ELF / Hill House Hammond Super 4 National Kart Championships.

Round 1 -: Little Rissington

If the opening event of the championship at Little Rissington was anything to go by, 1999 looks likely to be a very, very competitive year indeed.

The weather was cloudy for most of the day and the rain just managed to hold off, heats were over 10 laps with Finals over 15.    F125 Europa kicked off the `A` finals and what a close run thing it turned out to be, Rodger Barrell had pole after posting 2 wins in the heats and he moved swiftly to the front at the lights. The GP plate of Charles Long slotted into 2^nd with Heat 1 winner Dave Morris 3^rd, but the man to watch was Tony Edney, after starting on the back row he had moved into 4^th by the end of the opening lap. Morris briefly moved into 2^nd on lap 3, ahead of Long, but Edney was flying and a lap later, he had pushed Morris back into 3^rd and Long into 4^th.  Out front Barrell had built a small advantage and Edney now set about closing the gap, by half distance he was tucked under the leaders rear bumper and beginning to challenge. Lap after lap they circulated as one, Barrell coolly defending his lead. As the last lap board was shown, Edney just had time for one last chance, but Barrell was not going to be denied and although alongside at the flag, Edney just failed to get by, Morris took 3^rd, with James Mander heading Mark Leeson and Charles Long .

Formula 250 International was dominated by defending champ, John Riley. Three heat wins were followed up with a convincing romp home in the Final. Second position wasn`t so cut and dried, Dave Harvey had held it throughout the race, but with a lap to run his carburettor had worked its way lose and this allowed Andy Holmes in 3^rd , to close. As Dave batted to hold his carb on, he drifted wide exiting Top Bend and in the excitement a 360 spin by Andy allowed Jamie Blackburn to nip through and claim 2^nd place honours, Andy managed to recover to take third, Harvey only managing 4^th.

Carl Kinsey and Paul Kennings mopped up in the heats, with Kinsey taking two and Kennings the other.  Come the Final, Kinsey moved immediately to the front Kennings into 2^nd from Tom Stambach, Paul Troalic, Stuart Cryer and Andy Scott. As the race progressed Kinsey and Kennings eased clear of the field, Kennings kept in touch but mid race Kinsey began to stretch his lead and by the chequered flag had a small advantage over Kennings, Stambach eventually took a distant 3^rd.

Four heats in 250 National provided 4 different winners. Neil Burroughs, Andrew Walker and Malcolm Witts completed the front row for the Final, after a couple of false starts it was Burroughs who made the better get away closely followed by Walker and Kevin Ridley, from row 2.  By the close of the lap Witts who had held 4^th had been demoted by a flying Don Kennedy. Very close out front, Ridley`s race ended as he spun into the tyres, at paddock at the start of lap 2, Burroughs continued to lead with Walker on his heels, Kennedy had lost a little ground, when Ridley spun, as did Witts. As the race unravelled, Burroughs still had Walker following, Kennedy was starting to regain lost ground and by lap 9 was right with the two leaders, further back Witts was busy defending his 4<sup>th</sup>, a train of some 6 karts hot on his heels. This was led by Gavin Bennett, also in there was Stephen Clarke Andrew Smith, Roy Bennett and Tim Matthews. With five laps left, the front three were now altogether, Kennedy was pressing Walker for 2<sup>nd</sup>,but back-markers were making life a little difficult and this allowed Burroughs to put a little day light between himself and the chasing duo. Lap 12 and Kennedy had despatched Walker, but he was never going to catch Burroughs, who would take the flag with over a second`s advantage three laps later. Witts had soaked up the pressure and took a well deserved 4^th, Gavin and Roy Bennett, both demoting Clarke into 7^th on the final lap.

In F125 National each heat had also provided a different winner, at the green light it was, pole sitter, Matthew Bett who made the better start, cleanly round the opening lap it was still Bett who led, the field strung out in a long line behind. Making gains from well down were Graham Barker and Carl Hulme, who had started down in 18^th & 12^th places, both now well inside the top ten. By the close of lap 2, Kevin Pinder had moved to the front, Bett was 2^nd with Jon Hateley regaing his form in 3^rd, Jeff Stewart was 4^th from Paul Platt, Roger Bracewell, Dick Ayling, Carl Hulme and Graham Barker, all very closely packed.                                                                                                                                                              Once out front Pinder, who was flying, began to slowly pull clear, leaving the rest to battle for the minor places, he would build himself a substantial lead before taking the flag a dozen or so laps later. Bett would hold onto 2^nd, again fairly well clear of his nearest rival.                   With 1^st & 2^nd out of reach, the rest were battling for 3^rd at best, Hateley held it early in the race, but a back marker hampered his progress allowing, Stewart through on lap 5, very close as 6 drivers were all still in with a chance.                                                                                                By lap 8 Hulme had demoted Hateley down another spot, to 5^th, Bracewell was 6^th and under attack from Barker, Scott Neal was also in the group, Denis Gale and Lester Peters were just off the back but even so, still a threat. With just a handful of laps left to run Hulme was pressing Stewart, on lap 12 he moved ahead and would eventually fill the last place on the podium. Stewart looked to be heading for 4^th but on the very last lap he was demoted even further as both Barker and Hateley squeezed past, Scott Neal was 7^th with Bracewell dropping to 8^th. Lester Peters, who had qualified for the `A` final after finishing 2^nd in the B took a superb 9^th place, Dennis Gale completing the top ten.

Formula 125 Open is another class oozing quality, an influx of youngsters, like Wesley Crankshaw, Damien Tigwell and Mark Fell. Also a few making the step up from Europa Tim Loughran, Graham Smith and Kevin Orchard not to mention the regular stars, Rowe, Greig, Ozanne and Pirozek and the odd old hand returning to the flock, have certainly given us a championship class at which to marvel.

Robin Haworth