There was some fantastic racing at Buckmore Park for the penultimate round of the Summer Championships.
Buckmore Park Kart Club Summer Championships round 7.
Competitors began Sunday’s penultimate BPKC championship round with a cold and wet track surface, after the early morning frost had melted with the aid of a dose of crystals put down by the circuit team. With the low winter sun barely clearing the dense woodland, the majority of the circuit remained slippery and tricky until the afternoon’s finals were underway.
Bambinos.
Just five Bambinos drivers took to the undulating circuit during the day. Oscar O’Sullivan led the diminutive quintet, with the quickest time in the first timed run. Michael Walker took the honours in the second as O’Sullivan failed to start and it was Walker who prevailed as the fastest in the afternoon’s final too.
He ran close on track with O’Sullivan and celebrated in style as he crossed the finish line with the fastest time, with a lap nearly a second faster than O’Sullivan. Although the two were then equal on points, Walker took the overall win on a tiebreak. Freddie Duncan was in the top three during the trio of runs and finished in that position in the final, waving three digits in the air on one hand as took the chequered flag. Laith Khan finished fourth from Nicolo Pozzi in fifth.
Honda Clubman/IAME.
The morning’s heat win went comfortably to Jamie Perilly in the Clubman class and he wrapped up the Pre Final too, leaving him odds on favourite for the main afternoon’s final. Season class regulars Joseph Knight, Maksymillian Solaski, Leon Frost and Jack Matthews were having their customary battles amongst themselves, behind the speedy Perilly. Frost proved to be quick in the wet heat but slipped to 5th in the drier Pre Final, leaving Knight to finish 2nd from Solarski with Matthews in 4th.
The opening lap of the final brought drama as the previously untouchable Perilly had a disastrous first lap crossing the line down in 11th. ‘Mad Max’ Solarski looked in great form as he led them across the line, it was frantic at the front though as Knight and Frost took turns in the lead before the green 303 Squadron kart of Solarski took the initiative over the main part of the 16 lap final. Knight ramped up the pressure towards the end of the race and after initially failing to snatch the lead, managed to make it stick when it counted, taking a much deserved victory in his Virtus kart, especially after picking up so many 2nd placed trophies this year. Solarski impressed with 2nd place, just losing out at the end, Frost’s Clarke kart took 3rd, in 4th was novice Jack Badger putting in a stellar drive by managing to pip Jack Matthews, the Lydd championship based driver revelling on his visit to Buckmore Park. Perilly briefly managed to fight his way back up to 5th before spinning at the still slippy turn 1, dropping him back behind the KPi kart of Matthews to 6th. Two young lady drivers filled the next positions, Macie Hitter and overseas circuit visitor Lily Djavanbahkt 7th & 8th.
Jacob Baldry finished 9th overall and 1st in the IAME class, Jakub Jakoniuk couldn’t work his way through the Clubman runners as swiftly as Jacob to challenge him, but fared better than the other two class entrants, as Craig Morgan retired and Eden Spanswick failed to get off of the line when his engine failed to start.
Junior Max.
Project One’s Declan Lee started the Junior Max final from pole position after winning both the morning heat and the Pre Final, with the circuit now dry though his earlier pace had dropped off. After 4 laps at the front holding off his teammates Jack Steadman and James Wharrier, he found KPi’s Jack Davis a more serious threat.
Davis had gambled in the Pre Final by starting the race on slicks, when his leading adversaries were on wets, the gamble didn’t pay off then finishing 7th, however what it did do was give him a great legup for the final as the rest of the field couldn’t live with his pace. Starting 7th he shot up through those in front, passing Lee and then pulling clear with ease, leaving the Project One trio behind, Davis’s KPi teammate Oliver Appleby who had started 3rd, found that his Kart had great pace too, as he moved through into 2nd place, making it a KPi one two. Lee eventually dropped to 5th behind teammates Steadman and Wharrier, 6th went to Lewis Boret, 7th Sam Sanders, Will Egby was 8th, Josh Wellard 9th and novice Kamil Garifullin the last runner in 10th. Zac Spence had showed good pace on his class debut driving for Ambition racing only to retire in the final. Jack Steadman took the fastest lap on the last tour of the 18 lap race.
