to the barrier repairs required, a number of laps were completed under a reduced speed before the race resumed on lap six.

May held her position on the restart while applying pressure to Pro class driver Luke Warr. A succession of personal best times saw Caitlin end race two on a positive note as she took the checkered flag in 16th position overall, seventh in the Am class.

Conditions remained challenging for the final race of the weekend on Sunday afternoon with the track still damp, although with less surface water than in race two. May lined up from 16th on the overall grid, seventh in the Am class and successfully negotiated a multi-car incident at the Campbell and Cobb complex. Caitlin was able to gain five positions to move into 11th overall, sixth in the Am class as the race was first brought under the safety car and subsequently red flagged.

When the race resumed, May was classified in 13th position overall, seventh in the Am class and was aiming to move forward once again. After losing out to a recovering Gary Miller on lap two, Caitlin was able to move ahead of Am class rival Harry Hayes and claim sixth position in class. A personal best lap followed with May now quicker than the next three drivers ahead.

As the second half of the race progressed, Caitlin’s speed was encouraging and she was displaying some of the best performance of the entire weekend. After an off-track moment for James Pope at Church corner on lap five, May was up to fifth in the Am class and her late-race speed saw her set a lap time faster than the six drivers in front. Just running out of time to make any final moves, Caitlin ended the weekend with a 12th place finish in class, fifth in the Am class.

May enjoyed a positive weekend at Thruxton and was able to bank a large haul of championship points to consolidate a top-5 position in the Am class standings. Her drive in race one was particularly impressive, while Caitlin’s race craft saw her maximise her performance over the course of the event.

She will now be looking to end the season on a high when the AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship drivers head to Silverstone for the season finale on the weekend of October 12th/13th.