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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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