CKRC 2014 - Round 3 - 20 April 2014

The third round of Cheshire Kart Club 2014 Championship took place on Sunday 20 April. With 5 Hondas racing, Samuel was given 2nd, 1st and 3rd for his random grid starts.

He had a very close first heat with Kai Hunter, exchanging the lead a number of times; Samuel crossed the line in second place 0.2 seconds behind but claimed the fastest lap of the heat with a 42.75.

Heat two and Samuel lead most of the heat but again, very close racing and he crossed the line in second place 0.1 seconds behind Kai.

During the lunch break Samuel was interviewed by a film crew from Super1 TV Productions.

Third heat and again, Samuel lead most of the heat and this time the times were even closer with him and Kai virtually side by side crossing the start finish line. Samuel claimed the fastest lap again with a 42.54 second lap.

Samuel started in second place in the 12 lap final. And once again, the racing was very intense with Samuel gaining the lead on lap 4 - him and Kai crossed the line at the same time but Samuel gained the advantage and stayed in the lead until lap 9 when he dropped back just 0.08 seconds. He pulled it back on the penultimate lap and set a new Championship lap record of 42.31 (and also track lap record!) Kai gained an unfair advantage on the next to last corner of the last lap, pushing Samuel off and was subsequently disqualified; Samuel took the win and the top step on the podium.

Collectively, the CKS team had a great racing day - as well as the Honda Cadet win, Ross took home the IAME Cadet, Nathan the Mini Max and Aaron a second place in the Senior Rotax final.

MBKC 2014 - Round 3 - 23 March 2014

Round 3 of Manchester and Buxton Kart Club Championship took place on 23 March and the weather was more spring like than the previous round.

The random grid placings saw Samuel start 4th in the first heat and finish 3rd with a fastest lap on the club circuit of 51.20 seconds. He then finished in 2nd in the second heat with a faster time of 49.70; third heat he again finished second from a start position of third and almost went sub 49 seconds with a 49.13 fastest lap.

In the final he started third due to his heat finishes and retained the place across the finish line but managed to go even faster with a 48.70 second lap.

Photos are taken from the MBKC Facebook page.

CKRC 2014 - Round 2 - 16 March 2014

Round of Cheshire Kart Racing Club Championship and the Cheshire Oaks Trophy and Samuel started with maximum points from round 1 the previous month. Through all three heats he dominated the field with a 7 second lead in the first and a 14 second lead in the second heat. Even after starting 4th in the third heat, Samuel had moved up to second by the end of the first lap but after a tustle in lap two, of which he came of worst, he dropped to 4th place but by the 5th lap he'd regained his lead.

He crossed the finish line with an impressive 17 second lead but he actually set his fastest lap time of the day in the second heat with a 43.13 which meant he had taken the fastest lap of the day and set another season lap record for the track.

Here he is on the podium along with the top Honda Novice and the Comer winner.

MBKC 2014 - Round 2 - 23 February 2014

Round 2 for MBKC Championship and it was wet! Not that it's a problem for Samuel as he enjoys racing in the wet and more so when its on the valley circuit!

He came second in the first two heats and was just 3.3 seconds behind the leader in the second heat. He then went from 4th to first in the third heat with a comfortable 7 second lead.

Here is a photo from the MBKC Facebook page of Samuel leading the Hondas.

He was placed second on the grid for the final and managed to get past the leader to take the chequered flag and the top step on the podium with a 4.5 second lead.

Photos from MBKC Facebook page

CKRC 2014 - Round 1 - 16 February 2014

The first round of the Cheshire Kart Racing Club 2014 championship took place on 16 February. It was rather cold - typical February weather! The random grid placings placed Samuel at different grid start places across the three rounds however he finished in first place for each of them with progressively quicker times - 49.79, 45.42 and 44.72.

In the second heat he finished a clear 5 seconds ahead of the next placed driver and set the fastest laps in both heats one and two.

In the final he started first and finished first with a 6 second margin to the second placed driver and in the fastest time of the day (setting a new season lap record) with 44.27. The final wasn't without drama - in lap 7 he dropped back to 2nd place but pulled it back by the tenth lap.

