Samuel Oram-Jones bags four podiums in CIK-FIA Euro KF3 event 26.07.2012: Milton Keynes-based youngster makes his mark at PF International as he continues his first year in KF3

Milton Keynes-based youngster makes his mark at PF International as he continues his first year in KF3



Samuel Oram-Jones sent out a warning and showed it won’t be long until he claims his debut KF3 win, with a sensational performance last weekend in the second and final round of the 2012 CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship at PF International.


Sammy, who is competing in KF3 for the very first time this season, began the weekend in confident mood and having been quick in testing in his Millennium Motorsport-run kart, made his mark immediately by qualifying a very good third in his group and tenth overall.


The Milton Keynes-based youngster then made the most of his grid position to take three seconds, one third and a seventh in the five heats, only denied a clean sweep of podiums in the last heat after he was hit at the second hairpin.


Still he could console himself with the fact he still managed to set the fastest lap in his fifth heat.


The two finals promised much, but unfortunately a mysterious technical issue left him on the back-foot.


The 14-year-old kept his head down though, and despite being severely down on power, came away with a 12th and 13th, finishing the 2012 CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship with seven points and ranked a highly encouraging 23rd out of the 109 competitors.


“My pace was very good in the heats and I was very fast in nearly all of them,” Sammy reflected. “However on Sunday when we went out for first practice, my team-mate and I both had the exact same problem. We just had no power and while we tried to make it better for the finals it was exactly the same. I was getting dropped by people that earlier on in the weekend I had completely dominated and thought wouldn’t be anywhere near me.


“It was a real shame because our pace all weekend would have been enough to put me in the top-three and get some easy podiums. But unfortunately because of what happened it was just not possible.


“We showed what we can do in the heats though, and that gives me a lot of confidence going forward.


“A big thanks as ever to my dad for all his help over the weekend and to all at Millennium.”


Sammy’s focus now shifts to the 2012 British Super One MSA TKM Series and this coming weekend he will be at Glan Y Gors in North Wales (July 28-29). Following that he heads out almost immediately to Spain to race at Zuera in the fourth and final round in the 2012 WSK Euro Series (August 2-5).


“We have lots more racing coming up now and I am looking forward to it,” Sammy continued. “I haven’t been to GYG for over a year and I have never been there in KF3. However I know I will pick up the track extremely quickly again and I hope to win there and then do well in Zuera too.”


Sammy’s father and manager, Emil, meanwhile was encouraged by his son’s form over the four-days at PFi.


“It was a tremendous effort from Sammy. He worked very hard,” Emil added. “He qualified third in group and we took four podiums in the heats and he really should have won the one where he finished seventh too. He really showed his ability at the highest level and his performance and the results in the heats speak for themselves.


“Unfortunately the technical difficulties we experienced on Sunday didn’t allow him to race at the front in the finals. That was a shame and it ended up being one of those days you’d rather forget. The team worked hard to rectify the problem, but to no avail and currently it is still being investigated.


“Sammy still showed though what we always knew, and know, that he is very fast, given the right equipment. Overall he finished 23rd out of 109 competitors in 2012 CIK-FIA European KF3 Championship and as it is his first year in Europe in this category, that’s very good. To be at that level against the best in the world is tremendous.”



Rob Wilkins, photo Chris Walker kartpix.net