Parrott's World Championship Event Review

press release

Jason Parrott’s performance at last weekend’s World Kart Championship was encouraging, with his speed putting in podium positions until he suffered an engine failure at La Conca in the far south of Italy. The World Championship is a one-weekend event, which drivers qualify for based on previous performance, adding up to a tremendous atmosphere.

Despite concerns about a lack of power, hard work from both Jason and his team, MGM Racing, had him qualifying 18th, about a third of the way down the ranking and a position that he could build on in the heats, which would determine the grid positions for the Prefinal.

With eighth, fifth and fourth in his three heats, Jason successfully avoided all the usual first corner crashes to earn a ninth place starting position on the grid. He was now very confident of the kart setup and that he could overcome many more of the opposing drivers.

Running at his qualifying pace during the Prefinal to take the fastest lap, Jason came home sixth after a highly competitive race where he dispatched several other title contenders. He was pumped when he came back to the pits, telling the team, “I can do this.”

So at the start of the decisive Final, Jason was part of a breakaway at the front of the field and as the drivers in front of him jockeyed for position he looked for gaps he could take advantage of.

pics - Chris Walker/Kartpix.net

After two laps, the favourite Arnaud Kozlinski’s engine gave way, promoting everyone up a place. Then the third-placed driver Davide Fore attacked the leaders, but this just gave Jason the opportunity to move into a gap at the hairpin. Fore was immediately forced to defend his position, allowing Jason to build up a margin of safety in third.

But after a couple of laps of steady gains on the two leaders things went into reverse and Jason lost several places over the next ten laps until his engine also gave up, forcing him into a spin that signified his race was over, and leaving the Italian Marco Ardigo to win for the second year in a row.

When they returned to the pits, data acquisition engineer Neil Berryman looked at the charts and the most likely conclusion was that the problem had been electronics related.

“I really did have a good chance there,” said Jason, “We all worked so hard on it as running at the front and being fastest really weren’t looking possible at the start of the weekend.”

The next race planned is the final round of the WSK International Series which will be near Zaragoza in Spain at the start of October, and although the championship is already decided Jason will be aiming for a repeat of his win in the championship earlier in the year in France.

Home