And here he is on the podium with his first place trophy

Cumbria Kart Racing Club 2014 - Round 1 - 9 February 2014

Samuel had a trip up to Rowrah the home of Cumbria Kart Racing Club and their first round of the 2014 Championship. One of the rounds of the NKF (Northern Karting Federation) Championship takes place at Rowrah so its useful experience for him.

There were 7 Hondas on the grid and Samuel started in 6th place for the first heat and made up two places. Heat two he started in 3rd and finished again in 4th and for heat 3 he again started in 6th place but had his best finish of the heats in third place.

He started the final in 4th place and finished 5th with his fastest lap of the day being 59.87. A good weekend which will help him later in the year when he races there again.

MBKC 2014 - Round 1 - 26 January 2014

The first round of the Manchester and Buxton Kart Club 2014 Championship took place on 26 January. There were 6 Honda Cadets racing on the Club circuit. The random grid placings for the heats meant that Samuel started in 3rd for the first heat.

Between lap one and two he dropped to the back of the pack but managed to pull back to 4th by the fifth lap. He finished the heat in 4th place with 54.72 lap as his fastest.

For both heats 2 and 3 he started in second and finished in third with times of 54.78 and 54.16 respectively. In the third heat he was leading the race by the end of the first lap but had fallen back to third by lap three.

In the final he started third and after the first lap he was up to second place but ended up as third by the third lap which is where he finished with his best time of the day - 53.66.

Cheshire Kart Racing Club Championship Presentation 2013

The Cheshire Kart Racing Club 2013 Championship presentations took place on Saturday 18 January. Samuel collected the Honda Cadet title and was presented with the winners trophy inscribed with his name (he is the first Honda Cadet winner!), a trophy to keep and also a large colour print of him on track.

Samuel - IKR 2013 Champion - Honda Cadets!

After the race at Cheshire Kart Club, we made our way over to the Three Sisters race track for the IKR Championship presentation evening.  Despite not competing in the final round of the year, Samuel secured first place in the Honda Cadet Championship!

And here he is with his first place trophy!

And if you're counting, that's his 16th trophy of the year!  And the second one of the day!

His next race is next weekend at the same race track but Manchester and Buxton Kart Club Championship where he is currently 2 points behind 3rd overall place in the Honda Championship!

Cheshire Kart Racing Club Championship - Round 10

Busy weekend!  Samuel raced at Cheshire Kart Club round 10 in the Championship and he went into the race with a slim 8 points lead in the Championship.

In heat 1, Samuel started 3rd on the grid with the Comer Cadets, finishing 2nd in the Honda's and 5th overall.  Heat 2 he started 4th and finished as 2nd Honda again with a 47.27 second lap which, considering the time of year was not too bad.

In the final he won the Honda Cadet race, improving his lap time with 44.84. Here he is with his first place trophy:

And with his team mates - Jordan took top Honda Cadet Novice and Aaron took top Novice in his class too!  So a good weekend for CKS!

With winning the race, Samuel has actually won the Honda Cadet Championship at Cheshire Kart Club!  He will be attending the awards ceremony early in January to collect the Championship trophy!

Straight after the trophy presentation we had to go to Three Sisters race track in Wigan for another presentation......

Cumbria Kart Racing Club - Round 11

After the practice day at Trent Valley Kart Club on 1 November which he enjoyed, Samuel took a trip up to Rowrah and Cumbria Kart Racing Club over the weekend of 10 and 11 November.

This was his first time racing at Rowrah and he really enjoyed the track.  On race day, Samuel started 8th on the grid (from 14 drivers) for the Honda Cadets and finished 8th overall with a time of 65.53 seconds which isn't too bad considering that the race didn't start until late morning as the track was covered in frost!

Heat 2 he started in 9th and also finished in 9th but with a faster time of 62.63 - just over 9 seconds behind the heat winner.  In the final heat Samuel started on pole due to the random grid placings but he finished in 10th place although setting a faster lap time of 59.26.

In the final, he started 9th but only completed 4 laps as his chain came off and he had to retire from the race.  Despite this, other drivers were less fortunate and Samuel was placed 12th overall.  His fastest time in the short final he raced in was 59.50.

Next weekend is a busy one - need to be in two places at once!

