Laura and Paul

Laura and Paul celebrated their first wedding anniversary last week, and it gives me pleasure in offering my congratulations, not to mention allowing me to take some superb photographs from Hellaby Hall ceremony, to the Stowe School (Bucks) reception last year.

Some weddings are a pleasure to 'shoot', but with the Stowe venue, it is likely that this one was probably the best so far.

I expect to take more photographs of Laura, a stunning former model, on a future date, although with her being a "mum-to-be" in waiting, I might have to wait longer than planned..?

My heartfelt wishes to you both - but Vancouver is such a long way..!

Thomas Knopper

It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of Thomas Knopper during a kart race in Germany recently.

A former European Formula KZ2 champion in 2007, I last saw Thomas race at Wackersdorf just a few short weeks ago, and my thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Fatalities in karting are rare and the circumstances of Thomas' accident are unkown, but it is important that steps are taken to try and prevent a similar accident happening again. Karts are very fast these days, so if an Italian karting magazine is suggesting track improvements need to be made, then there should be no "if's" or "buts".

JFDI as a fomer kart champion once said!

TKM Festival (Whilton Mill)

Superb weather and excellent organisation at Whilton Mill, all contributed to some excellent racing at the 2009 TKM Festival meeting.

Sam Brown dominated the TKM Extreme final, took the top step of the podium, but already there were rumblings of a problem in scrutineering. Sorry folks but correctly completing a 'scrute' card is not rocker science - I have covered far too many races during the last 20+ years, where drivers who have performed superbly well on the track, end up being excluded from what was a major result in their careers. So step forward Rory Mowbray, the new TKM Extreme Festival champion.

As for the rest Ashley Jones was, in my judgement anyway, the 'driver of the day', with a stunning victory in Junior Elite - well done buddy! Oliver Hodgson meanwhile, whom I have already 'blogged' eslewhere after a well-deserved win recently at Kimbolton, was suitably awesome in the Junior Festival race after a difficult weekend. The 'Open' champ won as easily as Jones did in his race - it would have been worth seeing them have another head-to-head at Whilton...

The latest round of the Thunderkart Sodi W Series Star Cup was held at Warden Law on Sunday, with congratulations to Craig Brock who survived to take the overall win, after spending 12-laps in the final driving defensively to keep his main rival at bay.

James Hayden, whose last four races have rewarded him with a 1st, 1st, 1st, and 2nd, was clearly the fastest driver on the day, taking three of the four fastest laps from the day's proceedings, including the fastest lap of the event.

Speaking from experience it is immensely frustrating to be stuck behind a quick but slower driver, with whom you have little choice but to spend 12-laps running nose-to-tail, or side-by-side (albeit always on the outside), but lacking the straight-line speed to make an overtaking move 'stick'.

"I was 'gutted'" James said after the race, "because I was so much quicker, but Craig was too defensive to get past safely. For this race they included the chicane on the main straight, but I reckon if they had not done that, I would then have had enough in hand to pass him on the outside anyway. But with the shortened straight after the cicane there was no longer enough space to get the run I would have needed down the outside of him."

It always brings home something the Formula 1 driver Anthony Davidson once said to me when he used to race in karts around the world. "You know Mike I have never driven defensively. If someone is faster then why risk having them take you off. Should they get past because you are not quick enough to beat them, then let them go. Maybe after they have gone by you might find the speed needed to re-launch an attack, but defensive driving and deliberately blocking another driver? No. All you need is the wrong driver behind you and a barrier is waiting for you somewhere - not all are patient!"

So well done James on showing the patience to keep the observers off your back.

With the postponement of the Thunderkart Challenge until next Sunday, Ben Hyland's (from PPiK in Leeds) new Sodi World Series RX250 class replaced the day's proceedings at Warden Law this weekend, when a nice dry 'window' was found in the weather. The pace was hot all day and my substitute James finished a solid 2nd on the road for Karting Magazine, until he was penalised with a one place penalty, which dropped him to 3rd place.

To be honest the move from James was an excellent one, and was certainly a move that I would have taken given the same circumstances. He made a superb exit from the final corner just a few laps into the race, pulling alongside the two ahead, for a three kart run to the first corner of the next lap three-abreast, with James on the inside. It was spectacular stuff, but if a driver who has lost his place turns in when he shouldn't, and the driver on the inside is penalised, then the penalty is a touch unfair - but that's racing!

The next Sodi WS RX250 race is at PF International on 9 August in a few weeks time, which should give the drivers a few things to think about on the fast sweepers of the Lincolnshire track..

Kimbolton - Formula TKM 'O' Plate Championship

The 'O' Plate (Open) Championship for Formula TKM took place at Kimbolton on Sunday, with two fine vicories going the way of Oliver Hodgson in the Junior ranks, and Daniel Butcher-Lord at Senior level.

The final corner at Kimbolton can always be relied upon to provide entertainment in a closely fought race, and the Senior final did not disappoint when both leaders collided, to leave Butcher-Lord, who had expected fire-works and had hung back, to take a well-deserve victory.

Hodgson meanwhile had gone into the Junior race as the defending 2008 'O' Plate champion, and with his main rival Ashley Jones rising admirably to the occasion, the spectators were treated to an exciting race as the two of them swapped the lead several times. After several side-by-side moments Hodgson, just, took the win, but he was very complimentary to Jones, which is always a nice thing to hear.

British National Grass-track Champs 2009

The weather forecast for the third National Grass-track Championship, near Wisbech in Cambridgeshire on Sunday was decidedly grim, but in the event it stayed warm all day, and for the better part of the sfaternoon, quite sunny too.

Guest of Honour and top racer Carl Breeze, who is currently contesting the 2009 Ginetta Championship, but not yet fully recovered from that awful Oulton Park shunt a couple of months ago, was on hand for the trophy presentations for the new 2009 Champions.

As seen in previous years there are some talented drivers on the grass-track scene, and it is apparent that this class of racing provides a great deal of suitable driving expeience, for those youngsters ready to graduate to the road, let alone elsewhere in the sport.

The day produced several new and worthy British Champions, with a full report, with photographs, due to appear in the next issue of Karting Magazine due out the second Wednesday in August (September issue).