REPORTS 2008.

4th May GYG

Firstly we must say a big thanks to Ron Shone at Tabor karting for the super quick turn round on our engine that failed last week at Wigan, the engine was collected on Tuesday, was with Ron on the Wednesday and was back on the kart and running on Thursday evening. We also now have our second engine with a full package of spare electrics so the events we suffered at Wigan should never be repeated. Our poor run of luck seemed to be continuing when we seized another engine on the Saturday practice however having the second engine proved to be the right thing so we still had an engine for Sunday. In general we were happy with testing and were quite confident going into Sunday. Sunday was timed qualifying and we managed to put the kart on pole for the first race. After finishing the two qualifiers in 2nd place we were starting second for the final. We did not get the best of starts in the final and after lap 3 we were in 4th however we managed to work our way back to finish in 2nd place.

27th April Wigan

This weekend at Wigan proved to be a follow-on from Wombwell. Saturday testing was going to plan until mid afternoon we had what seemed to be a carb problem followed be an engine seizure. On the Sunday race day we were pleased to see wet conditions given we were running our blue engine with less power. we completed the three lap practice however that was the last time the kart was on the track. Prior to going to the grid for the first heat we decided to start the engine however it failed to start and despite much effort we concluded it was an electrical fault with the ignition and we had no spare at the track. After missing the second heat we decided to call it a day and use this as a dropped round. With GYG next weekend we will have a busy week of preparation and hope all goes well.

13th April Wombwell

Well it was unlucky 13th of April for us this weekend as we made the wrong tyre choice in 2 of the 3 heats and then in the final finishing in 6th place after going through a tyre wall whist challenging for the lead. In the first heat I was favouring slick tyres as the choice however the mechanics pushed for wets which we went with only to go backwards through the race. I managed a win in the second heat on slicks and then for the third heat I went with wets which again was the wrong choice and we went backwards. I was sitting in third place during the final with the two karts in front changing places on each lap. On about lap 8 I made a move for the lead but was on the outside of the track and unfortunately did not get the room on a right-hander and finished up skidding across the grass and into a tyre wall and out the other side. I managed to rejoin and finish in 4th place but was penalised for cutting out part of the circuit resulting in a 6th place finish. Hopefully this will be my dropped round and things will get back on track at Wigan in a couple of weeks.

16th March Wigan

Back to Wigan for the final round of the Winter series, the first round of the NKRA and the third round of the Northern series. It proved to be a good weekend which saw me finish 2nd however that was enough to give me the Winter series and extend my lead in the Northern series and claim top spot in the NKRA.

9th March Hooton

Round two of the Northern series and our first visit to Hooton in 2008. The racing in the heats was very close and I was one of three drivers who qualified on the same points however due to results in the first heat this put me on grid three for the final. On the first corner of the race the front two karts came together which allowed me to pull a good lead which I held for the fifteen laps giving me my first win of the season and a small lead in the Northern series.

24th February Wigan

This was the Formula Blue 'O' plate as well as a club round, the first round of the Northern series and also the final round of the blue star challenge. I was testing the new maxi engine on the Saturday so I also tested on the Friday to get a set-up for the Sunday. Testing went well on both days so by Sunday morning we were all set to go. With a Grid of 40+ drivers the qualifying was over 4 heats which all went well placing me 4th on the grid for the final. The final was ok however with a lack of power from the engine I got picked of lap by lap and crossed the line in 10th place although I was first in the 'top weight' class for the second year in succession.

27th January Wigan

Not the best of weekends as we found it difficult on the Saturday to get a good set-up and the on Sunday we had problems in both heats and the final. we qualified 6th on the grid and finished in 6th place following an incident on the first lap which left us well to the rear of the pack.

6th January Wigan

First race of 2008 and it was to count to three separate events, the Blue star challenge, the Manchester & Buxton club Winter series and the first round of the club championship. It turned out to be an ok start to the year. Only finishing 4th in the race was a little disappointing however qualifying 2nd on the grid for the start of the race gave me some good points.

REPORTS 2007

November 24th Wigan

This was our last race of the year and was also the final round of the 2007 club championship. I was starting the weekend in 2nd place with just a 3 point lead over Ian Walmsley in 3rd place. Paul Phelan in 1st place had a comfortable lead and was virtually guaranteed the championship. On the Saturday testing we went out for the first session and the kart handled extremely well in the wet conditions so we decided that unless the weather changed we would not carry out any more testing. The day stayed wet and the kart remained in the workshop for the day. The qualifying heats on Sunday went quite well and put me 3rd on the grid for the main race and with Ian starting from grid 9 gave me a nice points gap in the championship. A comfortable 2nd place finish was enough to secure 2nd place in the championship and round off what has been a good year for us in racing.

October 28th Wigan

A mixed weekend in terms of both the weather and the results, the weather started wet for the first heat and then the sun came out and at times it was quite warm resulting in both the second heat and the final were raced on dry tyres. I did not really find the pace all weekend and only managed to qualify 5th on the grid and finishing 4th, although the result did move me into 2nd place in the club championship with just the November round left to race.

September 22nd/23rd Larkhall - NKRA Grande Finals

It hardly seems a year ago when we were off to North Wales competing as a junior in last years NKRA Grande finals. This year as a senior I start the weekend ranked No 2 following the regional rounds and hope like every other driver to have a good final and finish with a low number. Problems with the braking system delayed our Friday practice by three hours however we still managed plenty of track time and were happy by the close of play. We had decided to run just a couple of test sessions on the Saturday morning before deciding on which engine to race with however on the second session the sprocket sheared off the carrier so following repair we completed another session before signing on to race. There were six heats of which each driver competed in four of them to decide grid positions for the final. We completed two heats on the Saturday starting from 18th and 12th positions and finishing in 8th in both. On the Sunday morning we started with a wet track so for our 3 lap practice session we went out with wet tyres and settings. A rain shower then looked as it had decided that we would be out on wets for our third heat however the track was drying fast so we made a late decision to change to dry tyres although the rest of the grid stayed with wets. It was probably one race too soon and with the help of some contact we moved back from 10th place to 21st however each lap the tyres were getting better and we were getting faster and managed to work our way through the pack to finish in 13th place. In our final heat we started 7th and finished 6th giving us a starting position for the final of 12th. On the first lap of the final we had major contact resulting in a spin off, a bent rear axle and last place however with 21 laps to go we kept going and managed to finish in 13th place which gave me overall 9th for the Grande Final and 1st place top weight. We had a great weekend and after Ron Shone had worked out all the results we were ranked 4th in the National series. Our thanks must go to Century Motorsport for their support and to Craig Underhill who travelled a 800 mile round trip to mechanic for us this weekend. Congratulations to Richard Wilson who was ranked 8th despite having to work his throttle by hand for the whole of the final.

September 9th Hooton Park

This is the 12th and final round of the Formula Blue Northern series. We decided not to take advantage of Saturday testing but just to turn up on the Sunday for the race.  Starting from second on the grid for the first heat I sat in behind leader Richard Wilson for the entire 12 laps to take second place and the Formula Blue Northern series. At the stage we could have sat the rest of the day out however as a driver I decided to continue to race but not to do anything silly. For the final I was second on the grid and kept the place with a degree of comfort to finish in 2nd and score 4 points in the Northern series. Following the days racing I should move to 4th place in the club championship with a very good chance of taking third place if I decide to compete in the 3 remaining rounds.

September 2nd Larkhall

Our first visit to Larkhall in Formula Blue and our first visit in over 2 years. As we are racing here at the NKRA grand finals in 3 weeks we thought we would take advantage of using this club round to obtain some set-ups for the kart and re-familiarise with the track. We had a great weekend and were made extremely welcome as always by the local drivers. We started the final in 5th place and although for the first 5 laps managed to get into 3rd place, a little carb trouble saw us drop off and finish in 6th place. We are looking forward to returning in 3 weeks time.

August 26th Wigan

The race for the championship at Manchester & Buxton is hotting up, with Paul Phelan six points clear of Ian Walmsley and me. I will miss the September race meeting due to competing in the National finals at Larkhall, so it was important to try and not loose any ground as both Paul and Ian had decided to concentrate on the Manchester & Buxton championship and not compete at Larkhall. Unfortunately for Ian he was involved in an incident during the second heat which resulted in him not finishing the heat and having to retire from the days racing as he could not obtain the spares to repair his kart. Paul came out best taking pole position for the final and finishing in third place. I started from fourth following an incident in heat three and finished the race in fifth place.

July 22nd Wigan

This weekend saw me take 2nd place which was enough to ensure the Northern Formula Blue championship with two rounds still to go. All I need to do is to  take part in the final round at Hooton Park in September which is a none drop round to ensure victory. This weekend also saw the Wigan Championship become closer between the top 3 drivers with just 6 points separating them. Paul Phelan remains in the lead however the gap has been reduced with both Ian Walmsley and myself equal, just 6 points adrift with 4 rounds still to go.

July 8th Hooton Park

Hooton Park for the final round of the NKRA North and round 9 of the NKRA Northern series. It was good to see so many novices out this weekend, spread around all of the classes with formula Blue having 6 novices out of a grid of 22 karts. The weekend was very enjoyable however not very good in terms of results. Mechanical failure in heat 2 left us 6th on the grid for the final and after being 'T' boned on lap 4 and then having a kart take a ride on the back of my kart on lap 7 I new it was not going to be our final and eventually crossed the line in 11th place.