MBKC - Round 10 - 27 October 2013

Round 10 of the Manchester and Buxton Kart Club Championship and it certainly felt like October!  Random grid placings meant that Samuel started heat 1 in 5th place for the Honda's and he uncharacteristically finished at the back of the heat for the Honda's.

Heat 2 wasn't much better and he finished 4th for the Honda's and 11th from 14 overall.  The weather was not helping the track and it was wet in patches, however it remained that way and heat 3 Samuel finished as 4th Honda again and 12th overall.

He finished marginally better in the final with a 4th place from 6 for the Honda's and 11th overall as the grid was mixed with Comer engines.

Although it wasn't a podium finish, Samuel gained some valuable Championship points and is 2 points adrift from third place and is currently leading the Autumn Series after 2 rounds with one more to go at the end of November.

So its all still to play for!

Next kart time is 1 November when we take a trip to Trent Valley Kart Club and the PFI circuit to have a practice day.  Usually lots of Honda's and a new circuit to get to grips with - should be interesting!

Cheshire Kart Racing Club - Championship Round 9

Another weekend, another race!  This time Cheshire Kart Racing Club Championship round 9.  Three Hondas racing with six Comers.  Samuel's random grid positions behind the Comers meant that he started in 6th place for heat one (finished in 3rd - 2nd for Honda) then 7th for heat two (finished in 5th overall, 2nd for Honda) and then for the final heat he was placed 7th again and finished 6th overall but in first place for the Honda's.  He almost took the fastest lap in the third heat of all the Cadets - just 0.01 seconds behind!

Going into the final, he was second on the grid for the Hondas and managed to finish in first place and third overall and set his fastest time of the day - 43.86!

Here he is on the podium with the rather large first place trophy:

And with Ryan from CKS and Troy who took top Novice for the Comers.

His next race is next week - 27 October!

Samuel - IKR Championship Round 6

Round 6 of the IKR Championship at Three Sisters Racetrack, Wigan was on 12 October and on the Valley circuit.  Samuel qualified second out of the five Honda Cadets (5th overall) and also finished second in heat one (4th overall in all Cadets).  In heat 2 he again finished second for the Hondas and third overall.

And for the final he finished in second place for the Honda's and fifth overall out of all 14 Cadets as they all race together but are classified by engine.

So here he is with his second place trophy!

Next race - next Sunday at Hooton - Cheshire Kart Club!

Samuel IKR Championship - Round 5

Back at the 3 Sisters Race Circuit for the second race in a row but this time it was round 5 of the IKR Championship.  5 Honda's racing in a mixed class with 9 other engines.  Samuel was on the Club circuit again and was determined to beat his best lap time of 48.05 seconds!

He qualified as the second fastest Honda with a 48.140 lap, placing him 4th overall.  In the first heat he retained 4th place and again was the second fastest Honda and knocked a bit more off his time - 48.096.

Below is race footage from heat 1.


Second heat he went even faster and set a 47.814 lap which was not just the fastest Honda but also the fastest Cadet from all 14 drivers!  He retained his placings which meant he started in 2nd place for the Honda's in the final and was just under 3 seconds behind the heat winner which was Lee Chamberlain who Samuel regularly races with.

Footage from the final:


In the final, Samuel retained his second place but didn't manage to beat his fastest lap!  Here he is on the podium with Archie and Sam:

And with his trophy:

And if you are keeping count, that is the 12th trophy of the year which equals the number he won for all of 2012!

Manchester and Buxton Kart Club - September - 2nd Place!

Another weekend, another race!  This time, round 8 for Manchester and Buxton Kart Club and the first round of the Autumn Series. 

After a disastrous rolling start for heat 1 when the IAME's and Honda's were red flagged and given a stern talking to by the Club, Samuel finished in 2nd place for the Honda's and a fraction of a second 0.03 behind the lead Honda.

Heat 2 he finished 7th overall, right in the mix with the IAME's and again 2nd Honda, matching the time set by the lead Honda. Heat 3 he went across the line as the third Honda - 0.07 seconds behind second place. 

The Honda's were split from the IAME's for the final and Samuel started in second place.  There was a bit of a scuffle at the first corner and Samuel ended up dropping back to 5th place with what appeared to be a difficult and testing drive ahead to take the lost places back.

