Top Kart Wins World Under 18s in Bahrain
Tweet| 16 November 2012 |
press release
Kart 1 Racing driver Joey Mawson won the final round of the CIK-FIA Under 18 World Karting Championship in Bahrain in a Top Kart factory backed Twister chassis.
Joey’s win is the first by an Australian since James Courtney in 1997 and saw him out drive respected French driver Charles Leclerc and British driver Ben Barnicoat.
It was by no means an easy win for Mawson, who could have been out of the race meeting in the 1st practice, which saw him crash with a fellow competitor and nearly roll. Even with the crash, which resulted in a bent steering column, Joey was still the quickest in the session by 2 tenths. The next two practice sessions saw Joey have to realise where he could be quicker on the track and make adjustments to his driving. This learning curve resulted in Joey qualifying 12th overall.
The heats brought great results – Heat 1 – 2nd, Heat 2 -1st, Heat 3 – 5th, Heat 4 – 1st, which continued on through the Pre-finals – Pre-final 1 – 4th, Pre-final 2 – 11th after starting from 33rd in the reverse grid.
During the course of the pre-finals and final, the Top Kart factory team surrounding Joey suffered problems with the starter motor and battery failing and having to be replaced 3 times. The last time 5 minutes before the final, which meant a flurry of activity to get Joey on the track in his starting position of 4th. What would have caused most drivers to be spooked only gave Joey more determination to go out there and win.
Mawson stated after the race - ““It was definitely a hard race, the track layout was extremely tough and made it hard to get a break. The last six laps I was under a fair bit of pressure, as if someone is within four kart lengths they’re within striking range. I would have been happy with a podium finish to round the year off but to come away with a win is just amazing – not only for me but also for Australian karting.”
He went on to explain how overwhelmed he was - “When I crossed the line for the win, I was just overwhelmed with emotion. It is the first time ever that I’ve cried in my helmet. None of this would be possible without the dedication and commitment from my parents, along with Kart 1 Racing’s Tim Craig, the Australian Motor Sport Foundation, Top Kart, Fujitsu, Xzuit and Bell Helmets”