June 23rd/24th M/C & Buxton

What a weekend, my 16th Birthday on the 24th, the 'Gold Cup' , round 7 of the club championship and round 8 of the Formula Blue Northern series. The weekend did not get of to the best of starts especially as we tested on the Friday as well as Saturday. We were off the pace by just over a second a lap and despite all we tried we still had found nothing by Saturday evening however we decided to fit a new exhaust for the three lap warm-up on Sunday and that proved to be the problem. Just before qualifying it started to rain quite hard and I managed to put in the 4th fastest lap time which the team were pleased with. The rain continued to fall and as a result the racing was put on hold due to the track having large amounts of standing water in several parts. When the racing started again the format had been changed and we were to have a pre-final and a final due to the lost time. For the pre-final it was a close choice between wet or dry tyres however given recent events both at Rowrah and 3 sisters I decided to go with dry tyres even though the mechanics choice would have been wets. With half the grid on dry's and half on wets it was going to be interesting to say the least however it soon became apparent that the dry tyres was the correct choice as the drivers on the wets began to loose ground. I had made a good start and managed to move into 3rd place on the first lap and then soon into 2nd place were I finished the race. The final was also on dry tyres and starting from 2nd place I thought I was in with a good chance however Ian Walmsley took and early lead which he was not going to give up without a fight. Nicky Taylor got into second place and that is how it stayed until the closing couple of laps when I dropped off slightly which allowed Cameron Craig make his move into 3rd leaving me with 4th spot. The Championship leader did not have his best day which saw me close the gap to just 10 points and in the Northern series I extended my lead at the top, so although disappointing it was not a bad days work. Congratulations to Ian Walmsley who won his first major trophy.

June 9th/10th Wombwell 

Mixed weekend which saw us struggle to find the pace and also saw us have unfortunate contact with Noel Devery on the last corner of heat one which left me crossing the line on top of Noel's front bumper but more serious left Noel needing treatment from the paramedics and damage to the steering on his kart. I thought the move was on however had I have foreseen the outcome I would not have gone for it. Heat two saw me  loose places due to a flat tyre however it all came together for the final. Starting from third on the grid I managed to move into second place on lap one of the fifteen lap final. On lap 6 I made a move which gave me the lead which I held for the rest of the race to take 1st place and the NKRA North championship with one round to spare. The final round at Hooton next month should be exiting with several drivers hoping to take the second spot.

May 26th & 27th M/C & Buxton

Round 6 of the club championship and round 6 of the Formula Blue Northern series. With the weather forecast wet for Sunday the Saturday testing was a mere formality and a chance to check the engines were running well. Sunday proved very much a day of two halves with the second halve going wrong ending in a poor day at the office. I took wins in both of the first two heats and securing pole for the final seemed in the bag however the kart failed to start for heat three due to a broken earth wire resulting in a 5th spot on the grid for the final. The rain had stopped and the track was showing signs of drying but still looked as though wet tyres was the choice. I had a good start and managed to take the lead on lap two only to loose it by lap three. The tyres started to go off and I gradually lost places and moved down the order back into 8th place. I did manage to make a couple of places back towards the end of the race but crossed the finish line in 6th place. The only driver to chance dry tyres was Justin Cox and he got his reward by taking victory, his first at Wigan I think - Well done Justin.

May 13th Rowrah

^{The weekend got off to a poor start when the van broke down on the Thursday evening with major engine problems which meant we had to borrow transport and book a hotel for the weekend. On arriving at the track on Saturday I realised that I had forgotten my licence and had to pay a £45 fine for failing to produce. Saturday testing was good although we did have some minor carb problems. Sunday started with wet weather for the first heat which I won from pole however with a dry track and on slick tyres I finished second in heat two after taking too much time working through traffic on the opening couple of laps. Still on slicks I took the win in heat three which placed me in pole position for the final. With the final approaching the weather looked like rain was only a matter of time and about 30 minutes before the start the heavens opened and it lashed it down. One of the great things about the Octane kart is how quickly with very few changes you can move from dry to wet setting. During the final the kart handled like a dream and from a very early lead I just kept on extending the gap which on taking the flag after 12 laps had increased to just over 24 seconds.}

April 22nd Manchester & Buxton

This was an important race weekend with the results counting to three separate championships, Manchester & Buxton club championship round 5, NKRA North round 2 and Formula Blue Northern series round 4. We decided on Saturday morning to employ race technician Dave Smith for the weekend and with his help we had a very good Saturday in the sunshine and by mid afternoon were happy with the kart and settings. Sunday brought a change in the weather starting off with steady rain which stayed around for our first two heats in which we took a 3rd and 2nd place. For our third heat the rain had stopped and we went out on dry tyres and took 1st place and secured pole position for the final. The weather remained very over cast with constant threats of rain which made the kart set-up for the final very difficult. On the grid waiting to start with slick tyres fitted the rain began to fall however some good fortune when the clerk of the course announced that on the ground of safety we could change the tyres to wets. From pole I got away into second however on the first corner I out braked Ian Walmsley to retake the lead. Within a couple of laps I was quite surprised with the lead I had established and by the chequered flag I had a 16 second lead. This was my first win at Wigan this year and kept me in the lead in the NKRA and Northern series.

April 8th Hooten Park Northern Series Round 3

This was the first visit of the NKRA to the all new Hooten Park for the 3rd round of the Formula Blue Northern Series. In total 17 Blues took to the grid for a great weekend of racing. We tested on Friday and Saturday and were very pleased with the set-up of the kart and our lap times which were consistent. On race day we had grid positions of 3rd, 10th and 10th from which we managed to win the first heat followed with a 3rd and a 2nd to put us 2nd on the grid. Andy Critchlow took pole with two heat wins and a second. The final which was run over 20 laps was a good clean race with Critchlow taking the early lead with me in second place however I managed to take the lead on the first lap and hold it until lap 6 when a move by Justin Cox saw him take the lead away. On lap 10 Critchlow again took lead with me holding on to 2nd from Cox and Johnnie Buchanan in 4th. That's how it stayed until lap16 when Buchanan made a move up to 2nd  behind Critchlow with me 3rd and Cox 4th. That is how the race finished moving Critchlow into 2nd place in the Championship with me still holding 1st place.

March 25th Manchester & Buxton Round 4

This was the final round of the 2007 Winter series and also the 4th round of the club championship. I was starting the day in third place just 3 points behind Ian Walmsley with Paul Phelan well out in front. From a grid of 16 drivers I finished the qualifying heats in 5th, 3rd and 2nd place to put me in third on the grid for the final which was one place behind Phelan and one place ahead of Walmsley. I made a good start and held third place with Walmsley close behind holding on to fourth place. Phil Smith starting on pole, pulled a good lead as three of us battled for second spot which then allowed fifth place man Buchanan to catch the pack. Places changed several times on each lap before I managed to pull a small gap on the three karts just behind. On the final lap contact was made between Buchanan and Walmsley which handed third place to Phelan with me in second and Smith taking the win. This result left Phelan leading the championship and taking 1st in the Winter series with me second and Walmsley taking third spot.

March 11th Glan-Y-Gor NKRA Round 1 & Northern Round 1

The first round of this years NKRA and my first visit back to GYG since winning the Junior Formula Blue National Championship last October. Saturday testing was very good, we made some minor changes for each session and by mid afternoon with the kart performing well we decided to sit out the final 2 sessions. Race day was three qualifying heats to decide the grid positions for the final and after taking two wins and a fifth place I was on pole. In the final I did not get the best of starts and dropped back into second place behind Oliver Clayton were I remained for the first ten laps of the race. On lap ten I made a move and took the lead however after only a couple of corners Oli came past and I was back to second. On lap eleven I managed to pass Oli again and this time managed to pull a couple of kart lengths away Despite pressure from Oli I managed to keep the lead and take my first win of the season .

February 25th Dunkeswell - NKRA 'O' Plate

Our first trip to Mansell Raceway in Dunkeswell, Devon and it was for the NKRA 'O' plate meeting. With no testing until Saturday it gave us little time to find the correct gearing and kart set-up for Sundays race. Testing on the Saturday went very well and after trying a number of adjustments we went back to a similar set-up as we started with at the beginning of the day. The majority of the testing on Saturday was in the wet however the weather on Sunday started dry. Due to the large entry we had to compete in three out of four qualifying heats to determine grid positions and indeed which drivers made it to the 'A' final. I managed to keep out of trouble and finished 2nd, 5th and 6th in the heats which placed me 3rd for the main final. On the first corner in the final I got hit from behind and had a kart come over my feet which dropped me back several places. I managed to get back into 8th place but was never going to catch the leaders. I finished the race in 8th place however a little consolation was that I was the highest placed driver in the 'Top Weight' category and won the 'O' plate and 1st place trophy for that.

February 18th Manchester & Buxton

Another weekend with mechanical problems leading to a DNF in the final. In the first heat the ignition wire at the coil broke leaving me sitting at the side of the track unable to do anything but watch. In the second heat I finished in 2nd place and things looked better. In the final I was starting well down the grid due to problems in heat 1 however by lap 3 I had worked my way into third place only to have the kart come to a grinding halt as the clutch drum retaining nut come adrift and took the chain off. Not a very good start to my championship challenge as the result left me slipping into third place.

February 11th Rowrah

This weekend was mainly a run out for the NKRA round in May. Unfortunately only 3 Formula Blue drivers turned out which was disappointing as at least 8 said they were happy to make the trip. The weekend went very well until the final when we gat the kart set-up wrong and destroyed the tyres in the first 5 laps at which point I decided to pull into the pits and call it a day.

