ROUNDS SIX & SEVEN
August 15/16 2009: Once again it was the annual trip to Genk in Belgium for rounds 6 & 7 of the Formula Kart Stars championship for Alex and the MBR team. As the circuit is only used once in the championship, a two day test was allocated for all the competitors.
Thursday was mainly wet with only one dry session so it was difficult for Alex to get a perfect set-up and the weather for the weekend was dry. Luckily the sun started to shine on Friday and Alex was able to test various set-ups on his kart ready for Saturday's first qualifying session. The team spent some time trying different tyre pressures as this is a very critical part of getting a good set up at the Genk track which is especially slippery. This round of the FKS championship was classed as a double header with qualifying, a pre-final on the Saturday and qualifying and a final on the Sunday. Qualifying went without any dramas for Alex and he felt he had done enough to get pole but at the end of the session he was in 3rd. The kart was fine and Alex was comfortable with his qualifying position. Alex made a good start and got into second place by the end of the first lap and settled down to chase Bowyer who was leading. On lap 8 Alex made his move and passed Bowyer at the top hairpin under braking. He then led all the way to the chequered flag finishing ahead of Adam Andrews by 3.5 seconds and achieving the fastest lap. This result would mean he would start the final from pole. In the final Alex made a good start from pole and led for the first two laps. On lap three he dropped to second as his tyres had not yet come on and if you push too hard too early you can damage the tyres. On lap six Alex dropped to third, but he wasn't worried as his tyres normally came good around lap 9 and it was an 18 lap final. On lap 10 he moved into second and by kap 14 he was back in the lead after a good battle with Andrews. Alex was chased hard for the last few laps but crossed the line in 1st place and gained maximum championship points. For Sunday the competitors were allowed a new set of tyres for qualifying and the race. Alex knew he would have to push hard to get pole as Andrews had been quick so far over the weekend. On lap 11 Alex got pole and decided to do one more lap before coming in to save his tyres for the final. At the end of the 17 lap session Alex had retained pole for the final. As the lights went green Alex stormed into the lead from pole position and it was a lead he was to hold for the full 24 laps until the chequered flag came down. Alex just pulled away from the opposition until he had a lead of about 6 seconds which he held to the end of the race. A perfect weekend for Alex with maximum points earned and he is now in a comfortable lead in the championship. On Wednesday, Alex flies off to Belfast to compete in Round 5 of the Super 1 championship at Nutts Corner - so a very busy few days for him as he will be testing on Thursday.
ROUND FOUR
July 18/19 2009: It was back up to Alex' home track PFI at the weekend for round 4 of the FKS championship which Alex is leading. It is also the home track for his team MBR and everybody was hoping for a good result. As mentioned before, the format for this series has changed this year with only one qualifying session, a pre-final and a final. The good news is the series is being filmed for TV and Alex was carrying two cameras on his kart. The BBC was also there and filmed and interviewed Alex as part of their GP preview show.
Friday as usual was free practice and was split into 10 minute sessions. The waether forecast for the weekend was not good with a combination of heavy showers and rain predicted. In fact about an hour before the first session, the heavens opened and the track got flooded. In the dry sessions Alex was the fastest driver and very happy with his kart, but in the wet sessions he was complaining of no rear end grip. The team tried various different seetings but Alex just couldn't get the kart to react the way he liked it. As you know, Alex always excels in the wet, but he was struggling on the Friday.
The team just couldn't get to the bottom of the problem but noticed that the wet tyres Alex had appeared to have different characteristics to the wet tyres of his two team mates. Dan Barrett, his race engineer thought they may have been a bad batch, so new wet tyres were fitted and would be run in the Saturday morning warm up session.
Saturday qualifying at the end of the day started in the dry and Alex headed the leader board. As the session progressed, the lead changed a number of times and as the chequered flag dropped Alex was second by just 100th from Andrews. In fact, the first five places were split by just 700ths of a second which was very close. Alex was happy with his kart but of course would have liked to have started from pole.
On Sunday there was just a warm-up session and the pre-final was scheduled to start at noon, so there was a lot of waiting around for the drivers. As they lined up for the start the track was dry but there were some ominous dark clouds overhead. Alex made a good start from second place and as the pack exited the first corner he was in the lead. He then built up his lead, lap after lap, as his tyres heated up. On lap 8 it started to rain and the track began to get progressively wetter. All the drivers were on slick tyres and driving conditions were getting harder and harder. On lap 10 Alex was caught by Barnicoat who was driving well in the worsening conditions.
The Tony kart chassis isn't really suited to these conditions and Alex was finding the kart hard to control. Barnicoat finally passed Alex with two laps to go and Alex came home in second place. He was a bit frustrated as he wanted the win, but he still achieved second and retained his lead in the championship.
About half an hour before the start of the main final it started to rain hard, so by 3pm when the race was due to start the track was soaked and everyone changed to wet tyres. As the lights went green Alex made a good start from second place and moved into the lead at the first corner. He kept a constant lead for a couple of laps until his tyres heated up and then gradually started to pull away from Barnicoat who was in second place.
