Racing in the final round of the 2024 BLUE Challenge was extremely fraught. In the largest grid of the year, so far, the last round was held at the Clay Pigeon Circuit, on August 4th as part of the UK National Kart Series. All the top 20 bar Paul Alexander and Rich Puddle, were present and most of the Championship rankings were to be contested. The day was dry and hot as indeed was the racing, with some notable results, especially Toby Tozer finishing 7th from a grid start of 18! Alex Fortune was the next best finisher coming home 8th from a 16th grid position.
In the main grid of Formula BLUE, Harry Smithson sat on Pole with Anth Cleal alongside. Behind, on row 2 were Steve Groves and Jamie Watts, with Dean Smithers and Stuart Gray taking up row 3. Cleal took the lead from the start flag, a lead he was to hold right up to the chequered flag! His main contender for the Challenge Series, Joey Foster, had qualified 9th and was up to 6th by lap 7 when a steering bolt broke, putting paid to his forward charge. Stuart Gray systematically, from grid 6, disposed of the few drivers ahead to finish 2nd , right on Cleal’s rear bumper, as indeed was Watts on his ! The front 3 crossing the finishing line almost as one. Smithson finished 4th with Smithers in 5th. Cleal, with 2 points, took the overall result, with Smithson 2nd on 4 points. Watts finished 3rd with 7 points and Gray 4th on 8 points. Smithers completed the top 5 with 10 points. In the Blue Challenge itself, Cleal retains the title with Foster, using his drop-option , becoming runner-up. Callum Jobson, despite suffering brake problems all day managed to hold on to 3rd place in the series, only 1 point ahead of Smithson. Gray brings up the top 5.
Cleal dominated the BLUE Master sub-group with a 0 points tally, taking the Championship title at the same time. Watts finished 2nd on the day with 6 points moving up to 20th in the championship. Gray, on 7 points, finished 3rd overall, promoting himself to 3rd in the championship. Smithers took 4th place with 8 points and moved up to 16th for the year. Max Gunter rounded up the top 5 with 16 points finishing 6th in the Championship. James Dawkins had a day to forget but still claimed 4th place in the year’s placing. Steve Groves finished the Challenge in a creditable 5th spot.
Cleal, again, had a clean sweep on 0 points to win the BLUE Veteran sub-class. Gray, on 5 points finished 2nd. Dave Waldron took 3rd overall with 7 points. A much improved Paul Wheeler claimed 4th spot with 9 points, just ahead of Groves on 10 points. In the Championship it is Cleal who takes the title from Gray, Groves, Waldron and Ron shone.
It was Gray who cleaned up the BLUE Legend sub-section with a 0 points win from from Shone on 4 points. Graham Joseph finished 3rd on 7 points ahead of Robin Stoddart-Stones, who was involved in an accident during race day, necessitating a hospital visit and scored 8 points.
Smithers won the remaining sub-class, namely TOP Weight, with a flawless 0 points win from Alex Fortune on 4 points. Equal 3rd on the day was Shone and Rob Mortimore on 7 points. It is Fortune who wins the championship from Shone with Mortimore in 3rd, Paul Alexander in 4th and Smithers in 5th.
Alfie Lenton, who had been missing for a couple of rounds, returned for a positive day scoring a clear win in the Final. 2nd on the day was Series leader, Jacob Felton. Despite this it is Felton who wins the Junior BLUE class, in the Challenge, with Lenton in 2nd place.
With the regional BLUE CHALLENGE SERIES completed, full focus now turns to the NATIONAL GRANDE FINALS, scheduled for the weekend of August 24th and 25th at Mansell Raceway in Devon.

For more Results CLICK HERE or go to the results page on the www.planetkarting.uk website
For photos of the 2023 Championship winners CLICK HERE
TO ENTER THE GRANDE FINALS PLEASE CLICK HERE
N.B. entries for the NKRA Grande Final closes on Friday (midnight) August 16th

CUSTOMERS ARE ADVISED THAT TABOR KARTING SPECIALIST ALONG WITH TABOR ENGINEERING WILL BE CLOSED FROM MONDAY AUGUST 12th ( MID-DAY) AND WILL RE-OPEN ON MONDAY 19th AUGUST.
RACERS REQUIRING ENGINE PREPARATION PRIOR TO THE GRAND FINALS ARE REQUESTED TO SUBMIT THEIR ENGINES EITHER PRIOR TO, OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEIR HOLIDAY CLOSURE.