January 27th/28th Manchester & Buxton (Round 2)

Starting form 2nd on the grid and finishing 2nd past the flag was quite a satisfactory result given how the weekend in general had gone for us. With most of Saturdays testing taken up by running-in an engine following a rebuild only to have it seize in the final session of the day left us with only 1 engine for Sunday and feeling rather vulnerable. Sunday brought a mix of weather as well as plenty of cold. I never really had the kart performing at its best and in the first heat, starting from pole I only just managed to hold on to a win. In the second heat I started from the back and although I worked through into second for a while I could not hold on and eventually finished in 4th. Next weekend we are off to try the new Hooton Park track and run-in a couple of engines.

January 6th/7th Manchester & Buxton (Round 1)

This weekend was a first for a number of reasons, first race of 2007, first race in seniors and the first race in my new Octane kart. I had a new engine that required running-in which would take up most of the practice sessions of the day and a problem in the second session when the kart failed to start did not help however by the end of Saturday practice I was pleased with the set-up and the engine seemed to be fine. On the Sunday morning we had some problems with the carb dumping so we replaced it before the 3 laps practice. In the first heat I started from pole position and managed to win the heat with a comfortable margin. In heat two I started from the back and was held up for the first 3 laps before making progress and finishing 3rd which put me in 2nd place on the grid for the final. In the final I got off to a reasonable start and by lap two I had taken the lead and managed to put a gap to 2nd place however on lap 6 I encountered problems with the throttle and had to complete the race with one hand permanently on the engine which allowed the 2nd place driver to pass me and take the win however I did manage to hold 2nd place which given the circumstances was a pleasing result. Thanks to the support from Century Motorsport during the weekend.

Race Summary 2006

With a weight disadvantage of some 20kg and not many other options as a junior we considered that 2006 would be a year of just taking part whilst waiting for our move into seniors in 2007. The season however proved very different and started well seeing me take 2nd place in the Winter series even though my best result in the 4 rounds had been a 3rd place finish. As we were considering Formula Blue for 2007 and as the 'O' plate was taking place at Manchester & Buxton we decided at the last minute to purchase a second hand kart and engine and compete in the junior class. After taking heat wins in all 3 heats and leading the final with 3 laps to go the axle moved taking the chain off resulting in a none finish. Following the result in the Junior Blue 'O' plate we did however decide to compete in the NKRA Junior Blue and went on to win the Northern Championship taking wins in 4 of the 5 rounds. In June we competed in the Gold Cup at Manchester and Buxton and although we started 10th on the grid a change in the weather and a good choice of kart set-up for the wet saw me finish in 2nd place. The Grande finals for the NKRA were in October at Glan-Y-Gor were I put the kart on pole and went on to take first place and the National Championship. In the club championship I finished 4th which was a pleasing result taking all things into consideration. A big thanks to Clive and Nathan at Century Motorsport who have provided support throughout the season.

November 23rd/24th Manchester and Buxton

With an outside chance of taking 3rd place in the championship and the support offered by Century Motorsport we decided to compete in the last round of the championship. Century very kindly are loaning us a Project one kart as we sold our kart after the last race in October. The project one was the first kart we used in TKM racing and have always stated it was a very reliable and good kart to drive so I was looking forward to driving it again. This will now be our last race in TKM as we will be racing formula Blue next year. Although it was a good day starting the final on the front row and finishing 5th we still finished 4th in the championship. We are now looking forward to next year in Formula Blue.

October 28th/29th Manchester & Buxton

It would appear that this was to be our last race in Junior TKM as after the final when it seems almost certain that 4th place in the championship will be our best possible finishing position we agreed to sell the kart and accepted an offer. Although Century Motorsport immediately stepped in and offered us the use of their TKM demonstrator to compete in the final round we are unlikely to take up their kind offer. It was quite a good weekend to finish on, we were 6th place on the grid and crossed the line in 6th place after a 3 kart battle for most of the race. We will probably concentrate on preparation for next season and our move to seniors in Formula Blue.

October 20th/21st/22nd NKRA Grand Finals - Glan-y-Gor   

This was the weekend were drivers from the North, the South and Scotland would compete in the NKRA Grand Finals to see who would become the National Champion. We were very grateful to Century Motor sport who had supported us with the loan of an Octane kart for both the weekend and for testing last month. After winning the Northern stage of the NKRA we were confident that we could compete and stood a good chance of finishing on the podium. We spent Friday testing on dry tyres although at times the track was damp and lap times suffered. We were pleased with the results and seemed to be one of the quicker drivers during testing however you can never be sure of what the other drivers and teams might be holding in reserve. The weather on Saturday took a turn for the worse and the wet tyres had to be used, this gave us an opportunity to 'bed in'  a new set of wet tyres. The racing began on Saturday afternoon and for the 1st heat I was starting 11th on the grid. Just as we took to the track the rain began to bounce down and visibility was almost zero. I managed a good start and over the nine laps managed to work my way through the field to finish in 2nd place. Heat 2 was our final race of the day and I was starting 6th on the grid. Although not as wet as the first heat it was still very wet. The kart was handling well and again I managed to gain places moving up to second for a short spell before dropping back to third were I finished the heat. With racing over for the day we were very pleased and our calculations put us just in the lead for the fight for pole however with 2 more heats remaining anything could happen. Sunday and the weather forecast was not good although the sky seemed quite split with patches of blue and some dark rain looking cloud. For our 3rd heat we spent quite some time considering which tyres and set up to go for. In the end we decided to go for wet tyres which although proved to be the correct choice they were completely destroyed during the race. We started the heat in 7th place on the grid and again managed to make places during the nine laps taking second spot. We now needed a top 5 finish to have pole for the final. We were due to be starting on 10th place on the grid however when one driver turned up late he was relegated to the rear of the grid and we moved onto 9th spot and an inside line for the 1st corner. We again managed a good start and moved quickly through the field to finish once again in 2nd place and with only 9 points picked up in the 4 heats were on pole for the final. The rain was falling for the final but just enough to keep the track nice and wet. I managed a good start and by the end of the first lap had opened up a gap of several kart lengths. The kart was handling like it was on rails and the lead just got bigger and bigger and I knew I just had to keep my concentration and I could take the win. Towards the end of the race as I was lapping some back markers one of them Ross McEwen decided to ignore at least 8 blue flags and block my progress so I decided to sit behind him for the last 2 laps before taking the win by just over 8 seconds. The win gave me the 1st place trophy for the race but more important the National Champion trophy for Junior Blue. Thanks must go to our mechanic for the weekend Craig and Century not just for their support this weekend but over the whole season. And well done to Octane for making such a super kart.

September 23rd/24th 3 Sisters

Back on the TKM chassis for the 9th round of the Championship and after this weekend only two more outings in the TKM class before we move to Formula Blue at the start of 2007. Saturday was dry all day and we spent most of the time trying to obtain the best combination of gearing, carburettor and exhaust flex length. Although we missed one of our sessions due to the practice order being changed we were quite happy with the end result. Sunday started off very wet and all the work of Saturday went out of the window however starting heat 1 from pole was an advantage and we managed to hold onto second place until the next to last lap when a mistake dropped us back into 3rd place. We were placed 5th for the final and although places changed several time we managed to finish the race in 5th place. Following the days events we dropped 1 place in the Championship to 4th with just 2 rounds remaining.

September 16th/17th Glan-y-Gor   

The main purpose of this weekend was to test on the Octane chassis (which is on loan from Century Motorsport) which I will be using in October for the NKRA finals. Saturday was very good and we managed to find extra speed each time we went out to test, the kart was a dream to drive and by late afternoon we had a good set-up for the dry. On Sunday the weather was not as good however it remained dry all day. We made very few adjustments on Sunday and managed to take comfortable wins in the three heats and the final beating the lap record by 0.5 0f a second which we set in June this year. A big thanks to Century for the loan and the preparation of the Kart.

August 26th/27th Manchester & Buxton Round 9

I decided to try a couple of carbs that we had not used since super one and was very pleased with the performance they showed and after the mornings testing decided to call it a day. I relaxed and watched the motors TV round before signing on and scruitinering. On Sunday the racing seemed to be constantly interrupted through red flags and incidents, in my opinion caused by poor driving standards in the rotax class. Our heats and final went quite smooth although I was a little disappointed with my 5th and 6th place finishes in the heats and 5th place in the final. I said our final went quite smooth however following the race I was bemused by the decisions made by some of the officials. One driver was pulled for entering the wrong engine number on his entry card, but the officials decided to take no action and another driver was excluded and his time for appeal had passed only to be then extended and later allowed to appeal and be reinstated. Although technically I believe the action of the officials to be incorrect to reinstate I think it was the right outcome as the original decision seemed flawed and it would have been an injustice to the driver if he had been excluded. The friendliness of the drivers in the junior TKM class this year has been has been great and if I had been excluded in the same circumstances I would have felt cheated. With just 3 rounds remaining the fight for 3rd place in the Championship is between any of 3 drivers.

July 22nd/23rd Manchester & Buxton Round 8

We were running ourselves this weekend as Century Motor sport were committed to support racing at 2 other venues. Saturday was fine however we did not appreciate the marshals ending one of our 4 sessions after just 3 laps due to lack of incident marshals on certain parts of the track. The sun was shining for both days which just adds to the enjoyment of the weekend. We qualified on grid 6 which we felt was about right for the day and as we also finished the final in 6th place after having a battle with Richard Wilson for about 8 laps we went away quite happy although this should turn out to be a dropped round at the end of the championship. We started the day in third place in the championship and finished in the same position although the gap has closed to just a few points. With four rounds to go it should prove to be an exciting finish for 3rd place. The grids for this seasons championship could be larger in numbers however the vast majority of the drivers competing should be congratulated for their sportsmanship and respect they show to each other. 

