‘Ginger Flame’ Ash Hand on fire as he defeats champion in last lap thriller 10.10.2009: Nuneaton karting star Ash Hand saved the best right ‘til last in the 2009 Formula Kart Stars (FKS) Championship, with a dogged drive to pull off arguably the move of the season and deprive champion and year

Nuneaton karting star Ash Hand saved the best right ‘til last in the 2009 Formula Kart Stars (FKS) Championship, with a dogged drive to pull off arguably the move of the season and deprive champion and year-long rival Matt Parry of victory in the final race of the campaign just yards from the chequered flag at Whilton Mill.

Ash travelled to his local circuit sitting sixth in the Junior Max title chase, in the same series that first set none other than a certain Lewis Hamilton on the fast track to superstardom, and one that now boasts the prestigious official backing of both F1’s youngest-ever title-winner and the sport’s influential ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone. With only just over 50 points separating him from the runner-up spot in the drivers’ standings, much was still to play for.

A competitive fourth position in qualifying on the Saturday amongst the 28-strong field – composed of the indisputable crème de la crème of young British driving talent – was converted into a disappointing fifth place in the pre-final following an early delay, but then a strong run to third in the grand final later on, barely a second shy of the winner at the close, ensured that the opening day ended on a positive note.

“I was really happy with Saturday’s result,” the 15-year-old underlined, “because we didn’t have the pace we needed to race at the front to be honest. I couldn’t have pushed any more than I did, but I just kept it nice and consistent and was pleased to finish third.”

Lapping comfortably quickest in the Sunday morning warm-up was an encouraging start to day two, but a misguided set-up change ahead of qualifying left Ash a tenth off the ultimate pace and third on the starting grid. After overcoming both an early tangle and Saturday pace-setter Lee Napolitano in the final, the Maple Park teenager went on to chase down his season-long nemesis and newly-crowned champion Parry, a driver now freed of the shackles of having to drive cautiously to make sure of the crown and at one stage almost two seconds in front. What ensued was a real edge-of-the-seat thriller that went right the way down to the last corner of the last lap, and was widely acclaimed by observers as having been the best race of 2009.

“It’s generally better to be third on the grid than second,” Ash explained, “because you’re on the grippier side and that gives you the chance to follow the leader through. It went really well at the start and I went straight over the bump on the left-hand side of the track and into second, but then going into a left-hander later around the lap Ollie Varney lunged me; his nosecone got tangled in my bumper and that cost me a couple of positions.

“I got Varney straight back again, but then had a bit of a gap ahead to Napolitano in second. I knew I was a bit quicker than Lee, but equally I knew I couldn’t afford to make any silly mistakes. I caught him and sat behind him for a little while, then decided I really needed to make a move because Parry was getting away in the lead. After I had cleared Lee I began closing on Matt, but I knew it was quite a big gap and that it was going to be difficult to close it – and because we were faster than each other in different parts of the circuit, it was difficult to judge just how quickly I was catching him.

“Then suddenly I was just taking chunks out of him, which I really hadn’t expected. He made a bit of a mistake and we got into a battle – I think we must have overtaken each other about four or five times in the end! When I got past him the first time I decided I would push as hard as I could to see if I could break away, but when I saw I wasn’t going to drop him I knew it was going to be a hard race for both of us – but it was really good fun at the same time!

“On the last lap Matt passed me into Christmas Corner, and after that he was defending at every opportunity, so I went really wide instead into the final right-hander and got the cut-back on him. I had been planning it from the start of the lap, after taking note of the lines he was generally using and mistakes he was making.”

The exact same tactic had produced the exact same effect on Varney at Genk in Belgium in the summer, and the result marked Ash’s first win in FKS since the Kimbolton curtain-raiser all the way back in April. Making a point of thanking both his parents and his P1 Racing team, it was a performance that had spectators and commentators alike on their feet in rapture and waxing lyrical about the supremely intelligent manner in which the George Eliot School pupil had set the move up.

Fastest lap into the bargain was the icing on the cake, and secured fourth spot in the final championship standings, albeit just an agonising seven points shy of second – “that’s just the way things go sometimes; the cards don’t always fall your way,” he mused – as Ash signed off in superb style. Nicknamed the ‘Ginger Flame’ by his mechanics, if it is true that you are only ever as good as your last race, then the Warwickshire speed demon will be basking in the light of his dramatic last-gasp Whilton Mill glory winter-long.

Allied to other triumphs in fellow national series Super 1 and the prestigious annual Kartmasters meeting, there may have been mistakes along the way in 2009, but Ash has learned from them well. Hard to believe that he is still only in his second full year of competitive racing, in his third, you sense, it will be difficult for anyone to stop him.

“I was really, really happy!” he enthused, looking back over the weekend. “Matt has been my main rival all year, so to come out on top in the last race and beat him just after he had won the championship was fantastic!

“The team has done really well this year, and together we’ve learned a lot. I think I’ve improved a lot as a driver, too; instead of just being fast I think about my racing a lot more now, planning things out better – mainly because I’m that much more experienced now – and next year will be the year we really step up!”

To keep up-to-date with Ash’s latest results and career news, please visit: www.p1r.co.uk

- RA -   Photo Chris Walker kartpix.net