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.