July 14th/15th Warden Law NKRA round 5

Finishing in 2nd place is not what we planned however we had a great weekend and well done to Curtis who took all the heats and the final to record his first victory in Junior Blue. We were happy with the Saturday, but on race day we were off the pace and found ourselves chasing all day looking for that half second. We have now won the Northern section of the NKRA Junior blue and are very pleased however it would have been much more enjoyable if there were more drivers on the grid.

June24th/25th Manchester and Buxton Gold Cup    

Gold cup weekend and also my 15th birthday on the Saturday. As usual it was a very busy weekend with some 250 entries, so the decision to arrive on the Thursday evening proved to be a good one, as when we arrived on the Saturday morning to test teams were using the car park as overspill from the main paddock. I had been unwell all week with a heavy cough and cold so on the Saturday we decided to finish testing after just three sessions however we were quite happy with the way things had gone. Saturday was a sunny day however Sunday morning was quite overcast with what looked like a promise of some rain. The qualifying heats did not go as planned and I found myself starting the final in 10th place and off the pace. By the time of the final we had seen some rain but the track was drying fast and the better results seemed to be going to the drivers on slick tyres. We decided our strategy was to set the kart on a full wet setting including the gearing and hope the rain would come after the race had started. As we made our way to the grid with our kart on wet tyres on a number of drivers who had just finished their race informed us that the choice was definitely slick tyres and the track had a full dry race line. When we arrived on the grid only 1 other driver had selected wet tyres however just before the race got under way the rain looked more likely and a number of drivers elected to make a last minute change of tyres. Although some drivers switched tyres our full wet set-up started to work as the rain started to fall as the karts left the grid. On the first lap we came from 10th position into 2nd and held that position with quite some margin until the chequered flag after 10 laps. What a birthday present.

June 10th/11th Glan-y-Gor - North Wales   

Off to Wales for the 4th round of the Northern NKRA for Junior Formula Blue were a win would secure the Northern championship for me. The weather over the weekend was very hot and sunny with the exception of a few clouds on Sunday morning. Our testing did not get off to the best of starts when we had engine trouble in the first two sessions of the day however it turned out to be a minor problem with the clutch and once sorted things began to improve. One point we did notice is how quickly the front tyres were wearing possibly due to the high temperatures. We made a few changes and were quite happy at the finish of Saturday practice however the weather forecast for Sunday was wet. Sunday morning started quite sunny but by the time racing was about to start we had some very dark clouds and like many other teams we had the wet tyres all set and on standby. The rain stayed away and by 11am we had the start of another very hot day. The race day went very well and I took wins in all 3 heats to give me pole for the final which I also won with a 7.5 second margin to clinch the first place trophy and the NKRA Northern championship with one round to spare.

May 27th/28th Manchester & Buxton, 3 sisters 

This weekend would see me competing in both the junior TKM for the club championship and also the Junior formula Blue in the 3rd round of the NKRA. We spent the Friday testing the Junior Blue. The track was wet which was good because this was the first time we had managed to test since we had all the problems with the handling in the wet at Wombwell. Good news was that the changes made to the kart had worked well and the handling was fine. On the Saturday we concentrated on the TKM which had needed to have a new chassis since the last time we had used it. Once again the test day went well and we were ready for race day. Sunday was a busy day with preparing and racing two karts however with excellent support as usual from Century racing the day went without a hitch. In the TKM heats I managed a 3rd and 4th finish which put me 3rd on the grid for the final were I finished in 5th place. The 5th place finish was enough to keep me in 2nd place in the club championship. In the Junior Blue I had pole position for the final having won both heats. The final was a close contest however I managed to keep hold of the lead to make it 3 wins from 3 in the NKRA.

April 22nd/23rd Manchester & Buxton. 3 Sisters

Round 5 of the club championship and the first this year on the summer racing of 3 heats and a final. First I should point out the good things relating to this weekend before talking about the things that did not go well. A big thanks to Clive Freke and Mark from Century Motor sports who run us for their patients and commitment all weekend when all they seem to have received was negative feedback following each session. A big thanks also to Andy Fairless who welded the chassis and kept us on the track when we discovered a crack in the rear of the frame. Over the weekend we changed tyres, engines, carbs, stub axles and much more in trying to get the performance from the kart. Unfortunately we had our worst result of the season in both qualifying and in the final finishing in 6th place. We started the weekend in second place in the championship and did manage to keep it that way although the gap has narrowed. Following the weekend we have ordered a new frame and will have the kart fully rebuilt for our next TKM race in May. In May we will be running both the TKM and the Junior Blue.

April 14th/16th Fulbeck     

This was round two of the NKRA Northern series bringing our first visit to the Fulbeck track and the first thing I must say is how welcome we were made to feel by everyone. The most disappointing thing about the whole weekend was the lack of competition although that made it quite easy for me to pick up maximum points for the championship. We had a great couple of days testing and the kart seemed to handle much better than at Wombwell although we did not get to try it in the wet. The next round of the NKRA is in May at our local circuit 3 sisters were we will hopefully be doing TKM as well as the Formula Junior Blue.

March 25th/26th Manchester & Buxton, 3 sisters

This was the 4th and final round of the winter series 2006 at Manchester and Buxton kart club. We were starting the weekend in 2nd position with Richard Wilson only 6 points behind in 3rd. We had four practice sessions on the Saturday and were pleased with the results. Sunday was mixed weather with our first heat on worn wet tyres and our second heat and the final on dry tyres. In the heats we had two 4th finishes and that put us on the second row of the grid in third place for the final. Max Buckley took first place (and the winter series by some margin) leaving a group of four or five karts including me fighting for places. As the race finished after 15 laps there was less than one second between 2nd placed James Trueman and me in 5th place. The engine had been causing some concern all day and following the final it was taken apart by Clive who discovered that the engine had suffered from a cold seize, probably during the first test session on Saturday when the kart spun on lap 1 for no apparent reason, we put it down to some water on the track at the time. Although having to settle for 5th place I finished 2nd overall in the winter series and increased the gap in the club championship to 15 points between me in second and Richard Wilson in third place

March 11th/12th South Yorkshire Kart Club, Wombwell. NKRA Round 1 

This was our very first visit to the Wombwell circuit in the seven plus years we have been racing and our first impressions of the track were very good. Saturday testing was mainly on dry tyres and we were very pleased with the and the set-up of the kart. On Sunday we arrived at the track nice and early about 7.15, just as the forecasted snow began to fall. The snow was not sticking to the track however by drivers briefing at 11am the paddock had a covering and the track was very wet. Brain Lord the clerk of the course announced that the track would be checked at 11.30 and it was touch and go as to whether the meeting would take place. More snow was forecast and the temperature had dropped to freezing. The meeting received the green light however that is were our troubles began. In the first heat my kart broke down on lap 3 with the air intake frozen cutting off the air supply and choking the engine. In the second heat the handling of the kart was extremely poor with it going into a four wheel slide on every corner. I did manage to hold onto an early lead to win the heat by a narrow margin however we had to make some major changes. Adjustments made to the camber setting and positioning of the rear hubs as well as gearing changes and into the final heat. The handling was just as bad and I was pulling my hair out at the result. An additional seat stay was fitted for the final however the team boss informed me that the handling would still be poor as the kart needed a firmer axle and an additional bearing to sort it and we just did not have the time before the final. In the final I managed a good start and took the lead but was under pressure. I got lucky when the kart in second place went into a 360 spin to extend my lead. The gap was closing every lap and I think I would have been caught and passed had it not been for us getting tangled in with another class. This worked to my advantage and I managed to win the race by a few kart lengths from Curtis Roberts who had the spin. The kart has gone for repair and I just hope it sorts the problem.

February 25th/26th Manchester & Buxton 3 sisters

Our first outing with the Junior Blue for the NKRA 'O' Plate. We were also running in the club championship in the Junior TKM class. On the Saturday we just concentrated on testing the Blue, testing went well and by the end of testing we were very pleased with our set-up. On Sunday we were going out in the TKM first followed by a short gap and then out in the Junior Blue. The qualifying for the Blue could not have gone better and I managed to win both races with some margin putting me on pole position for the final. The TKM qualifying also went well seeing me take a 4th and 2nd place finish resulting in a 2nd place on the grid for the final. The TKM final was first and I was very pleased with the final result giving me a 3rd place finish. The Junior Blue final ended in disaster when from leading the race my kart ground slowly to a stop on lap seven resulting in the end of my race day. I must give a big thanks to Century Racing who prepared the kart in such a short time and managed to get me competitive on the day. 

January 28th/29th Manchester & Buxton

Another cold weekend at Wigan for round 2 of the club championship and winter series. Over the weekend we had mixed fortunes, during the 1st heat with 3 laps to go we suffered a broken throttle cable which meant I had to control the throttle with one hand on the carb and then on the final lap, final corner the throttle stuck open resulting in me spinning off towards the tyre wall. Starting the final from 7th on the grid I had to battle my way through the field to finish in 4th place.

January 7th/8th Manchester & Buxton

First race weekend of the year and what a cold damp weekend it turned out to be. Saturday practice went very well and we had a set-up we were happy with so decided to miss the last session and get the kart ready for scruitinering. Sunday started off wet although for the 3 lap practice I decided to run some new slick tyres just to take the tops off. For the first heat I went to worn wets and finished 3rd. For heat 2 all the drivers had selected slick tyres, in this heat I finished in 4th place which put me on grid 4 for the final. In the final two karts got a good break with Richard Wilson and myself fighting for 3rd place. Richard was in front of me and had the speed down the straight although I pulled him in on the corners. With 3 laps of the 14 to go Richard ran wide and gave me my first chance to pull along side although Richard was not going to make it easy and I decided to back off and concede the next corner. On the last lap in exactly the same place Richard again went wide and seem to loose some control so I made a move on the inside. Richard gained control and moved to take the corner however in doing so there was some light contact with our karts and Richard spun leaving me to finish in 3rd place. Unfortunately for Richard he lost another place due to the spin and finished in 5th. It was a very enjoyable race and I we were pleased to finish 3rd.