By the time he crossed the start finish line for the second lap, he'd got himself into third position.  The second place driver seemed to be too far ahead but Samuel just kept going and pushing forward until he caught up. From then until the 15th and final lap, he traded places 4 or 5 times per lap with driver number 43.  And despite the very close wheel to wheel driving, neither of them made contact!

Samuel never gave up and pushed and pushed and managed to hold off the other driver and claim second place as they went across the line - Samuel was just 0.1 seconds in front of number 43!  And because he was pushing so hard, he set the fastest lap time of 48.35 seconds!

Here he is with his trophy along with his new CKS t-shirt!

 And with Ryan from CKS and Garrett who won the IAME class:

Next race 28 September - IKR round 5!

Cheshire Karting Club Championship - Round 8

Round 8 of the Cheshire Kart Club Championship took place on 8 September with 13 Honda drivers in total.  This was Samuel's first race off his Novice plates and with the random grid positions for the three heats, he was placed on pole position for the first heat!  He dropped 7 places and finished 8th just 1.6 seconds behind the heat winner.

Heat 2 and heat 3 were better, starting in 6th place for heat 2, he made up 2 places and then three places in the third and final heat.  He was placed 7th on the grid for the final and maintained the place.

So no podium finish but it was a good race and experience starting within the pack rather than at the back as a Novice!

No blog post is complete without a photo so here is one of the stickers we bought from I Say Ding Dong - just so that the other drivers know who he is!

Next race is 22 September at Manchester and Buxton Kart Club!

Manchester and Buxton Kart Club - August - First Place!

Another weekend - another race!  This time at Three Sisters, Wigan for the Manchester and Buxton round 8 race.  This was to be Samuel's last race as a Novice.

In Heat 1 Samuel finished first for the Honda's and 11th overall (from 17) in all the Cadets, moving up 4 places from his start position.  He set a time of 52.93 on the Valley circuit.  The heat was red flagged due to an incident at Valley and the driver didn't compete for the rest of the day.

Heat 2 Samuel he gained 3 places and again was the fastest Honda.  In Heat 3 he again gained 3 places, was the fastest Honda but the race was red flagged as another Honda driver tangled with Samuel forcing him off, leaving a streak of black rubber across the side of his seat.  Samuel was fine and drove back round to scrutineering.  Two of the IAME drivers were not so lucky at the same point at Valley and both had to be treated and neither raced in the final.

In the final, Samuel stormed home to take first place for the Honda's (and also Top Novice!) and here he is on the podium:

And if you are keeping tally, that is 3 trophies from his last 3 races and takes his overall total to 22 podiums and trophies in 20 months!

Cheshire Kart Club - August - Top Novice Again!

Samuel took top Honda Novice again at the Cheshire Kart Club on 18 August.  He set a 43.77 lap in the first heat after starting 11th on the grid and finishing 11th out of the Hondas and Comer Cadets.  Heat 2 he did a 44.19 and finished 8th overall (3rd from 5 Honda's).

And in the final he went quicker and set a 43.87 finishing 3rd overall in the Honda's and top Novice.  Not his best time but still good enough to get on the podium and to take away a trophy!

He now has just one Novice race left before he can race properly and not start from the back each time.

Three of the boys came away with trophies - Garrett in first place for IAME and Alex with top IAME Novice - and they are all with Ryan from CKS.

Next race is 25 August!

Samuel - IKR Championship - Round 4

Last Saturday saw Round 4 of the IKR Championship at the Three Sisters Race Circuit at Wigan and it was on the Valley circuit.

There were 12 Cadets in total and two Honda's.  Samuel qualified in 9th place overall and then finished 5th in heat 1.  5th again in heat 2 and in heat 3 he again finished in 5th place and set his personal best with a 52.679 second lap!

For the final he finished 5th overall and beat his fastest lap with a 52.421!  He also finished first for the Honda engines and claimed a podium finish.

He enjoyed the day and completed some smooth and carefully manoeuvred overtakes against other drivers with faster engines with relative ease.

Photo of him and Sam P on the podium:

The video below is from the final:


Next race is on 18 August at Hooton Park!