Harry Crawley proves good things come in threes with stunning debut Junior Max triumph 10.12.2009: Had the logical progression been continued, young Dartford karting star Harry Crawley would have finished second in his third Junior Max meeting at PF International, having taken the chequered flag respectively fourth and third

Had the logical progression been continued, young Dartford karting star Harry Crawley would have finished second in his third Junior Max meeting at PF International, having taken the chequered flag respectively fourth and third in his two previous outings – but he did rather better than that...

Admitting that the considerably more aggressive nature of Junior Max competition had initially taken some getting used to – after graduating to the class off the back of a superb campaign at Mini Max level, in which he had claimed the runner-up laurels in the national, Lewis Hamilton and Bernie Ecclestone-endorsed Formula Kart Stars (FKS) Championship – Harry headed to PF in Lincolnshire bidding to build upon his podium finish at Three Sisters a week earlier, and facing a high-calibre, ultra-competitive field of some 32 entrants, the majority of whom boasted significantly more experience than he did.

“We had a couple of problems during practice, but we were still quite quick,” related the Hawley ace. “We kept that pace going all day long, and that left us feeling confident of looking strong on race day too – but on Sunday morning the weather was really bad, with the rain pouring down and lots of puddles on the track.”

Nonetheless, Harry has rarely failed to shine when the weather turns nasty, revelling in the kind of treacherous conditions that catch out the unwary and truly separate the wheat from the chaff. Moreover, the 13-year-old had expertly triumphed at PF in FKS during the summer after the heavens opened with a vengeance – and in a damp opening heat he rose up through the order from a mid-grid starting slot to seal an excellent third place at the close, before mastering the greasy track surface later on in heat two to overcome an early knock and battle his way grittily back to eighth position.

“In the first heat I made a really good start and took about ten places into the first corner,” he recounted. “After that I just kept my head and worked my way up to fourth, before one of the drivers ahead of me fell off which left me third.

“Unfortunately, in the second heat I was taken off at the first corner which dropped me down to 25th place, but I kept my head again and managed to work my way back up to eighth by the end, which I thought was quite good in the circumstances. It was hard work because of the conditions and how slippery the track was, but I enjoy fighting my way through the pack like that.”

That much was palpable, and Harry’s stellar performances and refusal to be beaten successfully secured him a front row starting spot for the all-important final – albeit on the unenviable outside line, which left him resigned to conceding some ground when the lights went out.

What was worse, the Evolution Racing speed demon then found himself unceremoniously savaged by a number of opponents during the course of a particularly ‘lively’ opening lap, but impressively the unwelcome attentions failed either to unsettle him or derail him from his stride. After working his way almost effortlessly into the lead, there he would stay – and Harry subsequently sounded an ominous warning indeed to those hoping to steal away some of his thunder in 2010.

“I lost quite a few places at the start of the final and got hit several times around the first lap, which was quite annoying as there was no need for that at all,” concluded the Wilmington Grammar School for Boys pupil. “I just had to try to ignore it, keep cool and carry on with the job I had to do. My adrenaline was up and it was an exciting race, and I had the speed to come through the pack quite well.

“I retained my composure and just focussed on staying consistent. I worked my way back up to second and was then challenging Danny Sweeney for the lead when he pulled off, and after that I just maintained the gap. I knew James Singleton was chasing me towards the end, but equally I also knew he was being caught in-turn and would have to defend his position. That meant I didn’t need to defend around the last lap and was able to take my normal lines, and I was never worried they would be able to attack me.

“It was great to win, and I enjoyed the weekend a lot. I’d like to thank my mum and dad and Evolution Racing for all of their help – and the aim now has to be to stay up there and keep on winning!”

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


- RA - photo CHris Walker kartpix.net