2005 Season

For 2005 we decided we would only compete in the Manchester and Buxton club championship in the Junior TKM class. As we were carrying a weight penalty in this class we new it would be a difficult year however we set our personal target to finish in the top five. Although disappointed we failed to achieve this with a sixth place finish we are pleased that we went into the last round of the championship with 4th place still a possibility. During the year we also had a change of teams and we are now under Century Motor sport who will also be looking after us in 2006. In the later part of the year we also purchased our first car, a Mazda MX5 which we will be building during 2006 as a project. When complete the car will be eligible to compete in the max-5 series. We will keep the web site unto date with the progress of this project. We are now looking forward to 2006.

2005 REPORTS

November 26th/27th Manchester & Buxton

Last race of the year for me however I am already looking forward to 2006. The weekend gave us mixed weather of rain and dry however it was cold throughout.  In the first heat I was forced wide at the start causing me to lose several places. Although I kept going I had to settle for 11th place. I the second heat my luck changed and I finished in 2nd place. I started 7th on the grid for the final and although I held the place for the majority of the race I finished in 8th place. This result gave us a 6th place finish in the championship.

October 22nd/23rd Manchester & Buxton

The weekend was cold from start to finish so I was quite pleased we had moved onto a winter programme with just 2 heats and a final. In the heats I finished 8th and 6th and was satisfied with a 5th place finish in the final.

September 24th/25th Manchester & Buxton

The weekend went well both on the Saturday and Sunday. We were consistent finishing 8th in the heats and 9th in the final

August 27th/28th Manchester & Buxton

During the week I had spent a couple of days at Rowrah testing a junior gearbox kart, so it felt a little strange getting back into the TKM for Saturday practice however after just a few laps it was back to normal. Saturday testing went smooth with just some minor changes after each session resulting in the set-up being just right by the final session. In the first of the qualifying heats I got hit from the rear on the first corner, pushing me very wide and losing power, resulting in losing me several places. The other two qualifiers went as expected and we were placed 8th on the grid for the main race. The final was over 15 laps and I got off to a good start gaining a couple of places however on lap 3 an accident which saw Stuart Green unfortunately break an ankle caused the race to be stopped. It was decided to run the race with a complete re-start which means putting the karts back to their original starting positions. The race soon settled and saw the front four karts pull a gap with Scott Craw in kart 89 just a few yards behind and then I was in a pack of three karts just behind Scott. On about lap 10 two of the leaders came together which saw them both spin out resulting in me moving into 5th place on the bumper of Robert Stanley. I had several looks down the side of Robs kart however I could not get passed and that's how the race finished with Rob in 4th and me in 5th. Rob has now moved just ahead of me in the Championship with still 3 rounds to go it should be an exciting finish.

July 24th Manchester & Buxton

This was our first official race with the Century Race team. Due to our decision to try out gearbox karts and other commitments for A J Racing we had decided to move teams and race with support from Century Race Preparation. The weekend went quite well and starting from 8th place on the grid for the final I managed a 5th place finish.

June 25th/26th Manchester & Buxton Gold Cup

Gold Cup day and also round 7 of the club championship. Back racing with the A J Racing team for this weekend. Most of the team had practised on the Friday with the first qualifying heats taking place on the Saturday afternoon for most classes. We decided to practice on the Saturday only and then straight into racing. We had mixed fortunes in the heats finishing 6th, 9th and 12th which after several attempts by the officials put us 9th on the grid for the final. The final was over 12 laps and with the leaders pulling an early gap left me battling with Scott Craw for the 9th place. It was a very good clean battle with Scott which saw us exchange places several times on each lap. On the final lap I managed to get my nose in front to take the line just ahead of Scott.

May 22nd Manchester & Buxton

This round of the club championship clashing with the National championships meant that A J Racing were not at the track to offer the usual support so we took up the off from Clive at Century Race Preparation to run with their team and support. We had a good weekend finishing the heats with 2 sixth and 1 first place to give us front row on the grid for the final. The weather had been mixed over the weekend and we had seen both wet and dry track. For the final the weather and track were dry, unfortunately however we had the kart set on a full wet setting with dry tyres. The result was that we recorded our fastest lap on the 3rd lap and then went backwards for the remaining 9 laps finishing down the placing's in 8th.

April 24th Manchester & Buxton 

Round 5 of the Championship and back to three qualifying heats for the main race. With 240 entries to cope with it was always going to be cosy on space in the paddock, but everyone seemed to get in. Running problems with the engines caused us some concern and we never managed to get to the bottom of. We qualified 5th on the grid and finished 5th in the final.

March 20th Platinum Cup - M/C & Buxton

This was the first of hopefully many Platinum Cup race events to be held at Manchester & Buxton. It was also the final round of the Winter series. We did not have the best of weekends finishing in 13th place and dropping down to 5th place in the championship

Feb 25th Manchester & Buxton

Back to another cold weekend in Wigan for the 3rd round of the Winter series. A very good weekend was had however the final result could have been kinder as we ended the day finishing in 7th place

Jan 30th Manchester & Buxton

Round 2 of the Winter series. Practice sessions on the Saturday went well and by the time it was drawing to a close we were well pleased with the set-up and engines. Sunday brought a few minor problems and resulted in us finishing in 8th place.

Jan 8th Manchester & Buxton

This year the season started early for us and with several modifications required to the karts due to regulation changes work began straight after Christmas. High winds during Friday night caused extensive damage to equipment of many of the teams parked in the paddock area, the A J Racing team awning which houses up to ten karts on race day was extensively damaged and could not be used during the weekend. Start of practice was delayed by one hour and did not get underway till 11:00 am. For most of the day the track was wet so as well as testing our engines we got to try the new compound on the wet tyres for the first time. Testing went well apart from the cold and wet. On Sunday we had two qualifying heats for the grid positions for the final. After finishing 4th and 3rd in the heats I was on the second row placed 3rd for the final. At the start of the 12th and final lap I was in 4th position however I managed to pass James Campion at the end of the start finish straight to move-up into 3rd and then Max Buckley lost control in a corner to give me a 2nd place finish over the line. With the new scoring system for this years championship this should put me on top of the leader board after round one.

2004 SEASON

2004 although very enjoyable overall turned out to be disappointing in terms of results especially after the success in 2003. We seemed to have a run of bad luck caused by both mechanical failure and racing incidents that cost us vital points in all the championships. Towards the end of the season we also had a weight disadvantage that was costing a couple of tenths of a second on every lap. For 2005 the weight limit has been increased which is to our advantage and also an increase in power will help. I have decided to give the national championship a miss in 2005 leaving me to concentrate on the club championships and possibly the NKF.

2004 REPORTS

November 28th Wigan

Last race of the year for me and with the championship well out of reach there is not much at stake to race for. Two reasonable heats placed me on the third row of the grid for the final. I was well placed in 5th when the race was red flagged and stopped on the 2nd lap. A full restart was called for unfortunately this time my luck was out and I came off in an incident and could not get restarted. A DNF for the final race of the season. Preparation now starts for 2005.

October 24th Wigan

A disappointing end to the day finishing in 8th position after qualifying 3rd for the final.

October 3rd Whilton Mill Super One

A DNF in the first heat and a black flag in the 3rd heat meant this was going to be our dropped round. Starting from the back row in the final I decided to just stay out of trouble thus securing a plate for this years series. Overall in this years series I finished 14th.

September 25th Wigan

Mechanical problems throughout the day with the axle moving cost us dearly with us finishing well down and only picking up 3 points in the championship

August 29th PF Super One

Qualifying was not good as we had a DNF in heat 3 which put us on the back of the grid for the final. Heavy rain for the final helped and we made progress throughout and finished in 8th place.

August 6th to 8th Kimbolton TKM Festival

Great weekend in very hot weather however I was a bit disappointed to only finish in 18th place although it was the local track for over 50% of the drivers in my class. I was struggling for pace and started 18th on the grid which is where I crossed the finish line.

August 1st PFI Kartmasters

A very enjoyable weekend but not the best of results. Two bad heats in which I lost places at the start meant we finished Saturday in 24th place and started on the 2nd row of the B final and needed to finish in the top four to make the grand final. On the first hairpin I was in 4th however someone decided to use my kart as a brake and pushed me off the track and although I managed to keep going I was now in last place and any hope of qualification gone.

July 24th & 25th Wigan

Saturday the weather was fine and we managed to get 4 test sessions and were quite pleased with our readiness for Sunday. Sunday brought very different conditions with the rain falling for most of the day keeping the track very wet. We had two average sessions and qualified 8th on the grid for the final. A good start moved us into 5th on the first lap however due to an accident the race was red flagged on lap two and we had to re-grid and start the race again. This time I was forced wide on the first corner and as a result had to take an escape route which put me in about 18th place. I managed to fight my way back up to 8th place but with only a 10 lap race that's as good as it got.

July 11th Rowrah

Our third visit to Rowrah this year and I am trying to make it three wins from three. A small grid of TKM's but with the 4 strokes competing in the same race it should be very interesting. Starting from pole I managed to win the first heat but was under pressure from the leading 4 stroke. In the second heat my chain came off and I unfortunately made contact with another kart as I left the track for the pit lane. Following the re-fit of my chain and a 'ticking off' from the Clerk of the Course I rejoined the race only to finish next to last. Second place in heat 3 gave me second spot on the grid for the final. Following a good start I held the lead for the first 7 laps then Jeroth got past in his 4 stroke. Jeroth held the lead for a couple of laps however following a mechanical problem and a spin I retook the lead which I held to take the chequered flag for 1st place.