Honda Cadet.
The top three in the Honda Cadet class were racing for the prestigious ‘H’ trophies this month, these have been awarded at the November club event since the tragic death of Henry Surtees in 2009. With the recent announcement of the circuit no longer supporting BPKC club events, the awards took on an extra significance for what could be the final time that they are presented. Declan Russell has been edging closer to the front as the year has progressed and he led away the 14 Kart field over the opening laps in his Evolution machine.
Sonny Smith and Edward Pearson soon worked together and moved in front of Russell, then managing to pull a gap. Russell then having his hands full trying to keep Oliver Greenall and Zach Ripley behind him. Back at the front Pearson shadowed Smith to the end, just unable to mount an attack and finishing just 0.37 seconds behind the delighted Smith. Greenall secured third place as Russell and Ripley swapped places over the last couple of laps, with Russell taking 4th. Oscar Teuten finished 6th, Ryan Willis 7th, Ethian Symonds 8th, Ronnie Mansfield 9th and Jai Lawrence 10th. Pearson secured the fastest lap on his way to second place.
Senior Rotax Max, 177 & X30.
Just six seniors made it onto the circuit for their penultimate race day at the circuit with the BPKC club. The one driver who made it his own by dominating all day, was Myles Apps. He returned to the circuit where he has very fond and successful memories.
He took all 3 heat wins and also the fastest lap on his way to a 9 second victory in the 15 lap final. Harry Smithson did he all he could to stay with Apps driving well to 2nd place.
Mark Figes in the 177 class was next up in 3rd, he was the sole runner in the category, Mike Ashby had a troubled run to 4th after fighting an intermittent engine cut out problem and damaged floor tray. X30 driver Michael Hafford was 5th, the last remaining competitor Chris Kalavashoti had a fright on the last lap when his throttle stuck wide open going into the first corner, resulting in a hefty shunt, thankfully with no injuries to report.
Junior X30/Mini X30/ Mini Max.
Ambition racing’s Owen Tolley won the JX30 Pre Final and led away from the start as the 19 lap Final got underway. His lead didn’t last long though as last year’s Cadet ‘H’ plate victor was pushed back to 3rd by the second hairpin. Daniel Gale had hit the front and looked very quick, Freddy Simpson-Stacey had a lighting first lap as he fought his way up to 2nd from 5th on the grid.
As the race settled down the Evolution kart of Simpson-Stacey closed in on the Roalf racing Hyundai backed Kart of Gale. By mid distance he had taken the lead only for Gale to fight back immediately. On lap 15 Simpson-Stacey placed his kart on the inside of Gale into turn 1, the two running side by side, unfortunately for Gale this meant that he hit the slippery damp outside line, costing him vital seconds and places as both Tolley and his teammate Alfie Prince slipped through.
Gale never really recovered from this moment and also picked up a flag penalty as he was classified 5th overall (4th in class). At the front the Ambition racing pairing, running nose to tail closed in on Simpson-Stacey and looked a threat for the win, however Tolley was struggling to exit hairpin 2 and this cost him a chance to mount a challenge finishing 1 second behind Simpson-Stacey at the finish. Alfie Prince stayed close to Tolley to take 3rd, 4th overall and first in class was Mini X30 driver Oliver Bearman.
He had been giving the faster JX30 runners something to think about all day, as he pestered them on his class debut at the circuit. 6th overall and second in the Mini X30 class was Kristian Brookes, next up was Scott Sumpton (5th in JX30), 8th was Alfie Brooks who had a tough day, Christian Lilley was 9th and Bradley Hardy 10th. The sole Mini Max driver was Brandon Klein Nagelvoort who finished 11th overall. Owen Tolley took the race’s fastest lap on the 18th tour.
Next month December 17th will be the final round of the BPKC summer championship and also the final event from the long running club at the circuit.