British MSA Super One Series, Round 3

from Graham Smith

For the third round of the British Kart Championships the series moved to the picturesque Cumbrian circuit of Rowrah, set in a quarry but with outstanding views over the nearby mountain ranges.  The club has been pressing on with many improvements such as an enlarged parc ferme, WiFi internet access and live timing. 

The meeting escaped lightly considering the torrential rain affecting racing further south, and only Friday morning was really wet, with all of Sunday dry.

Above: KF1 winner Mark Litchfield goes by the clubhouse
pic - Chris Walker, kartpix.net

Renault MSA Junior British Kart Championship: KF3
Jake Dennis and Alexander Albon came out of the weekend even with a win and second apiece.  Although Albon beat polesitter Dennis off the line in the first final, Dennis quickly redressed the balance only to have to give way to Guilherme Silva.   That too was quickly rebuffed and after a brief flurry to lead changes Dennis escaped to a three second win. 

Albon hauled himself back into contention despite a down on power motor, drafting past Silva at the furthest most corner of the picturesque circuit.  He then had to mount a stiff defence until Silva’s attempt to pass with a nudge only gave Jake Dalton an opening.  Sennan Fielding was waiting in line, and after Silva had regained third, he nipped past Dalton at the Pits corner then surprised Silva at the entrance to the chicane.  Dalton took advantage of the situation by grasping fourth into the first hairpin, Silva relegated to fifth with Jordan King coming up fast. 

In the second final, Dennis took the hole shot but Fielding found the pace to pass at the first hairpin.  As the pair traded the lead, Albon had thrown off King’s challenge and ate up the gap to the leaders, slicing under Fielding at Pits and then drafting Dennis down to the top corner.  With new found pace he left the rest, even Dennis unable to stay with him.   Fielding lost fourth when his rear wheel fell off, already passed by Jordan King.  “We were struggling a little bit out of the bottom corner so changed the engine for the second final,” Albon explained.  “We had the pace in the first final and got a gap, then in the second we lost a bit of mid-range power but we have come out of the weekend just the same in the championship so its good,” said Dennis.

Results: Final 1
1 Jake Dennis (Topkart)
2 Alexander Albon (Tonykart)
3 Sennan Fielding (Tonykart)
4 Jake Dalton (Alonso)
5 Guilherme Silva (Tonykart)
6 Jordan King (Maranello). 

Final 2
1 Albon
2 Dennis
3 King
4 Callum Bowyer (Intrepid)
5 Silva
6 Xavier Warburton (Birel). 

Championship standings
1 Jake Dennis 294
2 Alexander Albon 281
3 Jordan King 252
4 Callum Bowyer 244
5 Paul Hardy 244
6 Sam Blake 231

Above: Jake Dennis
pic - Chris Walker, kartpix.net

Above: Alexander Albon
pic - Chris Walker, kartpix.net

Above: The KF3 podium
pic - Chris Walker, kartpix.net

Renault MSA British Kart Championship: KF1
Defending champion Mark Litchfield finally found form at Rowrah, despite a small setback when his engine lost power in a heat.  He quickly disposed of Lee Bell, Elliott Burton and Richard Bradley on the opening laps of the first final and then gave a classic lesson to the others by drawing out over four seconds.  Bradley had tried to re-take the lead, bur ripped a bead retainer out of a wheel and pitted with his second puncture of the weekend.  That left Jonathan Walker defending second from Bell and Robert Foster-Jones, until Bell moved up and Foster-Jones down to sixth.  Luke Wright was on the rise, taking Walker at Pits Corner and Ben Cooper would soon follow.  Cooper was recovering from a heavy crash in a heat, as indeed also was Walker. 

In the second final, Litchfield roared from start to finish unheaded, this time with nearly six seconds in hand.  Wright gave chase, until Bell elbowed past at the second hairpin, Cooper right behind and waiting his turn.  Walker started a downward spiral when Jordon Lennox-Lamb drafted past soon emulated by Denis Gorman snd Elliott Burton, but Gorman fell to ninth later.  Cooper was helping Wright towards Bell and they hung him out to dry at the Pits Corner, then the next lap Cooper saw his chance and grabbed second.  Wright was suffering from a loose exhaust, hampering his power.  “We’ve finally got it together after changing engines to the TM and going back to basics,” enthused Litchfield whilst Cooper added: “The kart was good to start with, then slowed a bit in the middle of the race before coming on again towards the end, so it was important to get a good result this weekend.  Luckily the kart was pretty undamaged in the crash but my back and leg are hurting.”

Results: Final 1
1 Mark Litchfield (Maranello)
2 Lee Bell (Wright)
3 Luke Wright (Tonykart)
4 Ben Cooper (Tonykart)
5 Jonathan Walker (Gillard)
6 Robert Foster-Jones (FA Kart). 