There were lots of incidents in the chasing pack with karts going off the circuit but Alex was well clear of all the mayhem behind him. Every lap Alex pulled a few tenths on Barnicoat until he had a comfortable lead. Suddenly on lap 13 Alex made a rare mistake and put two wheels on the white line at the first hairpin, causing his kart to spin. He kept the engine going and re-joined the track but Barnicoat had passed him and had a big lead. Alex got his head down and gave chase.
On lap 14 Barnicoat went defensive at the hairpin and Alex managed to catch him up by a few kart lengths. As each lap went by Alex got closed and closer until by the last lap (lap 16) he was right behind Barnicoat as they exited the right hander before the complex and the finish line. If Barnicoat drove defensively it would be very difficult for Alex to get past.
Everybody in the main grandstand was on their feet as the two drivers came to the second to last corner. Barnicoat went for the drier line to get the drive out of the corner. Alex dived for the inside on the wettest part of the track and got alongside Barnicoat. As they exited the corner Alex had two wheels off the track but kept his foot on the accelerator and as the chequered flag dropped Alex took the victory.
It was an amazing drive by Alex who, after his mistake, was even more determined to win the race and showed his true character and skill in coming from behind to win once again. He has now extended his lead in the Formula Kart Stars championship and is looking forward to next weekend's race at Salbris in France in the WSK championship.
ROUND THREE
June 27/28 2009: Once again Alex and his team headed up to Rowrah in the Lake District for Round 3 of the FKS championship - formerly called Stars of Tomorrow. As mentioned previously, the new format for 2009 means that there is only one qualifying and two finals, so there is a lot of time spent waiting around for the youngsters. Friday was general practice day and Alex spent his time getting a good set up on his kart. Last time out at Rowrah in the Suoer 1 championship Alex had a good result so he knew the circuit well. Towards the end of practice on Friday Alex was again the quickest driver and the team decided not to go out in the last session to save time on his engine.
Saturday qualifying was dry and sunny and Alex went out near the back of the field to try and get a clear lap. He was on the pace immediately and set the fastest lap on Lap 4. He did one more lap and the team felt he could not be beaten so called him in to save his tyres. At the end of qualifying Alex was on pole and had broken the lap record for the circuit in the KF3 class.
On Sunday the pre-final was again run in dry conditionsd although the weather forecast had predicted rain. At the lights Alex lead away and was never really challenged at all. He extended his lead lap after lap and at the chequered flag he was 4.3 seconds ahead of the driver in 2nd place. Once again Alex set the fastest lap.
For the final, the sky was clear and Alex once again took the lead. Suddently it started to rain on part of the circuit and Alex spun off - re-joining the field in 7th place. All drivers were on slick tyres and the track was becoming very difficult to drive. Alex moved up to 5th and then went for 4th passing Callum Bowyer. Bowyer turned into him and Alex' engine suddenly cut out. He managed to re-start it but had dropped back to 7th. Once again he had to chase the leading pack and had managed to get himself up to third place when the race we red-flagged and stopped because of the worsening conditions.
Overall a good weekend and Alex has now extended his lead in the championship.
ROUND TWO
Round 2 of the Formula Kart Stars championship was held at Glan-y-Gors in north Wales over the weekend of May 16/17. Alex had not been able to test at the track and had not been there for over two years when he was racing in Honda Cadets. The MBR team had never been to this track so it would be a fairly new experience for all concerned. Friday was general practice where the team worked on hetting a good set up on Alex' kart althought the weather kept changing from wet to dry with a strong wind as well. Alex liked the circuit and he was comfortably the quickest driver during the day.
Saturday was qualifying only - with a pre-Final on the Sunday. This is a new format for Formula Kart Stars which a lot of the teams and dricers are unhappy with as it limites the racing and the drivers spend a lot of time waiting around for the next race. It was wet for the qualifying and Alex was the fastest until the last lap when he was pipped by Max Cornelius who took pole by one tenth.
The weather was not looking good for Sunday with a mixed forecast of sun and heavy rain.
For the pre-Final it was cloudy with a damp track and Alex would start second. He didn't make the best of starts and dropped back to fourth where he settled down until his tyres started to work. On lap five he was in third and moved up a place each lap until by lap eight he was in the lead. He held this lead comfortably for the full 19 laps and was not really challenged. So, by the flag, he was 5.5 seconds ahead of the second placed driver. Alex also got the fastest lap.
Just before the main Final it started to rain and the track became very wet. After his win in the pre-Final Alex was starting from pole. As the race got under way Alex was having trouble with the handling of his kart and it was under-steering badly. As the race progressed he started to slip down the order as he fought to control the badly handling kart. At the chequered flag after 19 laps Alex came home fifth - 3 seconds behind the winner. After the race the team checked the kart over but found nothing wrong. The conclusion was that the bad handling was caused by too low tyre pressures for the session - although the team were using the same pressure as in qualifying.
Even though by Alex' high standards it was not his best result, he is still leading the championship as his nearest rival scored badly over the weekend.
