Wood hits top form in the British Pickup Racing Championship

Morris Lubricants Racing ambassador Lea Wood produced one of his best performances of the season to claim two, second places at Thruxton in the fourth round of the keenly contested British Pickup Racing Championship at the weekend.

Wood, 31, who made his name in the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship where he won the Jack Sears Trophy in 2013, has moved into a challenging position in his Ford Ranger as the championship returns to the ‘oval’ circuit at Rockingham Motor Speedway, the country’s fastest race circuit, on July 2 and 3.

Having already competed twice at Rockingham this season, he’s now fully prepared for a highly competitive weekend of racing when he hopes to further close the gap on the drivers above him.

There was just inches in it as Wood crossed the finishing line side by side with the winner in the first race at Thruxton and he took the decision not to risk his place by pushing too hard for victory in the second race, which was won by a driver not in contention at the top of the table.

“It was just the weekend we needed and I was very happy with two, second places, although I was fighting for first in both races,” said Wood. “The previous two meetings were at Rockingham, which was new to me, so I was glad to get back to Thruxton.

“I do think I have mastered 90 per cent of racing at Rockingham and am quite confident going there for the next round, as I had the fastest lap in race three in May. It’s all about being smooth on the circuit and being inch perfect on line.

“The ‘oval’ racing is different altogether to the other circuits because I team up with a spotter in the grandstand who talks to me throughout the race, telling me about the movements of the other drivers.

“We are travelling at such high speeds close together that we can’t take our eyes off the track. It’s a bit of lottery but it does make the championship more interesting.

“My main challenge is to be consistent at Rockingham and then to push on when we get back to the circuit rounds, where I’m much more at home. My consistency is paying dividends and I need to keep up the momentum going into the second part of the year because we want to win the championship.

Reflecting on the differences between touring car and pickups racing, he said it boiled down to driving style with the rear wheel drive pickup.

“One of the main differences is how you approach bends,” explained Wood. “You take bends differently in a rear wheel drive pickup, setting it up mid-bend to get maximum exit speed. A touring car would be faster but only by a few miles an hour and a pickup is a slower around a bend as they float a bit more.

“I starting racing in rear wheel drive cars, so I know what they feel like but it’s a matter of getting used to it again after front wheel drive.”

The Ford Ranger pickup is supplied and prepared by Dave Longhurst, Wood’s engineer from the touring car championship. The sponsors are Morris Lubricants, Central Roofing, S&P Crossways Garage, Wheelheaven and Houseman Dry Lining. Taylor & Bushnell Accident Repair Specialists, Wenlock Spring, PMC Technologies, Core Underfloor Heating, Nicky Grist Motorsport, P1 Racewear and John Wood Tyres.

Craig Bastable, marketing manager at Shrewsbury-based Morris Lubricants, said: “Lea’s class is starting to shine through and we are confident he will make a strong challenge in the second half of the season. He is an excellent ambassador for Morris Lubricants.”

The remaining rounds of the championship are at: Rockingham July 2-3, Donnington July 23-24, Silverstone August 13-14, Rockingham September 17-18, Pembrey October 15-16 and Brands Hatch November 5-6