July 2nd - 4th Lydd - Super One Round 4

Down to Lydd in Kent for round 4 of Super One National Championship. The Friday and Saturday practice went quite well and without incident. The conditions were mainly dry but with showers always a threat. By Saturday evening we were  happy with set-up and pace and we were relaxed going into Sunday race day. Sunday morning brought heavy rain and practice was delayed for 45 minutes while standing water was cleared from the track. Although the 3 lap practice was on wet tyres by the time of our first heat we were on slick tyres and stayed on them for the rest of the day. The heats went well although I did lose places on the second heat after I got forced very wide on the first corner. For the final I was starting from 11th on the grid but again lost some ground on the opening lap. By lap 4 I was on the pack and was confident of making up places when my drive chain came off on corner one. I managed to get the chain back on and restarted only to be black flagged for repairing the kart on circuit. A Very disappointing end to the weekend which left me in 13th place in the Championship. With just two rounds left it is now going to be difficult to gain a top 10 spot.

June 27th Wigan - Gold Cup

A great start to the day taking 1st place in heat one however in heat two starting from middle of the grid I had moved into 5th place before being left at the side of the track following some contact. In the third heat starting from the back of the grid I finished in 10th place putting me on 11th place on the grid for the main race. Due to incidents during the day the final had been cut to just 10 laps and it was always going to prove difficult to work through the pack. I made some ground and finished the race taking the 6th place trophy.

June 13th Rowrah

Although a disappointing number of TKM karts on the grid it was a good weekend and close racing. I got more time in the seat of my new kart which is important with the next race being the Gold Cup at Wigan. Team mate Jamie Crease took wins in all of the three qualifying heats with me in second spot. In the final Jamie took the lead from the start and held it until the 14th lap when I managed to pass him and hold to the chequered flag after 15 laps.

June 6th PFI

Back to PF for a club round which offers good testing for Super One in August. I was on the new 2004 JKH for the first time so much of the Saturday testing was about getting to grips with the handling of the kart. Sunday race day qualifying was a disaster for the whole of the A J team with the back 5 places on the grid taken up by our drivers. Not one of our drivers managed to complete all 3 of the heats for me it was a cold seize on the rolling lap of my third heat. I started the final in 27th place and managed to finish in 17th place but more importantly got closer to the pace. 

May 23rd Larkhall Super One

I was quite disappointed with this round of Super One having started the weekend in 12th place I was hoping to move forward a couple of places however after finishing the final in 10th place I moved back to 13th place overall.

May 8th - 9th Rowrah

Our first visit to Rowrah in 2004 for the third round of the club championship. With two engines to run-in that was all of Saturdays practice used. The grid size was disappointing with only five TKM's including two four strokes. With such a small grid the club decided that they would all compete in the same race. We were running an engine we had spent running-in on Saturday to give it some more run time. The day started off quite wet however by the second heat we were on slick tyres and by the final the sun was shinning and it was shirt sleeves. The day was more about testing engines than racing however I was pleased to win all the heats and the final.

May 1st - 2nd PF

With super 1 racing in August at Pf we decided to race this weekend and use the time to practice and get set-ups. All four of A J Racing's drivers in this years super 1 TKM took advantage of this opportunity to practice. The weekend went quite well although we managed to seize an engine during practice on Saturday and  in the first heat on Sunday I  suffered considerable damage after colliding with two spinning karts including that of team mate Cameron Craig. We had to replace the rear axle, steering column and stub axle before the second heat. For the final we were starting well down the grid on 21. Due to a protest the results had not been released when we left the circuit and had not been published on the web site at the time of writing this report. With 2 engines to run-in we are off to Rowrah next weekend before the next round of Super 1 which is at Larkhall.

April 24th - 25th Wigan

The 4th round of the club championship for Manchester & Buxton Kart Club. It was great to have a race weekend in the sun. Saturday was boring for me has I had to spend most of it running in an engine following a rebuild. I only had one session to open it up and try to get on pace, unfortunately we were off the pace and now had to make a decision on engines for race day. Sunday, race day we paid the price for missing test time on Saturday, in the first heat we started from pole and finished 6th and then in heat  two we started 10th and finished 11th. A check on the carb found a problem and in the last heat we started from 16th on the grid and finished in 6th but were still 0.5 seconds off the pace. Following a debate  between driver and mechanic the kart was set-up for the final, we were starting from 7th. We did not on the pace and finished in 8th place with team mates Lee Morgan and James Campion taking 2nd and 3rd places. The results left me in 4th place in the championship.

April 9th - 11th Kimbolton Round 2 Super One

Of to Kimbolton for the second round of this years Super One series. The weather forecast for the weekend was mixed and Friday turned out to be dry tyres. Saturday was mixed starting on wets and ending the day back on dry tyres. We were happy with our testing on looking forward to race day. In heat one I managed my first heat win starting from 5th on the grid. In heat 2 I finished in 7th place however in the third heat I was put into the tyres and although Philip Stanley got a black flag for the incident it left me finishing in 17th place with a badly damaged kart. I started the final from 7th on the grid unfortunately Richard Bond had a spin right in front of me resulting in a move to the back of the pack with a large gap to close. Working with Will Reed we managed to close the gap and make up several places eventually finishing in 11th place. That result left me with 134 points for the day and moved me a couple of places up the championship to 12th place just 1 point behind 10th place driver George Dench.

3rd & 4th April Larkhall

With Super One holding a round at Larkhall in May we took the opportunity to do some testing and entered a club meeting. we arrived lunch time on the Friday and due to the size of the meeting testing was available and we managed a couple of sessions in dry weather. Saturday was wet and wetter for most of the day and it was impossible to get any meaningful data although the practice on the resurfaced track was useful. we used Sunday as another test day but again the weather was mixed with a wet first heat followed by 2 heats in the dry and then back to the wets for the final. It was a most enjoyable weekend even though I suffered a flat front tyre on the 3rd lap in 1 heat. I finished the final in 9th place just 100th of a second behind team mate Lee Morgan.

27th - 28th March Wigan

This weekend was final round of the winter series and the 3rd round of the club championship. Going into the weekend I was in 2nd place in both so was hoping for a good result. Saturday started wet but by mid morning had dried and stayed so for the rest of the days testing. I had a good incident free day and got set ready for Sunday quite early so was able so spend some time running-in a spare engine that had just been serviced. Sunday turned out not to be a good day. After qualifying 4th on the grid for the final my front o/s tyre blew out on lap 6 and for the next 9 laps I was unable to do anything as karts passed me. I managed to finish in 9th place however that left me in 4th place in the Championship and the winter series. Team mate James Campion finished in 4th place and moved into 3rd in the club championship and missed out on 2nd place in the winter series by just 1 point.

12th - 14th March Buckmore Park Super 1

The first round of Super 1 and what a wet weekend it turned out to be. Testing on Friday and Saturday went well with the majority of the time spent on dry tyres however the forecast for Sunday was wet and the dry tyres never came out. We struggled in the wet in the first two heats and then in the third heat starting from pole my coil wire came loose and I missed the start while having the problem sorted. I finished the third heat a lap down on the leaders and that put me well back on the grid for the final. The final went OK and I finished in 12th place and 14th in the championship table. I am now looking forward to Kimbolton in four weeks time.

20th - 22nd Feb Wigan

It was half term at school which meant we could get an extra test day on the Friday and with the race meeting attracting more than 270 drivers time might have been limited on the Saturday. Friday testing went well and we managed to get 6 good sessions, using 2 engines. On the Saturday we got in another 5 sessions and by the end of the day we were well prepared for race day. We had 2 qualifying heats of 8 laps and than a final of 15 laps. In the first heat I started 8th on the grid and finished in 5th place and in the second heat I started 11th on the grid and finished in 4th place. The results from the heats placed me 3rd on the grid for the final behind Rossi and James Duxbury who took pole. Early in the race I moved into 2nd place as Rossi fell away with carb trouble and right on my tail was Max Chilton. James Duxbury pulled away and after some close racing Max got past into 2nd. That's how the race finished with me in 3rd place and putting me 2nd in the championship.

24TH & 25TH Jan Wigan

First race of 2004 and the 1st round of the Club Championship and 1st round of the 3 round Winter series. After taking a six week break from racing over Christmas it was quite difficult in getting organised for this meeting. The practice on Saturday went well and we got both wet and dry settings by the end of the day. Sunday started damp then got wet and for the final it was hard to choose between dry or wet tyres although 90% of the drivers opted for dry. In the 1st heat we started from 2nd and finished 3rd, in the 2nd heat we started 16th and finished 4th which gave us a grid position of 3rd for the final. The race was over 12 laps and although at one point we slipped back to 5th we managed to gain places and finished in 3rd. Good day for A J Racing taking 3 of the 5 trophies for Junior TKM.

                                                                                                                                2003 SEASON

2003 has been my best year since starting racing karts, I finished the season with two club championships the 'Gold Cup' , 12th place in the super one national series and 2nd place in a  winter series.

I won the championship at Manchester & Buxton kart club and the championship at Cumbria kart club. At  M/C & Buxton I did not get the best of starts and at the end of April I was 17 points adrift and had not recorded a race win and team mate Matthew was talking of having the championship won by mid year. At the end of July although I had recorded two race wins I had slipped to 27 points behind in the championship race. Following a race win in August and a none finish for Matthew things where hotting up and at the end of September I was on level points at the top of the championship table. Another race win in October gave me a 5 point lead going into the final round in November. The November race could not have been closer with the result a dead heat however that was enough to give me the championship for 2003. It was a great end to the season taking 5 race wins from the last 6 races.  The July meeting at Manchester & Buxton was also the ' Gold Cup' meeting. I managed the race win, leading from start to finish and I also won  the trophy for recording the fastest lap in class.

