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
http://www.hamiltonadvertiser.co.uk/news/local-news/blantyre-news/2009/09/17/blantyre-s-fraser-is-uk-number-one-kart-racing-champ-51525-24709404/
2009 NKRA GRAND FINAL
Onto the big one with the Formula Blue Senior A Final, and guess what right on queue the rains returned, but this was in no way going to put a dampener on the proceedings, many drivers not having time to put on a wet suit, they would have to endure the 18 lap final in a soggy race suit.
With a clear track ahead of him it was Cameron Craig that took the lead into the first corner closely followed by David Wagner and Jamie Crease, great to see a good clean start in such conditions as they fought to see in the spray, but up at Spoon Crease would loose his chain to take him out of contention plus a couple of other spinners, all leaving Wagner and Craig battling for the lead. These 2 had opened up a small gap over Fraser Wallace and Craig Copeland (starting 7th). These 2 gradually reeled in 2nd place Craig by lap 3, it took a while longer to catch the leader but catch him they did demoting Wagner to 3rd on lap 11. The final seven laps was a fantastic dice between Fraser Wallace (who won the Grand Finals at Larkhall in 2007) and Craig Copeland, there did not appear to be any way through for Copeland as Wallace defended his position superbly but on the last corner of the last lap he took a brave dive down the inside – knowing it would leave him wide and risking a spin on the wet grass – he held the slide to win by a mere .1sec – What a finish to a fantastic weekends racing.
Thanks must go to everyone at the Dragon Kart Club for hosting the event, To finish of proceedings we had the presentation of the race trophies and the Grande Final trophies which reflect the season results as well.
1st Fraser Wallace W. of <country-region><place>Scotland
2nd Cameron Craig <country-region><place>Cumbria
3rd Craig Copeland 2 Counties
4th David Wagner W. of <country-region><place>Scotland
5th Kevin Ford 2 Counties
6th Mike Woodside W. of <country-region><place>Scotland
7th Duncan McLeod 2 Counties
8th Chris Taylor <city><place>Cheshire
9th Kirsty Young W. of Scotland
10th Dean Smithers Clay Pigeon
11th Steve Barlow W. of Scotland
12th Chris Derrick Clay Pigeon
Masters
1st Kevin Ford 2 Counties
2nd Mike Woodside W. of Scotland
3rd Steve Barlow W. of Scotland
4th Stuart Gray W. of Scotland
Veterans
1st Steve Barlow W. of Scotland
2nd Stuart Gray W. of Scotland
3rd Ian Brown W. of Scotland
Top Weight
1st Dean Smithers Clay Pigeon
2nd Steve Barlow W. of Scotland
3rd Ian Brown W. of Scotland
NKRA Reporter Sean Smith
2010 O plate
The NKRA would like to offer their congratulations to the 2010 Junior Blue and Formula Blue Champions. The event was held on March 28th at the Three Sisters Circuit in Wigan. Three of the five ‘0’ plates were won by Scottish drivers !
Junior Blue was claimed by Neville Parrott from another Scot, Blair Campbell.
Every so often a real racing talent comes along, Scotland has such a one, here and now. Having already claimed the coveted number ‘1 ’ National title, Fraser Wallace has now added the Formula Blue ‘0’ Plate to the list. Second place was Adam Barbour. The Formula Blue Veteran ‘0’ Plate was won by Stuart Grey and Colin MacNiven was runner-up in the Masters section.
Without a doubt, Junior and Formula Blue have now established themselves as the main racing classes in Scotland. To have three Champions and three runner-ups in these classes from the National competition, only goes to endorse just how good Mr. Parrot, Wallace and Grey really are !
The 2010 season now continues with Round 2 of the NKRA Scotland and Round 3 of the Aqua-sky Blue Challenge, at Golspie on 25th April
Report by Ron Shone National coordinator NKRA
