He may have been out of a racing car for 15 years, but Perry McCarthy quickly blew off the cobwebs at Lydden Hill.
The former-Formula 1 and sports car driver went into the weekend having never driven a rallycross car before, but was keen to learn and develop over the course of the weekend. The 58-year-old was rarely seen without a smile on his face when he was in the paddock, and on-track McCarthy got faster and faster each time out.
„I have absolutely loved my time coming back to motor racing, especially with TitansRX,“ an elated McCarthy said at the end of the weekend. „It’s a fantastic opportunity; the cars are all equal, there’s fabulous drivers, great people running it, great people involved in it; the drivers, the team, everybody is so friendly and it’s really good fun.“
„However, when you’re out there that goes out the window. It is no holds barred racing and there’s a lot of talent, a lot of determination, and it is thrilling stuff, certainly as a driver but for spectators as well.“
Perhaps surprisingly, McCarthy proved to be one of the best starters on the grid, twice leading heat races by some margin into the first corner.
„I guess but I’m pretty pumped up and it’s looks that even at 58 my reactions aren’t too bad,“ McCarthy joked. „It’s been a delight to do that – my first race start in TitansRX, in a rallycross car, then to lead Nelson Piquet and all the others just put a big smile on my face inside the car, then to do it again exactly the next race …“
„Maybe there’s a little bit of speed left in me and this is bringing it back out, because I tell you something, although I’ve been out for so long, the racing driver instinct is coming back fast, I mean really fast.“
In round four on Sunday McCarthy qualified for the semi-finals, and showed pace to make it to the final, only for a power-steering problem to bring a halt to any more progress. Despite having one hand on a final berth and then ultimately missing out, McCarthy remained positive about his weekend overall.
„I actually couldn’t be happier. I think that we may have stood a chance of making the final just now but my power steering went during the semi-final and it made it incredibly difficult to even steer the car so clearly of course I got a little bit slower,“ he said. „I’m delighted to have made the semi-finals in the first weekend; pacewise every single lap got faster and faster and faster so after 15 years outside a car or even on a track, it’s been a great return.“
„I owe so much of that to TitansRX because this is adorable and I am just such a lucky boy to be involved in this championship for the rest of the year. I hope word spreads about this series because this is worth coming to see. It’s absolute dynamite!“