The Cumbria campaign started much better and I took an early lead in the championship which by the end of July showed me with a 45 point lead. August was an important month with 3 race meetings being staged. At the first race team mate Matthew took the maximum 130 points however following the two races at the bank holiday were I had one first and a second place  I had managed to retain the gap and by the end of September had opened up a 54 point lead. I missed the October meet due to competing in the national series however following the November meet I had enough points to secure  the championship for 2003.

This was my first year competing in the National Super One series and I had great enjoyment. We set a target to finish 15th thus securing a seeded number for 2004 and going into the last round in October I was in 16th place. The final round went well and I managed to pick-up points in all the heats and final. I then had the anxious wait for the final championship placings, I was delighted to have finished in 12th place.

A big thanks must to Lec at A J Racing who helped me all this year. 

Next year I will be continuing in Junior TKM Intermediate while team mate Matthew is moving class and will be racing in Junior Max. Its been very close racing with Matthew in the Championships and I will miss that next year but wish him all the best in Junior max.

14th December 2003 Rowrah

The final round of the championship at Rowrah and the final round of the season. Its great to be going into the final round with the championship already won and no pressure. With Matthew deciding to race in Junior Max this weekend second place in the Championship was secured by Peter Crease without a wheel turning. The weather was bad all weekend with rain falling Friday and Saturday and although very little rain on Sunday the track never dried enough to allow dry tyres. Peter had his best race of the season and took wins in all the heats and the final.

22nd November 2003 Wigan   

This was the final round for the 2003 club championship and I was starting with a 5 point lead however with team mate Matthew in 2nd place the championship was far from settled. If Matthew took the win and I finished 2nd joint champions would be declared, but like Matthew I wanted to be crowned champion on my own. With a small grid it was all down to the final to be settled over 10 laps. I started on pole but Matthew took an early lead which he held for the majority of the race however coming out of the final corner I made my move and we crossed the finish line together. I thought I had managed to take 1st place but with it being so close needed to wait for confirmation. The computer scoring was unable to split the difference between the karts and the officials were split on their view. The final decision was to declare a tied finish awarding 2 first places trophies for the day but more importantly for me I am the club champion for 2003.  

9th November Rowrah    

This was the weekend that could see me win my first club championship. I needed to record a finish in each of the heats and final to be sure of the championship title in the penultimate round of the twelve race championship. I managed to win all 3 heats to take pole position for the final. In the final I took the lead with Peter Crease close on my rear bumper. That's the way it stayed until 2 laps to go Peter took the lead but after holding the lead for less than half a lap he made a mistake going wide into a corner under braking and I made a move up the inside to retake the lead which I held taking 1st place and maximum points in the championship round.

25th - 26th October Wigan    

Going into this weekend I was sharing top spot in the championship with team mate Matthew Proudlove who had held the lead since the first round back in January. We were on winter racing with the clocks going back on Saturday, which meant 2 heats and a final on Sunday with an early finish. Testing had gone well on the Saturday but was mainly in the wet and Sunday proved to be completely dry. I won both the heats to give me pole for the final with Matthew on the 2nd row in 3rd. I managed a good start but on the 4th lap following a mistake Matthew took the lead however I quickly regained the lead and managed to hold position to take the flag. This win gives me a 5 point lead in the championship with just 1 race remaining.

10th - 12th Oct Whilton Mill Super One

Off to Whilton Mill for the final round of this years TKM British Super One Series and things could not be more tense. We set our target to finish 15th in the championship, seeding us for next year and giving us the use of a championship number. Going into this round we were in 16th place taking into account the compulsory dropped score. As we had not visited the circuit before testing was important however we did not have the best of starts on Friday. In the first session the track was extremely slippery with all drivers struggling for any grip. We failed to make the first corner of the second session when the engine stopped with suspected ignition failure. We then noticed a crack on the chassis and had to switch to the spare kart. It was the 5th and final session before we got near the pace and the new kart handling. Saturday was very much the same with the first two sessions off the pace and the engine requiring a full rebuild due to end of barrel life. With 4 sessions remaining and the pressure building things were starting to get a bit heated however we managed to find some pace by the end of the day .Sunday race day followed very much the same pattern as Friday and Saturday with us struggling at the start but getting better as the day moved on. We finished the heats in 17th, 16th and 6th positions giving us 14th place on the grid for the final. In the final we finished 10th and with all the championship scores calculated we finished 12th in the series. A big thanks to Lec at A J Racing for all the help and support he has given me in Super One.

28th September Wigan Round 9 Club Championship

With just 2 rounds remaining it could not be closer between team mate Matthew and myself as we share the top spot with just two rounds remaining. We have both won 3, got 2nd place in 3 and had 1 third place finish. The racing has been close all season and it is a shame that in the end only one of us will be crowned as champion. This weekend was no exception with wheel to wheel racing, I took the 1st heat and Matthew took the 2nd. In the final we changed places several times and with me leading and Matthew on my rear bumper there was some contact and my chain came off. I managed to get back on track and crossed the line in third place with Matthew crossing in 1st place. The contact was witnessed by the clerk of the coarse who decided that an unfair advantage was gained and gave Matthew a 2 place penalty putting him into 3rd place and moving me up into 2nd. It was unfortunate for Matthew but I think a fair decision and will make the last 2 rounds very exciting. Congratulations to David Crutchley  who took his 1st victory of the season.

19th - 21st Sept Lydd Round 5 Super 1

The 5th round of the super 1 championship and a six hour journey to the Kent coast of Lydd. The whole weekend was spent in the sunshine and this turned out to be our best result so far in this championship picking up 134 points and putting me in a position to finish in the top 15 which was our aim at the start of play. Just 11 points between me and the driver sitting in 11th position. Testing on Friday and Saturday went well and with the only problem a bent axle suffered at the end of  Friday's session 2. Sunday went well in the heats with finishes of 11th, 13th and 3rd giving me a grid position of 7th for the final. I finished 9th in the final and was pleased with the overall result for the weekend. Next round in 3 weeks at Whilton Mill.

14th Sept Rowrah

Round 9 of the club championship and the 6th and final round of the NKF. With too many dropped points in the NKF we were concentrating on the championship which we started the weekend leading by 21 points from team mate Matthew. I managed 3 wins out of 3 in the heats and put the kart on pole position for the final. It was a very close battle between Craig Philips and myself with us changing places several times to lead the race. Craig took the lead with2 laps to go and although I pushed him hard he was determined to finish 1st and I had to settle for the 2nd place trophy. It turned out to be a good weekend regards the championship with the lead extending to 30 points after allowing for the compulsory dropped scores. Congratulations to Craig who also took 1st place in the NKF championship. 

31st August Wigan    

This was round 8 of the 11 round championship in which your best 9 scores count to decide the final championship table. We started the day 27 points behind the leader and team mate Matthew and having missed 2 rounds due to competing in the British championship we needed a good result. The day did not get off to the best of starts when my engine seized towards the end of the first heat. The seize was only minor and after restarting managed to complete the race. I managed to win the next 2 heats which just gave me pole position for the final. I managed to pull a little gap on the 1st lap leaving Matthew and Chris Needham battling for 2nd spot. On the 2nd lap Matthew and Chris touched karts and Matthew had to retire from the race due to a broken track rod. I had a comfortable lead by lap 5 and just had to keep the kart on the track for the remaining 10 laps. I took 1st place and closed the gap to just 2 points with just 3 rounds to go.

24th & 25th August Rowrah    

Rounds 7 and 8 were being contested over this Bank Holiday weekend. we had completed 2 days of testing before round 7 on the Sunday. It was not the best of days with us taking 5th place in the final, dropping valuable championship points. Monday was much better and as well as taking 1st place we scored 126 out of a possible 130 points for this championship round. Taking the results from both days we extended our lead in the championship however with 4 rounds still to go it is far from over.

10th August Rowrah

This is the 40th anniversary of the club and this was a special celebration weekend together with the official opening of the new clubhouse and race facility, as well of course it was the 6th round of the club championship. First before moving on to racing I must say the new facilities are excellent. Due to the special weekend testing was available Friday as well as Saturday, as we had an engine to run-in we took advantage and tested Friday. The weather was hot and we finished testing at lunch. Saturday did not go to plan and as we had problems with an engine most of the day. On Sunday during the 3 lap practice the main crankshaft bearing on our 1st choice engine failed leaving us with the engine we had tested with on Saturday. We could not get it all together and had to settle for 2nd place in all 3 heats and the final which were all won by team mate Matthew with Paul Begley taking 3rd place.

3rd August NKF 5th Round Larkhall

Larkhall in Scotland was the venue for the 5th round of the NKF championship. This was only our 2nd ever visit to the track however we were looking forward to the racing. Testing on the Saturday went well and we had a set-up and felt we had the speed to be competitive. Sunday racing progressed well with a 3rd place in heat 1, a 5th place in heat 2 and a 9th in heat 3. This put me 2nd on the grid of 24 for the final. The race was over 15 laps and I was in the first group of 6 karts with places changing every lap. On the final lap I managed to take the lead however with just 3 corners remaining I had some contact from the 2nd place driver and although not much was enough to put me on the grass and I moved from 1st to 21st in about 20 seconds. I was a little annoyed however it did not spoil a great weekend.

