A cold sunny and crisp day welcomed the final round of the year long summer championships, at Sittingbourne’s Bayford Meadows kart circuit.

The club runs a healthy Bambino class and the 7 entries had three timed sessions on the circuit, Jason Kiff emerged the fastest of the diminutive racers over the trio of runs. Marco Horsley was second from Bertie Pears, Jack Theobald, Sherrie Powell, Alfie Hunt and Callie Clifford.

The club has secured the coveted ‘O’ plate event for the Honda Cadet class on April 24th next spring and this boosted the entries for the first final of the day .

One driver stood out and dominated in superb style, turned out in all new bodywork graphics for his DRS team, Zak Ripley won by a cool 3 seconds over the 20 kart field. Oliver Marsh and Rubens Stanislaus finished behind in 2nd and 3rd, with Daniel Gale, Alfie Prince and Oliver Owen rounding out the top six. Summer champion Owen Tolley had wrapped up the title before the final round and had a day on the spectator banks with his Dad, no doubt telling him how he would have beaten Zak if he had been out there!

Ten karts made up the grid for the Mini Max class, summer champion Ronnie Mansfield also spent the day watching with his Dad and no doubt would have been entertained with the on track action. Freddy Simpson-Stacey had looked fast in the qualifying races but was delayed by contact with another competitor on the opening lap, this gave KPi driver Oliver Appleby a march on the rest which he held over the whole of the 13 laps, winning by a comfortable 4 seconds at the flag.

Behind Simpson-Stacey had made up for his earlier delay and caught Josh King in second place, passing him at the race’s end, King retaliated but failed disappointingly ending his race in the tyre barrier at one of the circuit’s infield hairpins.

Connor Garlick took the last spot on the podium from Thomas Rotherham, Benjamin Boras and Harry Ayers in 6th.

One of the successes of the BMKC is the Junior Subaru class and a healthy 16 karts assembled for their final race of the year at the circuit. As always this race was a tight and tense affair . Jenson Harvey, Max Goodwin and Charlie Nash fought tooth and nail over the lead over the opening laps. Nash had a spell in the lead and looked comfortable with it but Harvey and Goodwin were merely taking a breather and pounced when the #18 kart left the door open going into turn 1.

Harvey then did what he does best by holding Goodwin and Nash off to the flag with some class defensive driving. Goodwin wasn’t too concerned this time however as he wrapped up the championship with 2nd place, celebrating with both arms aloft at the finish line. Behind Nash in 3rd, Nathan Jeffrey and Zac Spence had latched onto the leading trio to finish 4th and 5th, with Ross Connelly in 6th.

The fastest karts of the day were up next for their 14 lap blast, Senior Rotax Kent Cup and circuit summer champion – Jonathan Wilkes took off like a rocket and left the others in his wake, his Project One kart winning by 6.2 seconds from a good battle between Jake Wall and Anthony Sagona, Wall hanging on to the runner up spot after a couple of close attempts to pass from an on form Sagona. Luke Beeson finished not far behind in 4th from Nathan Jones and Stephen Bouffe.

The Junior Rotax class were up next with 11 runners taking to the circuit. Project One’s Charlie Bennett dominated in a style similar to his Senior classed teammate, to win by 7.2 seconds. Liam Carter was the best behind Bennett in second, sealing the summer championships as he did so. He was clear of Harry Gent who had battled his way through to third, from Sean Berry and Lewis Ridd, Liam Hamblin rounded off the top six.

At 22 karts largest field of the day was for the Honda Clubman class and their final rounded off the day’s events . As a young 8 year old who first came into this class earlier this year, Oliver Greenall (Evolution racing) has always gone well at this circuit , and this was to be no exception, as he won by 4.6 seconds and clinched the summer championship in style.

Things were very close behind the championship winning #64 kart, as the rest of the field fought tooth and nail over the runner up spot. Anthony Amato’s recent upturn in form rewarded him with second place, by less than 0.2 seconds over Alex Moody. Callum Gunning took 4th from Louis Horsley and Sebastian Bloch, who had climbed up from a lowly grid slot.

The full Championship standings can be found on the ‘Official’ Bayford Meadows Kart Circuit’s Facebook page.