Competitors are advised of the following regarding the race meeting at the Clay Pigeon Kart Circuit on August 2nd – 4th.
The race meeting is a round of the UK Kart Championship and incorporates the final round of the NKRA Blue Challenge. Racing is scheduled for Sunday 4th August. Practice on Saturday 3rd August is for Racers who are registered for the championship ONLY. Practice is also available on Friday 2nd August for registered drivers and for those with permission of the NKRA and the UK Kart Championship. On Friday, practice fees are payable to the Clay Pigeon Kart Circuit on the day.

Tabor Karting will be in attendance at Clay Pigeon Raceway supporting the NKRA and Formula BLUE Challenge, Final Round (Round 7) on Thursday August 1st, Friday 2nd, Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th.
Competitors requiring tyres and / or spares for delivery/collection at this event, please order and purchase your requirements in advance, prior to 12 noon on Tuesday 30th July (Tel 01305 774074)
PLEASE NOTE: As per. the NKRA sporting regulations, the last BLUE Challenge round (7) carries a 100 point non-attendance penalty, which can not be ‘dropped !
Thanks and see you there!

Competitors are advised, that entries are now open for the NKRA Grande Finals at Dunkeswell Raceway on the weekend of August 24th & 25th. There will be practice / testing available on the morning of Saturday 24th. For Formula BLUE there will be 2 heats on Saturday afternoon and 2 heats and the Final on Sunday. Other classes will follow the race programme as formulated by Dunkeswell Kart Club. The weekend race can be entered on the Dunkeswell website ( www.dunkeswell.uk). There is also a link for Race Entries at the foot of this news brief. The entry list for Junior and Formula Blue will close at Midnight on Friday the 16th August. Late entries will not be accepted for this NKRA Grande Final. Total numbers may reach the capped limit before the closing date, especially as this is the Grande Final. Full attendance is anticipated, to ensure inclusion all ‘BLUE’ competitors are advised to enter the event forthwith.
To enter this event, please go to the www.dunkeswell.uk website link or CLICK HERE

The last NKRA Championship Regional Round ( which includes the Blue Challenge) will take place at the Clay Pigeon Raceway ( Dorset) on August 4th. This will be the last chance for any racer wanting to enter the NKRA Grande Finals (where NKRA registration is a requirement) which will be held on the weekend of 24th and 25th August at the Dunkeswell Circuit ( Devon).
It is also the last chance for racers intending to race at the 2nd INDY BLUE T&T Mini Series (with its ‘up to £5000’ prize fund) scheduled for later in the Autumn. Competitors not already registered with the NKRA must do so by August 4th in order to be eligible to enter and race at these two events ( on 22nd September at Llandow & 27th October at Dunkeswell)
To register with the NKRA CLICK HERE or go to the NKRA menu page on the www.planetkarting.co.uk website

Entries are now open for the Final Round of the NKRA Championship at Clay Pigeon on the weekend of 2nd, 3rd & 4th August. This round is incorporated within the UK Kart Series Championship. You can enter on-line for this race as follows. PLEASE NOTE: This race meeting is the Final Round of the NKRA BLUE CHALLENGE, which carries a 100 point non-attendance penalty. As such the entry may well reach the grid cap of 30 entries, competitors are advised to enter early to ensure inclusion in the grid.
To Enter for SATURDAY PRACTICE AND SUNDAY RACING CLICK HERE
To Enter for SUNDAY RACING ONLY ( 3 heats and Final) CLICK HERE
You can also enter via your Alpha timing profile.

FRIDAY PRACTICE IS ALSO AVAILABLE AND CAN BE BOOKED ON ARRIVAL AT THE CIRCUIT

James Dawkins wins the Final in Formula Blue, Harry Smithson wins the day with 4 points and Anthony Cleal takes over the Championship lead from Joey Foster by 5 points!
With an impressive grid competing in Round 6 at Whilton Mill, where the top 12 were all present, Formula Blue had yet another race winner in James Dawkins. He qualified 5th and gradually picked off those ahead until lap 8 when he slid past Stuart Gray taking a lead that he held until the chequered flag.