ROUND ONE
Easter weekend was the first round of the former Stars of Tomorrow championship - now renamed Formula Kart Stars - at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire. Along with a new format of 15 minute races place one lap comes the backing of Bernie Ecclestone's FOM organisation.
Alex hasn't raced at this track for two years - since he was in cadets - and due to commitments in the WSK championship as well as school work he was unable to do any pre-race testing. Friday was his first chance to set up his kart and get a feel for the track. Unfortunately it rained all day so there was no chance to get a dry set up and the team decided not to run in the last session as there was no more they could do on the set up.
Saturday was the first part of a double-header race weekend with a qualifying session, a pre-final and a grand final. It was still raining during qualifying where Alex - who excels in such conditions - put his kart on pole. The pre-final was also run in the wet and as soon as the lights went green Alex went straight into the lead which he held until the chequered flag - winning by over 5 seconds, setting the fastest lap and gaining maximum championship points.
The final, held in the afternoon, was also declared a wet race. Once again the "rain meister" led from the start and was not challenged throughout the whole race, once again coming home in first by over five seconds and setting the fastest lap.
For Sunday the format was changed and there was only a qualifying session and final. Although it was damp in the warm up session, by the time qualifying came roung the track had dried out, and everyone would be on slicks. Once the session got under way Alex and Calum Bowyer were swapping times lap after lap. On the final lap, which was Alex' quickest, he got baulked by another driver just before the last hairpin and finished in second place.
As the lights went green for the final Bowyer led away with Alex in second place but before the end of the first lap Alex was in the lead, which he held for the next five laps. As a result of the lack of dry testing Alex hadn't really got a good set up on his kart and it was understeering quite badly. On lap seven Bowyer got back in the lead but on lap eight Alex was back in front. Lap nine saw Bowyer in the lead and Alex was struggling was a badly handling kart, which allowed Jordan King to catch the two leaders. On the penultimate lap King managed to get into the lead as Bowyer was blocking Alex and at the chequered flag Alex came home third.
It was a very successful weekend for Alex and the MBR team in the first round of the Formula Kart Stars champtionship which Alex is now leading.
 
ROUND SEVEN
Heading off to Italy for the final round of the WSK championship Alex and the MBR team knew this final race was going to be tough. Lonato is the home track to all the Italian works teams and although Alex had a good one-day test the week before, he knew it would still be a hard weekend. Lying 4th in the championship and the highest placed British driver, he still had three drivers behind him who could beat him on points.
Due to the number of entrants, qualifying was split into three sessions - with an aggregate of the times from each session deciding the final grid positions. Alex would be starting in the 3rd session. At the start of the session Alex found it hard to get a clear lap as all the drivers were slowing down and speeding up as they too tried to get a clear gap. The situation went on like this for lots of laps until everybody sorted themselves out and Alex finally got a clear flying lap which put him 3rd - just 0.050 seconds behind 1st place. Unfortunately the previous two sessions had been quicker and Alex would start the four heats from 8th on the grid.
There had been a problem with the tyres in qualifying and the team discovered the set Alex had used was not matched. The team checked all the other sets and tried to make up as many matching sets as they were allowed to use - but Alex would be at a disadvantage in the heats.
Alex made a good start in heat 1 and immediately moved into 5th place which he held to the end of the race. In heat 2 Alex made a good start and by the end of the 5th lap he was up to 3rd. He just couldn't pass the two drivers in front of him but came home to a comfortable 3rd. Heat 3 was much the same as heat 1 with Alex finishing in 5th. For the final heat, Alex again made a good start, and moved up to 6th. On lap 6 he was in 5th and on lap 10 he was 4th where he stayed until the chequered flag dropped. On the aggregate scores Alex would start from 8th in the pre-final.
With a new set of matching tyres Alex was looking forward to a good pre-final race. At the start Alex shot into 5th place until he was pushed wide on corner six, crossing the line at the end of the first lap in 12th with a lot of work to do. Gradually, lap after lap, Alex began to claw his way up the field - matching the times of the front runners. As the flag dropped Alex crossed the line in 7th after a sterling drive.
For the final Alex asked the team to try and reduce the grip on the kart as it was not releasing from the corners but it would be a bit of a gamble due to the lack of data they had from the circuit. Once again Alex made a blinding start and moved into 3rd place. Kyvat went wide, bounced back on the track, hit Alex and two drivers passed him. He was then hit from behind and crossed the line at the end of the lap in 10th. Race positions were changing lap after lap with Alex trying to move up the field. Whilst lying in 5th position Alex was hit hard from behind two laps from the end which pushed him down to 11th where he remained until the end of the race.
Alex was very disappointed not to finished higher up in the final but overall he has had a very good season in Europe - finally finishing 5th in the championship and the highest placed Brit as well as being the youngest driver in the Top 10.
