Super One MSA Series: Round 17/18 at Fulbeck review

Lincolnshire 17/18.10.09

MSA British Junior Kart Championships: KF3

With Alexander Albon having secured the Junior British title at the preceding round, the focus shifted to the runner-up spot.  Callum Bowyer was magnificent in both finals, with a lights to flag victory in the first, and throwing off an early challenge from Jordan King in the second for another win.  “It’s been brilliant racing, I couldn’t ask for a better weekend,” he said thanking his many supporters. 

Jake Dennis ran him close in the first final, but decided the championship was more important than a lead challenge, however he was excluded for allegedly causing an incident at the start.  His appeal to the Stewards was not upheld, so he started the second final last, and the Racing Steps Foundation supported driver stormed through to what would become third to clinch the series vice-champion position.

 “I fought really hard, knowing I had to beat Sennan, but he crashed, so I just picked the rest of,” explained Dennis.  Sennan Fielding had knocked his exhaust off in the start melee and had to pit for repairs, but he held onto third in the points.  Paul Hardy was given the black flag in the first final for an alleged pass on a yellow flag, starting the second in seventeenth spot but vaulting to third then inheriting second when Jake Dalton was excluded for an engine irregularity. 


Results

Final 1
1 Callum Bowyer Alonso
2 Jake Dalton Alonso
3 Jordan King Maranello
4 Sennan Fielding Tonykart
5 Thomas Balmer Topkart
6 Xavier Warburton Birel

Final 2
1 Bowyer
2 Paul Hardy Intrepid
3 Jake Dennis Topkart
4 King
5 Ben Barnicoat Topkart
6 Macaulay Walsh Birel
 

Final Provisional Points standings
1 Alexander Albon 444
2 Jake Dennis 424
3 Sennan Fielding 413
4 Callum Bowyer 399
5 Macaulay Walsh 393
6 Jordan King 391
 

MSA British Kart Championships: KF1

In a dramatic twist at the end of the day, Robert Foster-Jones was crowned champion by the narrowest of margins after the title favourite Ben Cooper was eliminated.   Foster-Jones believed he had to win both finals, with Ben Cooper lower than third, to take the title, and he was quick to leapfrog Jonathan Walker and head the first final.  Cooper was soon in pursuit, having passed Walker who immediately came under pressure from outgoing champion Mark Litchfield, and Richard Bradley.

 Knowing that a second place would gain Cooper the title, Foster-Jones allowed him to pass, then immediately shouldered him aside to get back in the lead, in the process backing Cooper into the pursuing pack, where he was quickly swallowed up to finish fifth.  Bradley had come through for second ahead of Litchfield.  Cooper’s team protested the alleged unfair tactics, without recourse, then appealed again to the Stewards, again losing. 

Meantime darkness was approaching, the karts taking to the track at 6pm for their second final.  Foster-Jones was pushed wide at the start, whilst Litchfield and Bradley nearly came to a stop in the gravel trap, letting Cooper stretch out a big lead over Luke Wright from his grid five start.  Sparks were flying in the gloom as the karts attacked the chicane kerbs, Foster-Jones setting a lightning pace to claw back into contention, hunting down the leader. 

Cooper gave up the lead and fell back to avoid trouble, but again Foster-Jones slowed the pace until Cooper, seeing the others approaching, made a rash move, as they came out of the pits complex side by side, neither giving way, and squeezing Foster-Jones over a high kerb, putting him up on two wheels.  Cooper came off worst, spearing off to the side, whilst Foster-Jones came in third behind Bradley, with Litchfield a surprised winner. 

The Clerk of the Course then excluded Cooper from the meeting, meaning he could not drop the zero score for his points total putting him right out of championship contention.  That decision meant Foster-Jones claimed the title by one point over Mark Litchfield. 

“He forced me over the kerb, it was very dangerous,” said Foster-Jones afterwards.  The Ricky Flynn Motorsport driver wins a free test with Manor Competition, and has in fact signed with them for the Formula Renault Winter Series.
 

Results

Final 1
1 Robert Foster-Jones Alonso
2 Richard Bradley Tonykart
3 Mark Litchfield Alonso
4 Jonathan Walker Gillard
5 Ben Cooper Tonykart
6 Luke Wright Tonykart

Final 2
1 Litchfield
2 Bradley
3 Foster-Jones
4 Elliot Burton Tonykart
5 Walker
6 Wright

Final Provisional Points standings
1 Robert Foster-Jones 425
2 Mark Litchfield 424
3 Luke Wright 408
4 Richard Bradley 405
5 Jordon Lennox-Lamb 399
6 Jonathan Walker 390
 

ABkC National Championship for KF2

With Chris Lock having pulled out due to a wrist injury received in a heat, Jordan Chamberlain converted pole to lead out of the first corner, chased by Jake Lloyd with a swift start of grid five.  Shaun Carter started last after troublesome heats, but was soon defending third from Jake Ball.  With three laps to run, Lloyd darted up the inside of Chamberlain at the last corner, the European Champion and soon to be crowned ABkC champion deciding not to make any risky move and settling for second. 

In the second final, Chamberlain was beaten off the start by Lloyd and Carter, then hung out to dry at the last hairpin to fall to tenth.  He would work back to fourth.  Josh Fielding was vaulting through the pack after a first final non-finish, finally taking Carter into the chicane and pulling clear to win.  James Godbehere was also on a charge, relieving Carter of second and just holding onto the position as his tyres faded on the last lap.

 
Results

Final 1
1 Jake Lloyd Tonykart
2 Jordan Chamberlain Tonykart
3 Shaun Carter Tonykart
4 Jake Ball Tonykart
5 Charles Bonsey Tonykart
6 Stuart Sellars RK

Final 2
1 Josh Fielding Tonykart
2 James Godbehere Maranello
3 Carter
4 Chamberlain
5 Tom Joyner Gillard
6 David Morris-Jones Alonso

Final provisional points standings
1 Jordan Chamberlain 444
2 Shaun Carter 428
3 Jake Ball 412
4 Chris Lock 388
5 Charles Bonsey 384
6 Alex Lynn 377
 

ABkC National Cadet Championship

Alex Gill had sewn up the title at the preceding round so the dispute was all about the runner-up spot.  The newly crowned MSA British Champion George Russell led a breakaway group of Ricky Collard and TJ Nelson, soon joined by Connor Jupp and Sam Webster.  Jupp came through to trade the lead with Russell, just hanging on for the last lap in first with Webster third.  Jupp converted his second final pole to lead Webster and go clear.  But Russell proved he had the pace to pull in the gap, and as the trio fought, they were joined by Oliver Norris and Collard. 

Russell momentarily broke clear, although he was soon caught be the train, Jupp re-taking the lead only to make a mistake and fall to a distant fifth.  Webster was the next to lead, but the wily Russell dived up the inside at the chicane for the win and vice-champion position, with Norris and Collard following through at the last corner, forcing Webster onto the grass for a disappointed fifth. 
 

Results

Final 1
1 Connor Jupp Zip
2 George Russell Zip
3 Sam Webster Zip
4 Trevyn Jay Nelson Zip
5 Ricky Collard Zip
6 Josh White Zip

Final 2
1 Russell
2 Oliver Norris Tonykart
3 Collard
4 Jupp
5 Webster
6 Nelson
 

Final provisional points standings
1 Alex Gill 439
2 George Russell 407
3 Sam Webster 402
4 Max Vaughan 400
5 Harry Woodhead 397
6 Matthew Graham 397


- Graham Smith