UK Karting - Super 1 Series Race Report

Super 1 Sereies
Round 1 Race Results

Super 1 Series
Race Report
MSA - Round 1 - Larkhall - 09/03/03

JICA
Lancaster & Christodoulou enjoy winning starts.

Jon Lancaster (Pudsey) and Riki Christodoulou (Sutton Coldfield) impressed with a win apiece during the opening rounds of the 2003 ELF-Hill House Hammond MSA British Junior Intercontinental A Karting Championship at Larkhall, Scotland, on Sunday.

Lancaster, who was in dominant form during the unofficial JICA winter championship, continued to shine through the first timed qualifying session of the season after posting a best lap time 0.18 seconds quicker than his nearest rival. However, he didn't have things all his own way after being matched through Sunday's heats by Midlander Christodoulou. Both youngsters took a win and a second place each, setting the stage for a tremendous battle during the two points scoring finals.

During Final One Christodoulou and Lancaster pulled away from the rest of the field but as the laps counted down it was Riki who began to pull away, eventually crossing the line almost seven seconds clear. Lancaster was second with Viktor Jensen (Esher) third.

Final Two was a closer affair with Lancaster taking the race win. This time, however, Christodoulou slipped back during the final few laps to eventually finish third behind Bournemouth's Jonathan Legris. Surrey karter Freddie Martin-Dye took fourth in both finals.

Final One winner Christodoulou said: "It's been a good weekend and I'm very pleased that I managed to win. After I pulled clear of Jon it was quite easy really and I'm very happy to have won and to have had another good finish too." Lancaster, meanwhile, commented: "Riki got the jump on me at the start of Final Two but after that I managed to get past and then I just had to make sure I kept going to the finish without doing anything wrong. I'm really pleased to win and it was really good fun."

Formula JICA points (provisional): 1st Jon Lancaster, 98pts; 2nd Riki Christodoulou, 96pts; 3rd Jonathan Legris, 91pts; 4th Freddie Martin-Dye, 88pts; 5th Daniel Rowbottom, 83pts

Formula A
Litchfield takes early Championship lead.

Derbyshire's Mark Litchfield (Marston Montgomery) leads the 2003 ELF-Hill House Hammond MSA British Formula A Karting Championship after a hard-fought battle during the opening two rounds of the season at a wet Larkhall, Scotland, on Sunday, 9th March. Having set the fourth fastest time in Saturday's official timed qualifying session, Litchfield finished ninth in his opening heat on Sunday before taking victory in heat two in preparation for the first points scoring final of the day. Both finals were reduced to 18 laps due to the adverse weather conditions affecting the timetable.

In Final One Litchfield lined up third on the grid behind David Gregory (Sheffield) and pole-sitter Duncan Tappy (Cambridge), an ecstatic Gregory taking his first win in the category by two seconds. Tappy was just over a second clear of Litchfield, who had to fight his way through the field after an incident on the first lap. David Gregory commented: "I'm really pleased - first time on the front-row in Formula A and my first win as well. The conditions were quite difficult but I'm very happy to get the win."

For Final Two it was Gregory on pole, Tappy in second spot, Litchfield third and Ian Johnstone alongside him on the second row. Litchfield opened up a healthy lead during the early stages but through the latter part of the race was put under heavy pressure by Johnstone (Carluke) who closed to within 0.40 seconds of the race winner at the flag. Gary Catt (Andover) was third with race one winner David Gregory fourth. Reigning Formula A Champion Mark Rochford (Wincanton), meanwhile, endured a disappointing weekend having failed to finish the first final but with a sixth place to his credit in Final Two - he is currently 12th in the championship on 69 points.

Commenting on his weekend's racing, championship leader Mark Litchfield said: "We decided to run with higher tyre pressures for the second race so I could get away at the start but then towards the end that meant the kart started to slide around a lot more. "I was struggling a little bit with that but the race itself was great and I'm really pleased to get the win, especially after going off at the first corner on the first lap of the other race."

Formula A points (provisional): 1st Mark Litchfield, 96pts; 2nd David Gregory, 94pts; 3rd Ian Johnstone, 92pts; 4th Duncan Tappy, 91pts; 5th Gary Catt, 87pts.

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