ROUND SIX
After the success of winning both the Formula Kart Stars and the Super 1 championships Alex and the MBR team headed off to Spain for the penultimate round of the WSK championship. Alex was very relaxed after his success in the UK and now just wanted to finish as high as possible in the WSK championship where he was lying 8th after five rounds. The format as usual in Europe was two test days with qualifying and heats on the Saturday and a pre-final and final on the Sunday with only points being scored in the two finals. Testing went well for Alex on both days and he was constantly the quickest driver. Many of the drivers had been to the track a few weeks ago for the World Cup so Alex was at a bit of a disadvantage in not knowing the track. The good thing is that Alex has the ability to learn a new track very quickly and after a walk around on the Wednesday he showed he was right on the pace with his times during the two test days.
Qualifying on Saturday morning was split into two groups and Alex started in group 1. The times kept coming down and after 9 laps Alex felt he had done enough to get a good grid position and decided to come in to save his tyres. He ended up third quickest over both qualifying sessions which meant he would start from third place for his three heats.
Alex made a good start in heat 1 and slotted in behind De Vries. On turn two Kvyat made a lunge for Alex and hit him and Alex went off the circuit - rejoining in 12th place. It took a few laps for Alex' tyres to clean up and he fought his way back finally finishing in 8th at the end of the heat. In heat 2 Alex made another good start and slotted into 2nd place. After 5 laps Alex started to experience some understeer with snap oversteer which caused his times to drop. Tyre pressures seemed to be the problem on a very hot track. Marciello in 3rd started to catch Alex. Marciello then made a lunge at Alex, went wide, and as he came back on the track hit Alex sending him off the circuit and he rejoined at the back of the field. Alex fought back and by the end of the heat had managed to claw his way up to 17th. With two bad heats Alex was looking for a good result in heat 3 to make sure he had a reasonable grid position for the final. Again Alex made a good start and slotted into 2nd place in heat 3 which he held without incident until the chequered flag.
With the combination of points received in the three heats Alex lined up in 13th place on the grid for the pre-final. Once again Alex made a good start and soon found himself in 6th place due to the number of karts in front of him running into each other. He started to chase the leading pack and soon managed to get into second. In turn four Alex was pushed wide dropping down to 5th place. He was right on the bumper of Del Rio in 4th and had the speed to pass him but decided that 5th place would put him on the cleaner side of the track for the final.
By deciding to finish the pre final in 5th Alex lined up on the clean side of the track and his strategy worked as he moved straight into 3rd place at the start of the final. By the end of the lap Alex had moved into 2nd and was chasing doen De Vries in 1st. The two drivers had a great battle with De Vries defending his line lap after lap. In the end Alex' tyres started to go off and he dropped back but when the flag dropped he was still 3 seconds ahead of Sainz who was behind him in 3rd.
An excellent weekend for Alex and the MBR team with the points he scored in the pre-final and final he has now moved up to 4th place in the WSK championship with one round left.
ROUND FOUR It was back to the WSK championship at the weekend for Alex and the MBR team who headed off to Genk in Belgium for Round Four.
Alex had raced last year at Genk in the Stars of Tomorrow championship and had also tested there last month so had some knowledge of the track. Unlike racing in the UK there were two days of testing on Thursday and Friday. The weather was very changeable with both wet and dry sessions and Alex was always running in the top six quickest times.
Qualifying was split into three sessions due to the number of entrants, with the aggregate of the different times deciding the grid positions. Alex went out in session one which was in the dry. The session was very close and it was difficult to get a clear lap. At the end of qualifying Alex was in 7th but with the aggregate of the three sessions he would start 11th for the four heats.
Heat 1 started inthe dry and alex made up two places at the start. He was then hit from behind and pushed off the circuit into 18th place. He fought back but the heats are only held over 12 laps and he crossed the line in 16th.
Heat 2 was much the same although Alex had a good battle with Warburton and Suranovich and as the flag dropped he was 13th.
Heat 3 saw Alex make a good start and move into 8th position which he held for a number of laps until once again he was rammed from behind and sent off the track. He finished 22nd at the end of the heat.
Unfortunately the standard of driving in the WSK is very poor and many of the drivers use over agressive tactics with the result there are always more disqualifications for bad driving in Europe than there are in the UK. It was looking likely that Alex would have to pre-qualify for the final due to his poor results in the heats.
Heat 4 was held on the Sunday morning and once again the track was dry. This time Alex had a good clean battle with a number of the other drivers and at the flag came home in 14th. His kart had been badly damaged in the heats on Saturday so he was suffering with a handling problem which was making the kart difficult to drive.
As prediicted Alex would have to pre-qualify for the two finals and he lined up in 16th place on a grid of 30 karts. Only the top six at the end of the race would go through to the pre-final and the race was only over 8 laps. Luckily it was a wet race and Alex could use his second kart which had the wet set-up. Alex made a great start moving up three places and just kept moving up the field lap after lap to come home in 3rd. This would put him in 31st place for the pre-final.
The pre-final was also held in the wet and as seen before, Alex excels in the wet. It's hard to describe in words what happened as the race got under way, but Alex just scythed his way through the field until on lap 10 he was in 3rd place. Unfortunately the driver immediately behind him was intent on trying to push him off the track. Incidentally this same driver would be disqualified in the final for using the same tactics on another driver. As it was important to get a good finish for the final Alex wisely decided to let him past and at the chequered flag he came home fourth. A really great drive by Alex in the wet and he also got the fastest lap too.
