2007 NKRA GRAND FINAL

 Formula Blue by far the largest class was, with 33 drivers needing 6 heats and a 'B' Final to sort out the grid for the 22 lap final. The heats went to John Maybin (2), Lee Seager, Fraser Wallace, Duncan McLeod and Gordon Brownlee. The qualifiers from the ‘B’ final were Leonard Messenger, Cameron Craig, Trevor Andrews and Stuart Gray.

It was Seager who would start on pole after 4 top-10 finishes in his heats from Wallace. Scottish regional champion Alex Jeffrey lined up in 3rd alongside Chris Derrick with ‘O’ plate James Langham 5th and Jamie Watts 6th. There was a threat of rain as the drivers took to the track for the rolling lap but all started on slick tyres. As the lights went to green Seager shot straight into the lead with Alex Jeffrey getting barged out at the exit of turn 1. Northern regional champion Andrew Potter who had started on grid 12 half-spun at the end of the straight and fell to the back.

Wallace who had held his second position at the start was looking for a way past Seager but had Watts, who had climbed to 3rd, close behind. On lap 4, Wallace passed Seager to take the lead and Brownlee took 4th position having started mid-pack. Also Jeffrey had started working his way back up the order and was now in the lead train of karts. As the laps went by Seager gradually fell out of contention, with Brownlee and Watts passing him by lap 7. At the front, Wallace was still not able to create a gap and was under pressure from Brownlee. With 10 laps gone, there was still a 9 kart lead pack with the positions constantly changing.

   Jeffrey had been slowly picking karts off and found himself in 2nd behind Wallace, but couldn’t find a way past. Stephen Andrews, Southern regional champion in the class, and James Whiteford had also been making up ground after starting 10th and 13th, both now firmly in the battle for the lead. Then in the space of a lap and a half two of the main challengers were out of contention. First Watts spun out and then Brownlee was shown the technical flag. Watts recovered to 9th by the finish but Brownlee’s race was over.

   Whiteford now made a charge, making it as far as second before running very wide at the 1st corner and retiring, reinstating Jeffrey to 2nd. Wallace was now driving very defensively, knowing that one position lost could result in many more with so many karts in the lead pack. Then on the 2nd last lap the rain arrived. Karts slide off in all directions including Seager and Langham, Wallace only had to keep it on the track to secure the win. He did just that and took the flag 1.82 ahead of Jeffrey in 2nd.  Andrews was a fine 4th with Mike Woodside completing the top five

UK KARTING MAGAZINE REPORTER STEWART WARNOCK