Gray finished 2nd having qualified in 4th. Anthony Cleal snatched 3rd place on the line from Harry Smithson. Scott Lay finished 5th. In the Championship, Cleal takes over the lead from Joey Foster, who having qualified in 7th was up to 4th when on lap three he rolled to a halt with a broken carburettor shaft. Callum Jobson had a faultless race day qualifying 6th and finishing 6th, thereby maintaining his challenge in 3rd overall. Dawkins moves up to 4th in the Championship followed by Smithson and Gray.

In the Master sub-class, Dawkins won the day ahead of Cleal, both on 3 points. Gray finished 3rd just 1 point behind. Max Gunter takes 4th place with a 5th start place and 4th place finish. Alex Kemp and Leanne McShane shared 5th position on 14 points each. Cleal maintains his lead in the Championship from Foster, who despite his DNF remains in 2nd spot. Dawkins closes in for 3rd place followed by Gray, then Steve Groves completing the top 5.

Gray wins the Veteran sub-section by virtue of his race position, despite sharing minimum points with Cleal. Paul Alexander finished 3rd on the track and 3rd in the points. David Goode came home in 4th place, both on track and in the points. Graham Joseph claimed 5th, highlighting his steady improvement throughout the year’s race programme. It is Cleal who leads the Championship from Gray, Groves, Alexander and Waldron.

Gray completed a stunning weekend by dominating the Legend sub-class. His pole and track win giving him a minimum Zero points. 2nd on the track and in the points was David Goode, recovering from his accident in the previous round at Fulbeck. 3rd was Joseph, who took this meeting in his grasp beating Ron Shone into 4th on the track. Gray is now well clear in the overall points from Shone, Joseph and Goode.

Dean Smithers and Alex Fortune scored equal points in the Top Weight group but Smithers took the win, on the track, finishing ahead of Fortune, 3rd on the day was Shone. Fortune maintains his Championship lead from Alexander, Shone, Rob Mortimore and Smithers.

In the Junior Blue Class, Jacob Felton raced off the back of the Senior grid. From there he enjoyed a period of passing experience forging forward from 22nd on the grid to finish 9th on the track. Although in a mixed grid, he scored minimum points for the Junior class, where he extended his lead in the Championship, over the current champion Alfie Lenton.

The Championship racers now have 5 weeks to take stock before the final round of the Blue Challenge at the Clay Pigeon Raceway ( in Dorset) on the weekend of August 4th. After this they look forward to the NKRA Grande Finals for the Formula Blue, Junior Blue and Honda Cadet at Dunkeswell Race Circuit ( in Devon) on the weekend of the 24th and 25th August.

For CHAMPIONSHIP DETAILS CLICK HERE
For RESULTS TO DATE CLICK HERE
For photos of the 2023 champions at the awards presentation evening CLICK HERE

Tabor Karting will be in attendance, as usual,  with their mobile shop at the Clay Pigeon Circuit on Friday, Saturday & Sunday 12th, 13th & 14th July, for the Club Round which also includes the Rotax Max Festival and the Two Counties Club Championship Round 3

Competitors requiring tyres and or spares for all classes, for this event, to be delivered /collected at the circuit, please order and purchase your requirements in advance, prior to 12 noon on Tuesday 9th July
(Tel 01305 774074)  
Thanks and see you there !

Anthony Cleal, by virtue of points scored at Whilton Mill, increases his lead in the TABOR Championship once June’s results are factored in. Joey Foster’s Fulbeck points and Alex Fortune’s Whilton Mill points place the pair in equal second, with Rob Mortimore hanging on to Fourth. There is now a three-way tie for fifth spot between Max Gunter, Callum Jobson and Ron Shone.
FOR DETAILS OF THE TABOR CHAMPIONSHIP AND LAST YEARS WINNERS PLEASE CLICK HERE
FOR UPDATE DETAILS OF POINTS TO DATE PLEASE CLICK HERE