Lining up in 4th for the final on a now drying track Alex made a good start and held his position. Unfortunately the track was very greasy and there was an incident in front of him which caused a few karts to spin off and he ended up in 16th. Alex now had it all to do again and gradually fought his way up the field. There were just not enough laps left for him and he came home in 7th.
A very tough weekend for Alex and the team, but overall a fine result in the two finals which was very good under the circumstances.
ROUND THREE
After nearly four weeks since round two of the WSK Championship Alex and the MBR team headed once again to Italy and Castelletto for Round Three.
Testing was held over two days where the weather was mainly wet but Alex as usual acquitted himself well in the bad conditions and was consistently the fastest driver over the two days. In fact at one point he was two seconds quicker than his nearest rival. If the rain continued over the weekend Alex and the team felt a good result was in the offing.
In qualifying it turned out to be a bit of a lottery; Alex just couldn't get a clear lap and after the full 12 laps he had qualified 9th. He was comfortable with this result as he is a total racer and knew he could still win from that position.
For Heat 1 Alex started in 11th on a wet track. He made a great start and by lap 5 the "Rain Meister" was in the lead, which he held to the flag and set the fastest lap too.
Heat 2 was now dry and Alex started 12th. Again he made a good start and moved up to 9th. On lap 6 he went to pass McCauley Walsh who as he did, knocked his front tyre causing a slow puncture. Alex managed to finish the race, but dropped right back and finished 23rd.
Heat 3 and once again Alex started 11th but dropped to 12th at the start. He fought hard and by the end of the heat was placed 9th. In Heat 4 it was much of the same story and Alex once again finished 9th, but this time set the fastest lap.
Based on the results from previous heats Alex had competed in, as well as results for other heats, Alex would start the pre-final in 21st. This was the lowest position he had started a final in the WSK championship. The one thing Alex likes is a challenge and he was determined to get a good finish for the final, as that would set his grid position.
Right at the start Alex made his intentions clear by passing five karts by the first corner and moving up the grid. Lap after lap Alex was passing competitors in front of him and moving up places. This amazing drive went on right to the chequered flag where Alex eventually finished 5th and once again set the fastest lap.
Lining up in 5th for the final Alex felt confident a win was on the cards. His kart was handling well and he was driving better and better as each race came along. Alex made a good start and held position for the first few laps. On lap eight he moved into 4th place and on lap 10 he was vying for 3rd. As he was lining up to overtake Raffaele Marciello he went wide and as Alex passed him he came back on the track hitting Alex and sending him off the circuit. Alex managed to get going again and finished in 30th. A disappointing result after such a promising weekend. Raffaele apologised to Alex after the race and accepted it was his fault that Alex was knocked off.
Next week Alex is up at Kimbolton for Round 1 of this year's UK Stars of Tomorrow championship.
ROUND TWO
Last Wednesday Alex and the MBR team headed once again for Italy for the second round of the WSK Championship which was staged at Sarno near Naples.
Alex was feeling quite confident after his excellent result in the first round at La Conca. The weather though was not looking good as rain was forecast for the whole weekend. Thursday and Friday were general test days and Alex concentrated on getting a good set up for the kart as well as learning the circuit.
It was encouraging to see he was on the pace straight away. On Friday it was wet and Alex was really flying - regularly being 2 seconds quicker than his rivals.
Saturday qualifying was going to be a bit of a lottery as the track was wet, damp, dry as the morning wore on and the team was wanting to preserve Alex' wet tyres as it looked like the rest of the day it was going to rain. It turned out not to be the best call and Alex ended up qualifying 12th and on the aggregate of the three sessions would start 14th for the four heats.
In Heat 1 Alex made a brilliant start and made up about five places at the start. Lap after lap he managed to overtake the driver in front of him and by the chequered flag he was in first place. A great result for his first heat.
Heat 2 was a little tougher and after some good close racing and dices with other drivers, Alex came home 4th. Heat 3 and once again Alex made up a lot of places at the start but got badly held up by the driver in 4th who was defending well. He managed to pass him with one lap to go but could not catch the other two drivers ahead. Third though was another good result. The final heat, Heat 4 was another good race with Alex making a blinding start and he was soon up to 3rd. The three front runners ran in a train for the last three laps and at the flag, Alex was 3rd. The combined results for the four heats meant Alex would start 3rd in the pre-final.
Once again Alex made a good start and managed to hold 3rd position. On lap 4 as he was closing in on the driver in 2nd, he was hit from behind at speed by Colombian driver, Oscar Tunjo in what appeared to be a deliberate move. Not only was Alex taken out but most of the other front runners as well. In a badly handling kart Alex came home 21st by the end of the race.
When the kart was checked after the race it was bent by 10mm, so Alex had to start the final in his spare kart which was set up for the wet - and it was a dry final. Starting from 21st, in a kart not suited to the conditions, was going to be a tough call but Alex did what Alex does best and simply got his head down and raced as hard as he could. He managed to pass 11 drivers and came home in 10th by the end of the race. Under the circumstances a good result.
