Easykart Rounds 7: Llandow, Wales – 10 August

The inaugural Easykart UK Heavy and Junior classes were settled at Llandow, whilst the battle for the Light class title will be resolved at the Whilton finale in September.

Heavy

Seven races, five wins and off the podium just once (when he finished 4th) - the statistics underline just how impressive Oliver George’s season has been. The man who takes his kart to races on a roof-rack, has proved that you don’t need to spend a fortune in order to become a champion.

Despite his clear points advantage over his closest rivals, London-based George vowed that he would still be going for the win in Wales. However, after testing on Saturday in the wet, he found himself trying to learn the lines and set his kart up for the dry. “My head wasn’t in shape” he also admitted, after Firas Bilbeisi pipped him for pole by 2 tenths.

Retreating back to his awning to give himself “a good talking to”, Oli changed his set-up for the pre-final. At the start, he got the jump on Bilbeisi and the pair pulled away. On lap 9, Bilbeisi’s recurrent bad luck returned and his engine seized, leaving George to take a comfortable win.

Needing only a top 6 to seal the Championship, Oliver knew that a good start and some quick consistent laps would be vital.

“I got my nose in front and pushed quite hard for the first five laps. Once I’d pulled away, it was just a case of holding it all together. I was almost cruising after that. Well, I was until I saw that Kieran McCullough was catching me, and I pushed again to re-open the gap. It all worked well in the end”.

McCullough echoed this, saying; “I’d got a good start and passed Richard Friend for 2nd. I got up to Oli and saw him look round. He saw me and just disappeared!”

Former Dadson Masters star Richard Friend was finally showing the speed he’d demonstrated in that Championship with an excellent drive to 3rd place. He hinted that it could’ve been higher, had he not clashed with McCullough. “As we went into the 1st corner, Kieran ran wide, came back and clipped me. I went off the circuit, got back on and chased him but made a mistake and settled for 3rd”. He added, “I honestly believe that, had I not gone off, I had the pace to take the fight to Oli. And he does too. He told me afterwards, in the paddock. But no, I came away from Llandow very pleased.”

As he crossed the line, George felt relief rather elation, he said; “I’d never really thought about mechanical failures before, but at Llandow it was really on my mind.” In typical Easykart fashion, his rivals were quick to congratulate him. “Firas was the first to come over and the level of sportsmanship from everyone was really nice.”

Junior

Elliot Rice’s metronomic consistency has seen him lead the Championship from the outset, and he came to Llandow in a relaxed, but determined, frame of mind. Similarly, his closest rival Jack Sales knew that the only thing he could do to keep his slim title hopes alive, was take the fight to Elliot and win.

In the pre-final however, it looked like Rice was cruising to the title. He won, whilst Sales was finished 4th.

But a conversation with Jack – who has recently taken up motorbike racing in the Aprilia Superteen Challenge – will show you that he’s a tryer and doesn’t give up.

“In the main final, I got away way well and moved into 3rd. I got my act together and after 5 laps, I overtook Connor (Hambleton) for 2nd at the chicane and a lap later, passed Elliot at the same spot. From there, I banged in some consistent laps and pulled away. That was pretty much it. My race was uneventful after that.”

With Jack some 2 tenths quicker, Elliot revealed after the race that he thought his carb had been running lean. “I was running in 1st place and for about four or five laps, I thought I was really quick. But Jack caught and passed me and I couldn’t match his pace. I tried to catch him and kept pushing, even though I knew I wouldn’t.”

Knowing that 2nd would put the title out of Sales’ reach, Rice cruised to the title.

“I’m very happy”, he said. “I’d like to thank Alpha Heating Innovations and Borough Green Sand Pit for their sponsorship and Tim Swadkin, Andy my mechanic and of course, my Dad, for all their help over the season.”

