Jiggy is Back

James (Jiggy) Gornall, the former British Formula TKM kart champion, BARC Formula Renault champion, and British GT champion, made a successful return to mainstream kart racing this weekend, in the opening round of the 2011 Super One Series at PF International, when he fought from a lowly grid position into a superb runner-up place... until officialdom struck!

Using his new Formula KGP Intrepid/BMB, and operating from racer Benjy Russell's camp, Jiggy recovered from 12th in timed qualifying, to take a solid 2nd place finish in the second final behind the outstanding Mike Simpson, only for problems with the MSA Steward being announced later this evening (Sunday), following a 'late in the race' clash with another driver.

Undoubtedly more news will follow on this story as it develops... as it most surely will!

Strawberry and Cream

Not quite the summer yet, although the early arrival of Strawberry and Cream onto the first podiums of the year in the British Super One Championship, is definitely a good way to start.

With the opening Rotax round taking place at Whilton Mill last weekend, the Sheffield based Strawberry Racing Team delivered an exciting start to the new season, with podium finishes in nearly every final on Sunday afternoon.

http://www.strawberryracing.co.uk/2011_news/1d.htm

With a talented team of young drivers coming through the ranks, 2011 is likely to be a strong season for all concerned on the new Tonykart/Cream comination.

The opening round of the Rotax Super One 2011 National Championship was held this weekend at Whilton Mill, but with heavy rain in the morning, and a leaden overcast sky for most of the day, it stayed bitterly cold throughout the day. When the sun finally burst through the clouds late in the afternoon, it might have lifted the spirits, but it was too little too late.

Speaking with Karting magazine colleague Adam Jones track-side, and then again later with former champ Tristram Oman, the Senior Rotax Max victor, Edward Brand, won the final on his Strawberry Racing Tonykart, despite taking part with a suspected broken arm! It was a remarkable achievement by Brand, because to win any Super One Championship round is a significant achievement on a driver's CV, let alone when carrying such an injury.

My best wishes for a job well done goes out to Mr Brand, who on this performance, must now be one of the favourites to lift the Senior Rotax title in six months time.

BBC2 recently ran an excellent documentary about two of the rising stars of British motor-sport, which can be found on the BBC i-Player:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00zgy75/My_Life_Series_2_Boyracers/

Jake Dennis, the 2010 U-18 World Champion, racing for the RSF (Racing Steps Foundation), and Ben Barnicoat, who spent most of 2010 racing in top flight events as a family funded privateer, but who achieved McLaren Mercedes recognition by seasons end, are names to look out for in the future.

Although rivals last year Jake will be amongst the Senior ranks in 2011, where he will be pitting his skills against multiple champions from across the world, whilst Ben will remain in the Junior ranks. Undoubtedly, both will meet again on-track in the coming years as they progress up the racing ladder.

Both have names that the British public should try to remember, because they are part of the elite British talent who are coming through karting.

SG Petch Abarth Champs (Round 2), Middlesbrough

Round 2 of the SG Petch Abarth Championship took place today at the Tees-side kart track, where James made his first appearance of the year for Karting Magazine and Hayden-Media, in dry and sunny conditions.

It started well with grid 3 after timed qualifying out of an enormous grid of 36 drivers and karts, but as the pack powered into the right-hander at the bottom of the hill on the International circuit, James was hit from behind and spun through 180 degrees. Fortunately the pursuing drivers parted like waves as they avoided contact, leaving James to re-start 36th and last. From that moment on though he 'flew', impressively carving his way from the back to 7th place, to within a few seconds of the fight for 4th position, but perhaps more importantly, setting the fastest race lap in the process!

Up at the sharp end Simon Marshall initially indulged in a tough fight for the lead with Scott McNicholas. Once they got within the back-markers though around mid-distance, it allowed Simon to break clear, leaving Scott to fall back into Craig Brock's clutches, in what was a nose-to-tail finish for 2nd place.

The next round of this impressively supported championship will take place on the first Sunday in April.