Alex is still the top British driver in the championship and next weekend he will be at Shenington back in the UK where he should seal the winter championship which he is currently leading.
ROUND ONE
Last Wednesday evening Alex and the MBR team flew out to Italy for the first round of the 2009 WSK championship at the La Conca track. This would be the start of Alex’s foray into the European KF3 championship which consists of four races in Italy and one in France, Spain and Belgium. Alex will also be competing in the Super 1 championship in the UK.
Testing had been limited although Alex had managed to get in two days at La Conca the week before. Thursday and Friday would be general test days with the heats and races taking place on Saturday and Sunday. In total there were 75 competitors entered with drivers from all over the world as well as many from the UK that Alex had raced against last year.
Thursday and Friday was made up of sessions and the team ran in two new engines as well as worked on the set up of the kart. During the two days Alex was consistently in the top three quickest times which bode well for race day. Once again as with last year Alex was the youngest driver in the class.
For general qualifying Alex was in group 1 and although he managed 9th fastest lap he ended up in 11th on aggregate for the first two heats which were run on Saturday afternoon. In heat 1 Alex managed to finish 5th and in heat 2 he finished 4th. A good start to his first European championship.
Heat 3 was on Sunday morning and Alex started from 12th. Due to an incident on the first corner where Alex got hit from behind and sustained a slow puncture the handling of the kart was very bad. Alex persevered and still managed to bring his kart home in 14th out of 27 competitors. Heat 4 was also on Sunday morning and Alex starting again from 12th managed to fight his way up to 4th by the chequered flag.
The pre final was held on Sunday afternoon and Alex would start fro 10th. After a hard fought battle Alex came home in 3rd
For the final Alex would start from 3rd on the grid based on his pre-final result. By the end of the first lap he had managed to get into second place when he was again hit from behind rejoining the race in 11th. His tyres were dirty and it was two laps before the started to work properly. He managed to work his way through the pack and was in 4th place by the final lap. On the last corner he had a look up the inside for 3rd place but decided it would be a dangerous move so he settled for 4th place at the flag.
A really good result for Alex’s first European championship race and he is currently 3rd in the overall championship |
ROUND FIVE
After a break of seven weeks, Alex, along with the MBR team, headed off to Nutts Corner kart track in Northern Ireland for Rounf Five of the Super 1 championship on August 22 and 23. As this was a new track to the championship testing was run over two days to give all the drivers a chance to get to know the track. Alex arrived in Belfast on Wednesday ready to defend his lead in the championship which he had gained from his decisive win at Whilton Mill in July. Thursday testing was run in wet conditions and Alex, as usual, was consistently the fastest driver. The forecast for the weekend was mixed but on Friday it was dry and Alex and the team were able to get a set that everybody - especially Alex - was happy with. Saturday would consist of a qualifying session and two heats and Sunday would be a pre-final and a grand final. Even though there are only points scored in the two finals it is important to get a good result in the two heats as they give the driver his grid position for the pre-final. Qualifying was going to be tough as quite a few drivers had posted similar times in testing and Jordan King had spent two days the week before testing at the circuit. The team and Alex decided that as soon as he set a quick time that would give him a good grid position he should come in to save his tyres. For the first time this year Alex and Senna Fielding both set identical times but because Senna set his on lap 4 and Alex on lap 5 he would start from pole in the first heat. Alex thought he could have gone quicker but thought it was more prudent to come in on lap 9 to save his tyres. Due to the high number of competitors in this series there would be three heats with each driver competing in two. Alex would run both his heats on Saturday and some drivers would run their second heat on Sunday morning. In heat 1 Alex made a reasonable to keep second place but then dropped down to third. Not wishing to push too hard and ruin his tyres Alex consolidated his third place and waited until his tyres came good. On lap 7 while the two drivers in front of him were fighting each other, he dived down the inside coming into the hairpin and took the lead. He then gradually built up his lead and by the end of the 14 laps he was 3 seconds ahead when the chequered flag dropped. He had also set the fastest lap. His win in heat 1 would mean that Alex would start heat 2 from pole. As the lights changed Alex came out of the first corner in the lead and he retained this position for the full 15 laps - finishing 2 seconds ahead of Macauley Walsh. For the pre-final on Sunday, Alex would again be on pole. Sunday started out dry for the pre-final but Alex was worried how his tyres would hold up as he had done more race laps than some of his rivals. As the lights changed Alex led away from the start and gradually started to edge away from the chasing pack until he had a comfortable lead which he held right to the end of the race. Now his tyres were really worn and Alex was hoping for rain in the main final as he felt he would have even more chance of a win and he always excels in the wet. Unfortunately Alex' wish came true with a vengeance. The heavens opened and the rain poured down so much that the organisers had to cancel the final as the track was flooded. Alex still came away with maximum points and has now extended his lead in the championship to 15 points.
ROUND FOUR
Round four of the Super 1 championship was held at Whilton Mill over the weekend of July 4/5 and Alex and his team headed up to the Northamptonshire track on Friday for the free practice day. Alex had tested at the track two weeks ago so the team had a good base line to work from on his kart's set up and they spent most of the day working on tyre pressures.
