After a troubled 2024, the outgoing 2023 Racing Hondas Champion Phil Wright says all he wants now is to have some fun in the season’s remaining three events.

In 10 races, Wright has scored points only twice – unthinkable entering the opening rounds at Anglesey back in April.

Third place in round one there was followed by a spectacularly engine blow-up which ruled him out of the weekend’s remaining three races.

At Cadwell Park, his Civic suffered suspension failures (a bottom arm each side) in both races which sent his car careering off the track – in the first instance at the high-speed, left-handed bend, Coppice.

In race 1 at Brands Hatch his fuel pump’s kill switch “popped out” causing his car to grind to a halt although he at least salvaged P4 in race 2.

At Oulton Park he never raced after “a suspension leg snapped clean off” in qualifying.

“The most terrifying was Cadwell going into Coppice,” recounts Wright.

“The suspension failing at 120mph as you turn-in there was pretty hairy. I’m lucky there’s a big grass run-off there. I ended up miles off the track when the car eventually stopped – it even snapped the alloy wheel in half and pushed the wing back through the door.”

Since Anglesey, Wright has run his spare, newer Civic with three-way adjustable suspension (bump, rebound and high or low compression).

“The old car was more Civic Cup spec – this is more like a mini touring car,” adds the 36-year-old builder from Kings Lynn.

“The breakages… If we’d been breaking things ourselves I could put my hand up to it, but there’s been no logical reason for it all.

“We can’t touch Dan (Brown) and Liam (Collins) – we’re in the race for P3 finishes and I know we’ve got good pace in the car when it’s all running right.

“Even at Anglesey in the old car where we were able to test I was able to take the fight to Dan and Liam a bit. At Oulton in the new one I felt a lap in the 1m32s bracket was possible compared to 1m35s with the old – it a massive jump in performance – and Brands where we got four sessions in at least is perhaps where we got the handling the best it’s been so far. We’re still learning with the three-way suspension.

“It’s Donington Park this weekend and I’m going there hoping we’ve got on top of things and we can have a decent run.

“I’d just like to finish a race! Both races in a day would be absolutely ideal.

“I just want to have some fun now for the rest of the season.”

BUY TICKETS to see Racing Hondas in action this Sunday 18 August at Donington Park. The event also includes the Tunerfest Midlands show as well as the latest rounds of Time Attack UK and the MSAUK Drift Pro Championship.