Motorsport action down at the
Cayman Karting track continues to come thick and fast at the Loop in Sparky
Drive.
The Autumn Premier League has
reached its final week whilst the new Tag Heuer Corporate League begins next
week.
The Premier League was designed to
test the best karters on island. Qualification required team members to able to
drive sub-35 second laps and the six-round league included a variety of new
driving challenges.
Particularly demanding were the two
races which took place in purposely wet conditions, one each on the regular and
reverse tracks. These wet races proved a thorough examination of racing skill
with the racing line drying out during the 70 lap race forcing the drivers to
adapt to constantly changing track conditions.
To focus minds a four spin-out rule
meant that the any team leaving the track four times over the 20 laps
qualifying or 70 lap race was disqualified. The league also included driving on
the high speed outer loop format of the track for the first time. This layout
takes out the twisty inner section of the track and employs the pit lane to
complete an outer loop.
The new format was debuted in a
time trial where each team drove the same kart in turn and tried to register
the fastest lap on the new circuit.
To reflect the stricter standards
of the premier leagues the Cayman Motorsports Association took over race
supervision. Six marshals on the track ensured that high standards of driving
were enforced. Bobby Hulse, association president, said: “CMA was happy to play
a part in making the premier league a success. We hope to see karting as a
teaching tool for the youth as well as a fun outlet for all.”
Alasdair Foster of Cayman Karting
said: “We are very grateful to the CMA volunteers who came out to help prep the
track and supervise the racing – they ensured a very professional level of
competition. We are also extremely appreciative for the continued support from
AI Rentals.”
The entrants in the premier league
included a number of corporate teams including Maples and Calder, Harneys and
Premier Wines as well as several groups of friends who came together to form
teams. Interestingly, the league also saw two drivers go solo with one man
teams.
Stan Zholnin and Furius Whelan
confounded sceptics by proving they were up to the endurance test of driving 90
laps in one session. Both drivers have produced some solid performances that
leave them lying fourth and seventh in the league table.
One team has dominated the league
and their four wins and one second place over the first five races allowed them
to wrap up the title with a race to spare. DARR Racing consists of Daron
McLean, Alexander Conolly, Richard Crawshaw and Richard Johnson with reserve
driver Jordan Seales.
This has brought together a mixture
of youth and experience: McLean is still studying, Alexander, Jordan and
Richard Johnson all work at Butterfield Bank whilst Richard Crawshaw is an
independent director. McLean proved once again to be the fastest driver on the
regular track whilst Alexander was the fastest man and new record holder for
the high speed outer loop. The fastest man on the reverse track was however
local racing legend Andy Bodden from the Caymaniacs team.
Holding on to second position is
the constantly improving Harneys team of Kieron O’Rourke, Jenny Deacon, Nik
Fox, Tim Clipstone and Steve Staatz. Deacon set a new fastest female lap time
for the reverse track and the team will present a formidable challenge when the
new corporate league begins.
Behind them sitting in third is
Team Valvoline comprising the considerable racing talents of Keith Tibbetts,
Ajoni Ambersley, Michael Weatherford, Chad Phillips, Josh Rivers, Britney
Nelson and Kelcey Huggins.
Next up at Cayman Karting is the
Winter Corporate League, sponsored by TAG Heuer and Harbour Drive Jewellers. To
add further incentive to the racing one member of the winning team will now
receive a luxury TAG Heuer Formula 1 watch.
Sign-up deadline is 29 November and
the league will start on 6 December. Two weeks of racing will take place before
a break for Christmas and the league will then continue until early March.
New race formats for the TAG Heuer
league will include a 100 lap endurance race, a night with two races where the
grid for the second race will be the reverse of the first race’s finishing
positions.
There will also be a social night
mid-league with food and music when a time trial on the reverse high speed
outer loops takes place.
This league will split mid-way through
the season into two divisions so teams will be racing against similarly matched
competition.
Division one racers will, like
their premier league counterparts, have to face up to some races on a deliberately
wet track.
Further information is available on www.caymankarting.com
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