27th July Wigan Gold Cup    

This was a very important weekend for us being both a round of the club championship and the Manchester & Buxton Kart Club Gold Cup. Preparation began on Friday with all day testing in the rain, but as the forecast for the weekend was not good this testing could have proved to be very useful. Saturday was much brighter and we stayed on dry tyres all day. By the end of Saturday we were pleased we had both a wet and dry set-up. Sundays forecast was a 60% chance of rain and although the meeting was open choice for tyres the rain threatened but never came. I had 3 decent heats and qualified pole position for the final which was over 15 laps. I took an early lead and managed to keep there and take the win although team mate Matthew was right on my rear bumper from the start to the finish. To complete the day I also picked up the trophy for the fastest lap in class  which I achieved  in the 1st heat. 

20th July Dragon Kart Club

Round 4 of the NKF and our 2nd outing at Dragon Kart Club. The weather was mixed all weekend and turned out to be costly in the end. I managed a win in the first heat starting from pole, I got the break at the start and won the heat with margin. In the 2nd heat I came from the back of the grid into 2nd place when my engine seized with 3 laps to go. In the final we decided to go with a wet set-up on wet tyres however the rain held off and although I came from 7th place into 2nd on the 1st lap I moved back down the order as my tyres gave me too much grip and crossed the line in 7th place.

12th/13th July Rowrah    

A very successful weekends racing. I managed 1st place in two of the heats and a win in the final to give me 129 points towards the championship. Next to me on the grid for the final was team mate Matthew who had taken two 2nd places and a 1st in the heats. The racing between me and Matthew was very close however Matthew had to retire early into the final when the drive chain snapped. I was also awarded the TKM Intermediate drivers trophy for 2003 as part of the clubs 40th anniversary celebrations.

21st/22nd June Clay Pigeon Super One

The 4th round of the British Super One and my first visit to the Clay Pigeon race circuit. Two days of testing in sunshine and temperatures reaching 110 degrees with the biggest challenge losing grip to allow the kart to flow in the corners. By Saturday evening we were happy with our set-up and our lap times. Sunday racing went well and following the heats I was on 14th place on the grid. The weather changed and the rain came forcing us to have a complete wet setting for the final. With no testing in the wet I was pleased to hold my position and finish in 14th although it could have been better as I lost time and places following an incident during the race. This result moves me up into 15th place in the championship with 2 rounds to go. Our target is to finish in the top 15 at the end of the championship so we are on plan. 

15th June Warden Law

Another new track, a great weekend but with the engine seizing with less than 2 laps to go in the final it was a disappointing end.  After qualifying 2nd on the grid to Craig Philips and holding 2nd place it should have given me a boost in the championship but the none finish probably ends my chances this year although I will compete in the remaining rounds. Well done to Craig who won 2 heats and the final.

8th June Rowrah

A disappointing end to a very good weekends racing. Saturday testing was in the dry however Sundays racing turned out to be very wet. We managed the first heat on dry tyres and I managed to take the win with several seconds margin. Heat 2 was very wet with the rain still falling, we managed to get the kart set just right and I won with a very comfortable margin. Heat 3  was still very wet but the rain had stopped, I again won with margin and took pole for the final. I got the break at the start and had pulled away on the first lap when I made a mistake with no pressure and finished in the dirt trap. Although  I got restarted Peter Crease had passed me and the gap was just too great and I had to settle for 2nd place with the only consolation that I picked up 127 championship points.

25th May Wigan    

After a good days testing on Saturday in the dry the forecast for Sundays racing was wet, fortunately the rain stayed away and the good work of Saturday was not wasted. I managed to get pole position for the final after having 2 first place finishes and a second in the heats. I managed to pull an early gap and with the battle for 2nd place going on behind me the lead increased and I took the flag with good margin. This result helps my challenge for the championship closing the gap to just 12 points with over half the season remaining.

11th May Rowrah Round 3

Although finishing in 2nd place in the final this was not a good weekend for us. I spent the whole of Saturday's test sessions running-in 2 engines which we seized at Buckmore. On Sunday in the 1st heat my ignition wire broke resulting in a DNF and no championship points. In the 2nd heat I finished 4th and in the 3rd heat 2nd.

3rd May 2003 Buckmore Park - Kent Super One

Third round of Super One and our 1st visit to Buckmore Park in Kent. Much of Friday was spent in the wet getting used to the track. Saturday was a much brighter day and a chance to find a dry set-up. Sunday race was fine with the sun shinning for most of the day. We had our share of problems during the day with the chain coming off in the 2nd qualifier and the engine throwing the con rod in the 3rd putting us near the rear of the grid for the final. Our luck did not change in the final as the engine seized on the last lap. Halfway through the championship with the next round at the end of June and a lot of work to do if we are going to finish in the top 15 and get seeded for next season. We are enjoying Super one very much and thanks must go to Lec and A J  Racing for all the hard work and support.

27th April 2003 Wigan

First round of the NKF and the 4th round of the club championship. Starting from 2nd place on the grid I took the lead on lap 2, unfortunately due to brake failure the 2nd place kart forced me off the track at the end of the start / finish straight. Following a check by the medics I got back into the race and despite damage to the kart's steering managed to put in the fastest lap of the race but could only finish 6th.  Although finishing 6th in the final I had managed 2nd place in each of the heats and so should be challenging for top spot in the NKF championship and with the current leader in the club championship having a none finish this result puts the pressure on with me in 2nd place just 15 points behind. We miss the next round of the NKF due to racing at Wigan however we will be competing at all the other rounds.

19th/20th April 2003 Super One Kimbolton

Round 2 of the Super One and off to Kimbolton, we travelled Thursday morning and spent the day relaxing in the sunshine. Friday testing was carried out in sunshine although we were threatened with rain for Sunday. Testing on both Friday and Saturday went well although we did have a considerable amount of damage from 2 impacts with the tyre wall. We had to replace 2 steering columns, 3 track rods and  a rear axle together with the rear bumper fixing bolts. On Sunday morning we struggled for grip and had lost 7/10ths of speed. We did not have the best of heats and only managed 14th in the final. Some concern was raised by a number of drivers as to the tyres supplied to some drivers and it was acknowledged that certain drivers had received tyres giving poorer performance than others. That's racing and we are now looking forward to Buckmore Park in 2 weeks.

12th/13th April 2003 Rowrah    

Back at Rowrah after the National Championship and another sunny weekend. We decided to try a JKH chassis and this was its first race outing. We spent Saturday getting used to the handling and as we had other drivers in the team on the JKH chassis did not have to worry about settings. We felt OK with the kart so decided to use it on Sunday for the race. We managed to win all 3 heats and take the final from pole. This win keeps us ahead in the championship.

22nd/23rd March 2003 Super One Rowrah

Our first taste of Super One!  Well at least we knew the circuit so that was a help. The weather all weekend was sunny and that too helped make this a great weekend.  We managed to get both the engines and kart set-up sorted quite early and helped take pressure off. We managed reasonable results in the heats and a 5th place in the final put us in level 5th place in the championship 1 point behind Nick Miles in 4th. Thanks must go to team manager Lec who worked so hard all weekend and gave plenty of encouragement.

9th March 2003 Rowrah     

The 1st round of the club championship and with the British Super One TKM's here in 2 weeks time the lack of Super One drivers was surprising. Saturday practice was hampered by heavy rain, we decided to sit out a couple of sessions as we were not gaining anything. After a 1st and two 2nd's in the heats I got pole for the final and managed a small lead into the chicane and managed to hold the lead until the chequered flag taking 1st place.

23rd February 2003 Wigan

A disappointing number of drivers entered the TKM intermediate class this weekend, maybe due to school hols, who knows?, but it would definitely be better with a few more entries. The final saw Matthew (my team mate) and I change places for the race lead on almost everyone of the 12 laps. Matthew took the flag with my kart following just 0.1 of a second behind.

16th February 2003 Dragon Kart Club

This was our first visit to Glan-y-Gors race track however I certainly don't thick it will be our last. We arrived and stayed over on Friday and I must say it was the coldest night I can remember. On Saturday morning the water for the caravan was froze as was the water in the back of the van. Saturday was a crisp but sunny day and we enjoyed finding our way round the track and was pleased that by the end of the day we had a competitive set-up. Sunday was again sunny and not quite as cold. We had 2 qualifying heats and a final. In the first heat I came from near the back to challenge the leader only to spin off and loose several places. The second heat was better and I came from the last row to take first place. Starting 3rd in the final I got into 2nd place overall  but 1st in class so I just sat in tight to the end of the race. My only disappointment was the low number of entries in my class.

9th February 2003 Rowrah

Rain, wind and very cold were the conditions for practice on Saturday. We struggled with the set-up and found it difficult to find the pace. Our 1st engine was drawing air and with the 2nd engine we could not get the rev's however by the end of testing we had a setting for Sunday. The weather on Sunday was much better although it was wet tyres until the final. After two 3rds and a 2nd in the heats I started in 3rd for the final. I managed to take the lead for a spell only to fall back into 3rd place after going too wide on the pit corner. On the final lap I decided to make my move on the front two with 100ths of a second between us. As I got up the inside of the 2nd place driver he turned in and contact was made and it was the end of my race.

26th January 2003 Wigan

Opening race of the season and my first full season in TKM Inters. A cold and damp weekend with the number of competitors a bit of a disappointment. On the Saturday I had an engine to run-in and with time for only 4 sessions all day did not get much time to work on the settings. On Sunday I started the final 2nd on the grid with team-mate Matthew starting pole. I managed to get the early break and led for most of the race unfortunately on the last corner of the last lap Matthew made contact with the rear of my kart and managed to pass taking the flag with me 0.06 seconds behind in 2nd place.