Final 2
1 Litchfield
2 Cooper
3 Wright
4 Bell
5 Elliot Burton (Tonykart)
6 Jordan Lennox-Lamb (Topkart).

Championship standings
1 Ben Cooper 276
2 Jordon Lennox-Lamb 266
3 Lee Bell 266
4 Mark Litchfield 265
5 Luke Wright 255
6 Robert Foster-Jones 251

Above: Part of the Rowrah pits
pic - Chris Walker, kartpix.net

Renault ABkC Formula KF2
Although Shaun Carter quickly took over the first final lead from Josh Fielding, Jordan Chamberlain was waiting in the wings, following Charles Bonsey past Fielding and then leapfrogged team-mate Carter into first.  Fielding recovered to second but no-one could live with the leader's pace as Chamberlain opened up a two second cushion.  Bonsey fell back to fifth behind David Wagner whilst heat winner Jake Ball had pitted to replace a missing front fairing.

It was virtually the same in the second final, but with Chamberlain immediately taking the lead over Fielding.  Carter had found a little more pace, and jumped Fielding, splitting the train into Chamberlain and him at the front, then the pair of Bonsey and Fielding, and a gap to Steven Napier and the rest.  Carter found the pace mid-race to move into the lead, but within a couple of laps, Chamberlain was back in command and haring away for a two second win.  Fielding and Bonsey continued to fight, and once Chris Lock had disposed of Ashley Sutton, he crept up and snatched third.

Results: Final 1
1 Jordan Chamberlain (Tonykart)
2 Josh Fielding (Tonykart)
3 Shaun Carter (Tonykart)
4 David Wagner (Gillard)
5 Charles Bonsey (Tonykart)
6 Steven Napier (Maranello)

Final 2
1 Chamberlain
2 Carter
3 Chris Lock (Tonykart)
4 Fielding
5 Ashley Sutton (Octane)
6 Bonsey

Above: Jordan Chamberlain
pic - Chris Walker, kartpix.net

Above: KF2 podium
pic - Chris Walker, kartpix.net

ABkC Dunlop Cadet
The first final was an all-time classic, with George Russell taking up the early running, trading the lead with Matthew Graham.  As they fought the next train drafted up, allowing Sam Vanderpump to leapfrog into the lead and soon Russell found himself down in fifth.  Graham fought back, but only held the lead momentarily before Vanderpump took it back with Russell working his way into second.  The pair proceeded to trade the lead, occasionally having Sam Webster as the interloper but as soon as Russell thought he had a cushion, the rest drafted back onto him.  Webster re-took the lead, Russell hung out to dry and falling to sixth, but Vanderpump vaulted into the lead  only for Webster to snatch it back.  In the final melee, Max Vaughan sprung from nowhere as Vanderpump was pushed wide onto the grass dropping to seventh, and Webster to fifth.  So Vaughan won from Alex Gill, what a race! 

In the second final, Vaughan had an early break, and looked comfortably out ahead of Russell and Webster for much of the race.  But Vanderpump and Gill were working together, slipstreaming kart after kart on their way to the front and suddenly Vaughan looked in great danger and started defending in vain as the pair gobbled him up.  Webster also saw an opening and took the final podium position on the last lap, Vanderpump a delighted and ecstatic winner over Gill.

Results: Final 1
1 Max Vaughan (Zip)
2 Alex Gill (Wright)
3 George Russell (Zip)
4 Matthew Graham (Zip)
5 Sam Webster (Zip)
6 Harry Woodhead (Zip)

Final 2
1 Sam Vanderpump (Tonykart)
2 Gill
3 Webster
4 Vaughan
5 Ricky Collard (Zip)
6 Graham

Above: Cadet winner Sam Vanderpump
pic - Chris Walker, kartpix.net

Titbits

• At the direction of the National Court, Ben Cooper's appeal against exclusion at the first round was re-heard by the Stewards, but the outcome was the same and he is re-instated in the results.  Thus there is no change to the championship standings which are no longer provisional.
• Former Junior Max driver Robert Gilmour was having his first race in Super One KF2, but faced a torrid weekend starting with thrown chains and then later non-finishing both finals. 
• Italian KF2 ace driver Matteo Vigano was an interested spectator supporting friend Jordon Lennox-Lamb.  His proposed drive in the series fell through, he normally races for IAME in the MGM Birel team alongside Jason Parrott.
• New lap records were set by Mark Litchfield (KF1), Chris Lock (KF2), Alex Albon (KF3) and Alex Gill (Cadet).
• Full race results and championships standings on http://www.s1series.co.uk/9M_3_Rowrah.htm

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