Patrick Lay delivered arguably the best drive of the day, charging from 16th to 3rd. Using his extensive track knowledge, he scythed his way past 10 karts in the opening lap. He said, “I know this circuit like the back of my hand. At the first left-hander, everyone drifts wide (to the right). I knew they’d do this and stuck my kart down the inside (on the left). I got up to 7th and could see the leading four, just ahead of me – Sales, Rice, Hambleton and Fairhurst – and they weren’t pulling away. I passed Chris Waldock by sliding my kart down the inside at the chicane, got Jack Mitchell and then Brad (Fairhurst) and then though, I can pass Connor too, I know this circuit, I can do it! I got onto his tail and out-braked him for 3rd and held it to the flag.”

Clearly chuffed, he added, “I was pleased with the result. I showed that I had the pace and finally a podium has come and that’s what we were looking for at the start of the weekend.”

Light

With one round remaining, it looks likely that Terry Langley will clinch the Light Championship. Not if Sam Smithson’s got anything to do with it.

The pair were untouchable as they took their private battle to Llandow, and will now head to a showdown at Whilton Mill. Sam did exactly what he needed to do at the Welsh circuit to keep his hopes alive. He won, and beat Championship leader Terry in the process.

Unfortunately for him, Langley also did precisely what was required of him. He finished 2nd and retained the advantage with just one round to go.

Buoyed by his superb performance in the 5th and 6th rounds at Rowrah, Sam was again in imperious form – topping the time sheets in qualifying and converting his pole advantage to a dominant win in the pre-final. Almost inevitably, Langley finished 2nd to make prospect of the final as exciting as Dita Von Teese climbing out of an oversized Martini glass, wearing nothing but a cheeky smile.

“I got into the 1st corner, but Terry overtook me,” Sam explained. “I’d messed the start up and didn’t get my foot down when I should’ve done. Terry got ahead – he had the edge – and was ahead of me by the time we turned into the first corner. I managed to get past him just two corners later. After that, I was driving extremely defensively - but I prefer to be an ‘offensive’, attacking driver. Ten laps in, I looked round expecting a gap but he was right there – staring back at me! I thought, ‘Oh crap, here we go!’”

Langley continued to sit glued to Sam’s rear bumper but wouldn’t commit to a passing move, further ratcheting up the tension inside Smithson’s head. “It was dreamlike in a way. You try leading for 20 laps with someone of Terry’s calibre behind you!”

“On the last lap I defended a couple of corners and shouldn’t have. Going into the last corner, I went tight and I thought, ‘he’s going to go wide and then cut inside’. Terry pulled out, I went left and covered the inside line. He closed and we were neck and neck. I was bouncing in the seat.”

The pair flashed across the line, side by side and so close that Smithson had no idea who’d won. “I asked my dad, ‘who won?’ and he said, ‘You, you silly a**e!’”

Langley described his race, saying; “In the first two laps, the kart took time to come on. My pressures were too low and I fell back a bit. Eventually, the kart came good and I was able to peg Sam’s advantage. I wasn’t trying too hard to overtake Sam and knew that we’d pull away. To be honest, I was conscious not to take each other out and spoil the Championship. It was a pretty uneventful race, really.”

The only other driver able to run anywhere near the two leaders’ pace (45 second laps) was Adrian Crockett, who had appropriately finished 3rd behind Smithson and Langley in the pre-final.

Adrian had hung on to their rear bumpers in the initial laps of the final but began to drop back. With Steve Youle nearly two seconds behind him, Crockett described his race as “processional”.

“I’m certainly pleased (with 3rd). In a small way it makes up for Ellough (where his motor seized after he had been leading), which cost me 2nd place in the Championship. I like the circuit too. I’d never been to Llandow before and had to learn it in testing. So, to leave with a trophy isn’t a bad result. It repays my sponsors’ faith in me. So thanks to Frankham Consultancy and Visick Cars.”

Easykart Heavy

1st: Oliver George
2nd: Kieran McCullough
3rd: Richard Friend
4th: Brian Parias
5th: Tim Hill
6th: Mark Lawrence

Easykart Junior

1st: Jack Sales
2nd: Elliot Rice
3rd: Patrick Lay
4th: Connor Hambleton
5th: Brad Fairhurst
6th: Jack Mitchell

Easykart Light

1st: Sam Smithson
2nd: Terry Langley
3rd: Adrian Crockett
4th: Steve Youle
5th: Marc Mercer
6th: Tony Longstaff