The weather forecast for the weekend was mixed with the prediction of showers on the Sunday for the two finals. The format for the weekend was a qualifying session, two heats and two finals. Alex would qualify and have one heat on the Saturday with his second heat and two finals on Sunday. Due to the number of entrants some of the drivers would have both of their heats on the Saturday.
Qualifying was on a dry track and by lap two Alex looked to have set a time that would put him on pole as he had broken the lap record for the circuit in the KF3 class. He did two more laps which were both quick enough to break his own lap record twice over. It was then at the end of lap five the team decided to call him in to save his tyres for the weekend.
This was the start to the weekend Alex and the team wanted. He was totally happy with the set up on his kart and also the latest development of the TM engine from GFR which Alex said was "awesome".
For the first 15 lap heat Alex started on pole and as the lights went green he kept his lead and came out in front of the rest of the pack as he exited the first corner. He then started to pull away lap after lap until there was a five second gap to the driver in 2nd. Alex drove very consistently lap after lap in the low 45 seconds and at the end of the heat he was 5.57 seconds ahead of Sam Blake in 2nd. A great result and an excellent start to the weekend for Alex and the MBR team - everyone was looking forward to the racing on Sunday.
Although overcast it was still quite hot and humid as Alex adn the rest of the grid lined up for the second heat on Sunday morning. Once more Alex was on pole and again he led the pack out of the first corner at the start of the heat. As with the first heat Alex began to pull away lap after lap until he had a good gap to 2nd where he settled down and just put in a series of consistent laps so by the end of the 15 lap heat he had a margin of 5.31 seconds over his championship rival Jake Dennis. Alex also set the fastest lap in the heat.
There was then a two hour gap until the start of the first final where Alex would be on pole as he had won both of the heats.
Lining up at the front of the grid Alex led the rest of the field round for the start of the first 21 lap final. It was especially important now not to push too hard as there would be another 21 lap final and Alex needed to keep his tyres as good as possible. Alex is a very smooth driver and not hard on his tyres but Whilton Mill has an abraisive surface so tyre wear is critical.
As the race got underway Alex once again maintained his lead at the end of the first lap and again gradually started to pull away from Senna Fielding who was in second place. On lap 12, Alex had a comfortable lead of over three seconds which he held to the end of the race - setting the fastest lap in the process. The format for race two was the same with Alex lining up on pole. As the lights went green Alex made a poor start and dropped down to third after being passed by both Fielding and Jordan King. Alex gave chase and by the end of lap two had passed King and moved into 2nd. On lap 3 while closing on Fielding the race was stopped due to an incident with another driver who required medical attention. As the race had only just started the organisers declared a restart and Alex would start on pole.
This time Alex got away cleanly into the lead closely followed by Senna Fielding. He gradually started to pull away and soon built up a lead of over 2 seconds. On lap 14 there was another major incident and the race was red flagged. This time there would be no restart and the race was declared a result. Once again Alex had got the fastest lap.
A great weekend for Alex who totally dominated the proceedings and now leads the Super 1 championship with two rounds remaining.
ROUND THREE
Round 3 of the Super 1 Championship was held at Rowrah in Cumbria at the weekend and Alex and his team headed up there on Friday.
As usual Friday was a free practice and a chance for everybodt to get a good set on their karts for the race over the weekend. Alex had a few problems with his engine not starting and lost some track time but luckily Gordie from GFR has engine tuner was on hand and the problem was soon fixed. As soon as Alex had a clear run he was consistently the quickest driver out there.
Unlike the Formula Stars championship, Super 1 only issues points for the two finals so qualifying and the two heats are critical for a good grid position, but do not affect the points table.
Qualifying on Saturday was in the dry and it was always going to be close between the top drivers. In the end Alex qualified 3rd - just 0.06 seconds behind Jake Dennis, the pole setter.
Alex' first heat was run on a damp track with him starting 2nd. By the end of the first lap Alex was in the lead and he pulled away fromo Bowyer to win by 3.5 seconds at the end of the 14 laps.
Heat 2 on Sunday saw Alex again start in 2nd place behind his championship rival Jake Dennis. Both drivers made a good starrt and Alex held his position by the end of the first lap. He then just chase Dennis round the track setting the fastest lap in the heat and finishing just 0.07 seconds behind Dennis. As Alex said after the heat: "Dennis drove well and managed to block me each lap. As there were no points at stake I felt it was wise not to make any silly moves that could have put both of use off the track".
Final 1 would be run on a dry track, although the weather had turned very cold. At the green light Alex was passed by Silva and dropped to 3rd place. On lap five he managed to pass Silva and satrted to catch up with Dennis who had pulled out a small lead. Alex was closing on him with each lap, but on lap 15 he started to drop back. The team didn't know if there was a problem but Alex was clearly struggling and having to defend 2nd place while all the time Dennis was pulling away. At the end of the race Alex managed to hold onto the second place but was more than 3 seconds behing Dennis. In the debrief he told the team the engine had lost power and it sounded like the bearings had started to go. The team decided to change the engine and put on Alex' spare one for the second final. The second final was once again run on a dry track and Alex was once more in second place on the grid. He made a great start and by the second corner had passed Dennis for the lead. As the race progressed he pulled away from Dennis and the chasing pack and at the chequered flag he crossed the line over two seconds ahead of Dennis and had set the fastest lap time as well.
