Burns Just Misses Podium - Toyota Yamaha All Japan SL Kart Final

press release

As the drivers arrived at the track for race day, rain began to fall.  As it turned out the rain would persist all day.  It was the first rain of the meeting so all of the drivers only had one practice session to get a set-up for the wet.

Karl Wilson (NZ) said: “My rain dance last night worked”.  A wet weather specialist, Karl had struggled in the dry qualifying and was very happy to see the wet conditions.  Jason Burns on the other hand was not so happy to see the rain.  “I don’t like the wet” he commented.

After a fantastic 3rd place in the qualifying heat Jason started the final from 6th position.  He worked his way up to 4th after a good start but was unable to make any ground on the leaders.  “I couldn’t go any harder.  If I had I would have made mistakes and probably finished lower” he said.  Self confessed rain hater Jason might have to change his view after today’s result.

Kiwi Karl Wilson started the final from 9th position after being punted off in the qualifying heat.  He had moved up from his starting position of 28th to 9th in a great drive before being punted off.  “A guy came up the inside of me.  I held it wide but got hit from behind and that was it” he said.

In the final he got a bad start and got shuffled back to 15th.  He quickly made back these positions and come home in 7th position.  He said: “I got hung out to dry at the start.  I didn’t put myself in the best position though.  The kart felt OK at the start but went off towards the end so I couldn’t make any more progress.  When you get pushed so far back there’s no coming back from there”.

Veteran John McCleverty started the final from last position after spinning in the qualifying heat.  “I was lining up a move in the next corner but I didn’t get that far!” he joked.  He had an uneventful final, finishing in 12th position.

 

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