Karting's Old Champions Lead The Way
Old habits die hard and that was the case when past BKA Champion
Driver Nigel Reece dusted off his racing shoes and took to
the track for the Williams Equipment HILTI Round 4 of the
Barbados Karting Association (BKA) 2004 Frutee Championship.
Driving
the #2 Structural Systems Deavinson Sprint, Nigel (right)
manoeuvred his machinery with skill and aggression to the
delight of the sizeable crowd that braved the showers at the
St. Philip racing facility this past Sunday, to win the Yamaha
310Lb Premier Class.
Commenting on his performance, Nigel reported that the go-kart
seemed to know its "own way" around the wet and
slippery racetrack.
After
overcoming brake problems that plagued his #6 ADO Trading
Wright kart for the first half of the day, ex-250Lb Champion
Orry Hunt was the only karter with an answer for Nigel and
eventually came into his own in time to lead the final 310Lb
race from pole to finish and end the day in second position
overall with 83 points-just three points shy Nigel's first
place.
The final podium position in the 310Lb field was shared between
Dane McConney, who continued a streak of controlled driving
in his new Deavinson Sprint kart, and Michael Lambert, driving
his #39 Gold f355 Kart with some success in the wet, both
finishing third overall with 65 points apiece.
The 330Lb Yamaha Heavy class was weakened by the absence
of rookie Alan Croney, whose #28 Deavinson Sprint failed to
make the starting grid after blowing two engines while qualifying.
This left Sean Downie to drive his Birel with the 310Lb field
and despite the weight disadvantage, Sean put in a good performance
to cross the finish line of the final race with 75-330Lb Frutee
Championship points in the bag.
It is never a dull moment in the 250Lb Yamaha Sportsman class,
and despite the absence of newcomer Nicholas Blades from the
field, Sunday's race meet was no exception.
Dane
Skeete (right) was in a class by himself displaying quick
wet-weather driving to the pleasure of father and veteran
rally driver Roger Skeete, to bring his Birel home ahead of
the 250Lb field with 93 points.
Jessy Kelly was justly rewarded for tireless work and persistence
to snatch victory in race two, and finish his #41 CGM/Herrs
Birel in second position overall with 85 points.
Conor Roach finished third overall with 61 points and featured
his Gold f355 kart in entertaining duels with Jessy Kelly.
Ryan Gonsalves and the St. Vincent-based Becks Motorsport
racing team celebrated their first taste of victory in the
exiting 125cc Shifter class.
The rain-soaked Bushy Park racetrack set the stage for heart-stopping
racing requiring every ounce of Karting skill to be harnessed,
to keep the high-powered six-speed gearbox carts on the racetrack.
Frequent top-place podium finisher Sean Maloney was outdone
for the first time in four rounds by the ex-Yamaha 310Lb Champion
Driver, Ryan Gonsalves who won the shifter-class with 89 for
the fist time since entering this past January, while Sean
finished in second position overall with 84 points.
Mark Maloney seemed to relish the lack of grip in his Maranello
Rotax kart to finish with 3rd overall with 64 points.
The next championship round is scheduled for Sunday June
6th at the St. Philip racing facility.
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