All in all it was a good weekend for Alex and the MBR team and Alex has consolidated his position in the championship and is in second place just two points behing Jake Dennis.
Next week Alex will be racing at Genk in Belgium for the next round of the WSK Championship.
ROUND TWO
Round Two of the British Super 1 Championship was held at Shennington over the weekend of May 9/10 so Alex and the MBR team headed there on Friday. Friday was free practice and the team spent the day setting up Alex' kart and running in some new engines. Alex was consistently quickest in all the sessions.
The format for the weekend was a qualifying session, two heats and two finals with points only being scored in the two finals. Qualifying for all drivers was on Saturday and the two heats would be over Saturday and Sunday morning with the drivers split into groups. After four laps qualifying was stopped as the timing system had broken down and Alex was lying in second place. Then there was an hour's delay while the timing was fixed then the last seven minutes of qualifying was run. After a couple of laps when it was obvious the track was slower the team decided to call Alex in to save his tyres. Alex - who was in Group B - would have both his heats on the Saturday. Starting from 2nd in Heat 1 Alex went into an early lead which he held comfortably to the flag, winning by nearly half a second. In Heat 2 Alex again drove into the lead before the end of the first lap and was not challenged for the remainder of the 16 lap heat and came home first. He would start the pre-Final on Sunday in pole position.
There was a warm up on Sunday morning with the first final starting at 14.15 so the drivers had a long time to wait before the actual race.
Alex made a good start when they got going and held the lead into the first corner with the rest of the pack close behind. Jake Dennis was chasing hard and on lap 5 managed to pass Alex. Alex held on and got the place back before the end of the lap. It was a very close race at the front until lap 10 when Alex started to slip back down the order. It looked was though he had a mechanical problem exiting the last left hander before the finishing line. At one point he was back in 6th place but managed to fight his way back and eventually finished 4th. The team checked the data but could find nothing wrong with the engine and decided it could be an exhaust problem - so this was changed.
For the second race Alex would be starting fourth. As the lights changed to green he made a great start and by the end of the first lap he was in the lead. Unfortunately due to an accident the race had to be red flagged and stopped. When the race re-started Alex got up to 2nd when the race was once again red-flagged. At the third re-start there was a lot of bumping and bashing and Alex ended up 5th by the end of the first lap.
Luckily his kart was running well and he had no signs of the mechanical problems from the first final. He had a tought fight making up the places as the field had become a bit spread out. On lap 10 he had moved up to 4th and by lap 16 he was in 3rd which he held until the end of the race. Although he was catching the two drivers in 1st and 2nd there were just not enough laps left to make a difference. A mixed result weekend for Alex and the MBR team but he has now moved up to 2nd overall in the championship.
ROUND ONE
The Super 1 Championship opener took place over the weekend of March 21/22 2009 so Alex and the MBR team headed up to the PFI circuit in Lincolnshire for Round One.
Friday was, as last year a general practice day, but due to prior commitments Alex was only able to get to the track for the afternoon sessions. The main criteria were to run in some new engines and get a good race set up. The format has changed this year with the sessions being for a set time rather than a number of laps which meant that the drivers would get more track time.
Alex started in 16th for the qualifying session, which would run over 12 laps. He made a good start and managed to move up four places. He then got his head down and started to pass drivers in front and eventually took the lead, which he held to the flag.
Heat 1 would be over 14 laps and Alex would start from pole. At the green lights he held position and by the first corner had cemented first place. He held this position for the full 14 laps and at the flag was one second ahead of Senna Fielding in 2nd place.
For Heat 2 Alex would again start from pole position - this heat was also over 14 laps. Again, Alex made a good start and held his position as the lights went green. He continued to hold first place until lap six when he started to slip back. The team couldn't understand why, but the back of the kart seemed to be sliding more. Alex dropped back to 7th and then settled down and managed to fight his way back to 5th. When the team checked the kart they found Alex had a puncture and the tyre was deflating - which was the reason for the handling problems. Under the circumstances 5th was an excellent result.
On Sunday - because of his result in the second heat - Alex would be starting 5th for the pre-race final held over 21 laps. At the start, Alex held position and remained there for the whole race. He was unable to make up any places as the top six drivers all held their positions.
For the main final held over 21 laps Alex would again start in 5th position. He made a good start and held 5th for the first lap. On lap 2 he moved into 4th, by lap three he was in 3rd and on lap 4 he was up to 2nd and flying. On lap six he moved into 1st place and started to pull away from the rest of the field. Alex had a commanding lead when on lap 18 Jake Dennis suddenly found some speed and by lap 19 he was right behind Alex. For the last two laps Alex had to defend his position, but at the flag he still managed to cross the line in front.
It was an excellent result for Alex in his quest to become the 2009 British KF3 champion.
|
