In very challenging conditions at Cadwell Park, Alisha Palmowski showed brilliant single lap pace to qualify second, before stepping onto the podium in race one of the Ginetta Junior Championship.
Alisha Palmowski has made a welcome return to the Ginetta Junior Championship podium with an excellent third place result at Cadwell Park. Dealing with both wet and dry conditions across the weekend, Palmowski showed brilliant single lap pace to qualify second, before stepping onto the podium in race one. Alisha can feel unfortunate not to collect better results in race two and three, however the weekend brought much-needed positives for the Elite Motorsport driver.
Ahead of the race weekend, Alisha was able to take advantage of a number of short test sessions held in dry conditions. Despite the twisty and technical challenge of Cadwell Park, Palmowski was within half a second of the fastest time of the day, ending Friday testing in eighth.
Saturday brought a change of weather with rain falling ahead of final warm-up prior to qualifying. This gave drivers a chance to acquaint themselves with conditions and search for the all-important wet lines, with Palmowski clocking the seventh fastest time. Qualifying was held in similarly wet conditions and Alisha took another step forward, setting a brilliant time to finish the session in second, with her second fastest lap placing her sixth.
Race one was also held in wet conditions with Alisha aiming for a podium position. The Elite Motorsport driver made a great start to hold the runner-up spot after the opening lap. She was immediately under pressure from Mikey Porter with the R Racing driver just two tenths of a second behind her following the third lap. Palmowski responded to this pressure by setting a personal best time on lap four, extending the gap to over half a second.
Alisha’s pace continued to be impressive as the race progressed, with Palmowski and Porter opening a significant gap over Preptech UK racer Henry Joslyn in fourth. As Porter continued to apply pressure for second, Alisha needed all of her defensive skills and was able to hold onto the position until lap eight when her rival found a way past. Nonetheless, Alisha maintained third position to the checkered flag to make a well-deserved return to the podium, while also displaying her skill in challenging conditions.
The second race of the weekend was held in dry conditions with Alisha lining up in sixth. A brilliant opening lap on the narrow confines of Cadwell Park saw the Elite Motorsport driver move into fourth, before moving into a provisional podium place by the end of lap three. Less than four tenths of a second separated Alisha from the runner-up position as she closed in on teammate Charlie Hart.
After a close three-way battle, Palmowski dropped to fourth position by the end of lap six as Finn Harrison made his way past, with Chase Fernandez moving ahead a lap later. In the final stages of the contest the leading drivers became separated with personal best laps being set by a number of drivers. On lap 11, teammate Huge Schwarze overtook Alisha for fifth position, with Palmowski holding sixth to the checkered flag while setting her quickest lap on the final tour.
Lining up sixth on a damp track for the final race of the weekend, Alisha aimed to take another step forward when contact from another driver relegated her to 13th position on lap one. Despite the initial setback, Palmowski was determined to show her speed and set the second fastest race lap at the conclusion of lap four. Moving into 11th by lap nine, Alisha set the fastest first sector of any driver on the following lap to underline her speed. Passing Edu Robinson in the closing stages, the Elite Motorsport driver completed her weekend with a tenth place result.
Although not achieving the finishes she deserved in the final two races, Alisha’s performance over a single lap were particularly impressive at a new circuit in tricky conditions. Qualifying second in the wet was a notable highlight, with Palmowski’s ability to deliver fast lap times under pressure underlining her development as a driver. These results mean she now sits seventh in the Ginetta Junior Championship standings with two rounds remaining as the drivers take a break before the penultimate round at Brands Hatch on the weekend of 9th/10th September.