July 2008
British 'Summer' Tests Young Racing Talent
Drizzle, downpours, gusting winds and warm sunshine –and all within a few minutes – tested Britain’s young racing talent to the full and the country’s leading kart circuit at the weekend
While unpredictable weather made the British Grand Prix such an enthralling spectacle for the fans this year it was playing havoc with the July kart meeting at the UK’s premier track at the weekend.
S8 Racing’s teenage driver Adam Parsley – supported by the Flow Group – was among 40 budding race aces entered in the Trent Valley Kart Club’s Junior Rotax class at an event which promised some top class entertainment.
With the British Kart Masters Grand Prix at the same venue in less than a month, the sport’s big guns were taking the opportunity to refresh their knowledge of the PF International circuit and size up the opposition.
But it was the weather which provided the toughest test with race engineers reduced to guessing the likely conditions and the drivers having to adapt to a track which was constantly changing, sometimes in a matter of seconds.
“We can’t enter the Kart Masters Grand Prix this year but we thought this meeting might be the next best thing,” said Adam’s father, Steve. “It certainly gave us a chance to measure ourselves against the top teams and, although it was pretty demanding, Adam showed he has pace – if not the luck.”
After starting his first heat 21st from 28 Adam was up to 11th by Lap 6 - but then rain arrived prompting a pile-up which put him on the grass and back in 20th. He recovered well to claim 15th at the flag and record the seventh fastest lap.
Another first-corner incident put Adam at the back of the field in Heat 2 while the constantly changing weather comprised the set-up chosen for Heat 3.
But Adam’s results were still good enough to earn the 14-year-old Harrogate schoolboy a place on the grid for the A final which he finished 18th from 30 – five places higher than his starting position on the grid.
“This was my first weekend on an Alonso chassis so we weren’t really expecting a win but it was fun to race against some of the top teams again,” said Adam. “I certainly had the chance to get a feel for the new kart and will be putting everything I learned into my next race at the South Yorkshire Kart Club meeting back at Wombwell at the weekend.
“However, I’d really like to thank the Flow Group for their support once again because, without it, I wouldn’t have had the chance to race at PF International. Competing against the best helps to improve my own driving and I hope we’ll be back in national competition on a regular basis very soon.”
