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Knock back's don't put Chris off!
October 2008
Last weekend was the final round of 'The British
Super One' for the KF3 Karting, the top level of
junior karting in the country, at Shenington in
Oxfordshire. Here Chris, aged 14 of Dagfa House
School, needed a good result to cement a
position on the top fifteen drivers in the
country.
The series of six meetings had attracted the top
50+ drivers in the UK, and all were keen to
finish on a high note. After nearly two days
testing in dry conditions they lined up on the
grid for the timed qualifying with the rain just
beginning to fall. Chris who was in the second
qualifying group went to start his kart as the
green lights came on, but it failed to start.
His mechanic ran to his assistance with a spare
battery, which started it immediately, but it
was ruled Chris had received outside assistance,
and therefore was disqualified from timed
qualifying.
The disqualification meant Chris had to start
from the back of the grid for both his heats,
and he was the only driver not to have been
round the track in the wet. but with the rain
falling ever harder by the minute, and
visibility when driving down to a few feet, he
rose to the challenge, coming in 5th in the
first heat and 8th in the second, giving himself
a grid position for the finals of P9, but his
joy was short lived when he was called to the
Stewards Office for an incident on the 3rd lap
of the second heat, when contact was made with
driver number 67, Sennan Fielding, causing
Sennan to lose two places. Despite Chris
pleading it was a racing incident in appalling
conditions, he was ruled to have gained unfair
advantage and given a 20 second penalty, which
dropped him back to 18th position for heat two
and P19 for the finals.
Not to be discouraged, Chris took his position
19th in a 32 kart final, but in a race that saw
an accident on the second corner, which allowed
the front twelve karts to get clean away, the
best he could manage was 15th.
Although a little disappointed, it looks as
though Chris achieved what he set out to do at
the beginning of the weekend, finishing in the
series in the top fifteen. in fact he may have
climbed up to as high as tenth, but at the
moment nothing has been confirmed due to
computer problems and an appeal. at nearly six
foot, Chris is easily the tallest driver in KF3
Junior racing, and mainly due to this he has
driven throughout this season several kilograms
overweight, which is a considerable disadvantage
at this level, and although he could continue at
this level until he is sixteen, it seems
sensible because of weight disadvantage, fro him
to move into KF2 Senior racing for next season,
which should he be accepted will make him one of
the youngest drivers at this level ever, if not
THE youngest.
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