September 2025
September would usually be a month where we planned to do only one event. With the excitement of Kartmasters over, we felt that going back to the 8th round at PFI would gain much in the championship and the costs could be better spread for the rest of the 2025 season.
With that in mind, we decided that we would do a round of the Super One championship at our favourite place, Shenington. It would give us some valuable practice for return to the Shenington club championship.
What’s Super One?
Super one used to be the British Kart Championship. Its run the same way, so a weekend is a practice Friday, then two rounds over the weekend, each day gives you a fresh start at winning.
With no Waterswift grid, I had to look at alternative teams and karts. It meant using the Rotax Inter; I have driven one before, but only in the snow! The engine is a 125cc de-tuned to make it similar in speed to the IAME engine I usually use; other than that the kart is very much the same.
We decided to hire a kart with the current championship leading team, RCE, they currently run several winning drivers in the class, so it seemed like a sensible choice.
Friday Practice
We turned up on Friday, really not knowing what to expect. I found the team and kart, and after a bit of adjustment, I found what I thought would be a comfortable setup for the first run out.
We got our engine from team supplier Force Motorsport, a leading supplier.
The first big difference I found in the kart was the acceleration. Although they run a fixed 81 tooth gear, the 125cc engine has a lot more torque than I was used to, and the kart flew out of the corners.
My main problem was the brakes, they were extremely sensitive and no amount of changes in driving style would stop them locking with just the slightest of touches. Dad worked on them all day, finally concluding that the calliper was the issue. RCE promised to sort this overnight for the Saturday. It was a good test session but without confidence in the brakes I couldn’t really get the pace I needed. Hopefully Saturday would see some improvements.
Race Day Super One Round 11
Practice went well; I felt a lot happier with the brakes. I managed to set a good lap time of 47.2, which was 21st of the 29 entrants.
Qualifying went ok. I ended up P20, but still a second off the front-running teammate Oscar Roach. Hopefully, improvements would come in the race,
Heat 1
Started P20, had a steady run and made up one place to P19. I set some good consistent lap times, which were still a little of the pace, but the braking was much better. I set the same time as the practice, still a little off the front.
Heat 2
Again, I started P20, lost a few places off the start, dropping to 25th but drove well and got back to P22. I also managed to set a faster lap and get a little closer to the leading drivers.
Round 11 Final
For the final, I had done enough to start in P19. The weather was light rain and I was looking forward to the extended time in the kart the race offered but not the fact I hadn’t driven the kart on wet tyres or with the wet setup - I really didn’t know how it would go.
I immediately made two places on the first lap to get to 17th, swiftly followed by losing 5 places on lap two, so down to 23rd, but battling hard and half a second from the next place, I then dropped another place to the kart behind, not defending hard enough in the corners. P24, lap 5 I was back to 23rd, that’s where I stayed for the remainder of the race; the gap was too big to recover from the mistake I made in lap 2.
Having not driven the kart in the wet, I was still happy to be quicker than some of the regulars, but still not quick enough.
Race Day Super One Round 12
So the Sunday started out dry, no practice just straight into qualifying, the whole 30 kart grid was covered by just 1.8 seconds, I managed a respectable 21st, 0.6 seconds quicker than the Saturday, but still not as quick as I hoped.
Heat 1
Off the start, I made up a place to be in P20, but those pesky brakes got me again, and a spin dropped me down to last. 3 seconds off the next kart, heat down I was quicker than P27, 1.4 seconds quicker, Lap 6 P27, Lap 7 P26, Lap 10 P25, Lap 11 across the line in P25, I undid as much of the error I made in the few laps where it was dry.
Heat 2
It rained again, I started and immediately into P20, but by lap 2, I was down to 26th. I couldn’t see a thing. I never recovered from there, finishing in 26th.
Round 12 Final
The final was a complete disappointment, my kart cut out on the warm-up lap and I couldn’t get it to restart. I watched the whole race from the marshal’s post at the Wilkins hairpin.
The whole Super One grid were very welcoming, and I did enjoy the weekend, however I never felt I had the support of the team, dad was working hard on his own to get the kart right for me, It was an unfortunate end to the final but I did like being amongst the different drivers who I didn’t really know well.
Shenington Round 8
After the excitement of the Rotax, I was so happy to get back into the comfort of my Birel IAME kart and the safety of Scott and the Jade Karts team,
I never really appreciated the work that the team put in for me. I gained a real understanding after my time in the RCE awning.
Saturday Practice
A gloriously dry September day meant I could get on and do some testing. I’m still running my 2nd engine in, but it definitely felt off the pace. We did 4 sessions without finding any good lap times, switching to the race engine bought the times and putting me in the top 3 on lap times alone.
It was a good grid for the Sunday with 18 starters and some great names amongst those starting, they were just getting some final testing in prior to their trip to Europe as the championship rounds start there and continue for the next few months.
Sunday Race Day
Warm up on old, dry tyres wasn’t that good, only coming in 14th after the 3 laps. But it’s just to make sure the kart is all good.
Heat 1
It’s random grids at Shenington, I drew P5 for heat 1, I dropped 2 places off the start, but by lap 2 I was back in 5th and driving well. I had a race-long battle with Seth Angus but finally crossed the line in P6 which I was happy with, the top 4 containing some of the best drivers in Europe.
Heat 2
The draw put me down in P12 from the start. I really needed to push hard,
Lap 1 up to P7, Lap 3 P6 and just 0.1s off fastest lap. Lost a place to P7 but with my team mates, Will and Philip in front of me, we worked together to push forward and take 0.3s out of the top 4. Lap 9 and still P7, need to pull a bit of a move, found it at the last corner, passed Will and Phillip to take P5 again.
Heat 3
This was a disaster, starting off in P9 I was up to P4 in two laps and 3rd by lap 4, importunely Philip had been in a collision and was nursing a puncture. I was unsighted into turn one where he was slowly entering the pits, approaching him at around 50 mph I made a move to pass him and collided with Harry Chapman who was trying a pass into turn 2, we both left the road, dropping me to 14th. Harry and I then set off on a recovery drive, moving up two places in the next lap and another in lap 7, then as we went through the Watkins hairpin Harry’s nose cone went into his front wheel and he went straight on, taking me off track and dropping me to P16 and 1 lap down. I eventually finished 15th.
After the two accidents, dad had to check the kart; fortunately no real damage.
Final
My aggregated scores put me on P9 for the start, not too bad given the quality on the grid and all the issues of heat 3.
I had the jump on the start, up to P8, Alesandro Sarlas passed me on the next lap dropping me to 9th again.
Starting behind all my championship rivals was a real problem; despite pushing extremely hard to make places I ended the race in 10th place.
Alessandro’s P6,means he secured the championship and both Will Heynes and Philip Patareu scoring enough to be either 2nd or 3rd depending in the dropped scores. So I can only consolidate a P4 by scoring well at the next two rounds.
Round 8 was very good, I showed some great speed, still let down by my race craft in places but really starting to get used to my Inter kart.
As we head into the winter, I have 4 events left.
Up Next
Shenington Round 9 - 18th -19th October
Whilton Mill at Kart Sim - 24th October
Whilton Mill - 25th-26th October