Motorsport UK COVID-19 Update

Video action from the FORMULA BLUE CHALLENGE AND NATIONAL KART RACING ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1 at Clay Pigeon on 8th March. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ACTION

Re. Norovirus.
The Motorsport UK have issued the following bulletin ‘ It is with regret that Motorsport UK is suspending all organising permits……… until at least 30th April 2020’.
This, under current Coronavirus conditions, was not unexpected and both the NKRA and 2 Counties Kart Club are in full agreement. It means that the Blue challenge round 2 scheduled for Clay Pigeon on 12th April, will now be cancelled. Regulations are in place to cover such eventualities ( see NKRA Clubmans Championship web page, on the drop-down menu, on the www.planetkarting.uk website). Should the situation with regard to the pandemic, continue as expected beyond April 30th then the Championship and the rounds involved will be reviewed.
For the present, please stay safe, follow all guidelines and self-isolate where necessary.

Competitors are advised that entries for Round 2 of the Formula BLUE Challenge and the Wessex Championships at the Clay Pigeon Raceway are now open to enter on-line.  There will be practice, for those who wish it on Friday. The Wessex Championship will take place on the Saturday with the Blue Challenge being raced on Sunday. Both competitions are entered for separately on the Clay Pigeon Website ( the link for entries is at the foot of this news brief)
The entry list will close at midnight on Saturday 4th April.
Entries received after the closing date may still be accepted but will be given a rear of the grid start and pay non-members fees.
All entrants must be paid up members of a club affiliated to the NKRA, prior to entering on-line. TO ENTER ON-LINE PLEASE CLICK HERE

The drivers at the Clay Pigeon Circuit on March 8th in the opening round of the Formula BLUE Challenge were subjected to a weekend of high winds, cloud, rain and hail. As a consequence, some racers were caught out being slick shod when it rained halfway through a heat. Those drivers who gambled on wet tyres scored well!

The front row of the Final consisted of Dave Watts on Pole and Stuart Gray opposite. The second row had Anthony Cleal and Nigel Vickery.
Before the Final, the heavens opened up once more so there was no doubt over the wets or slicks decision issue. Some drivers did, however, opt for intermediate wets and suffered a little during the race.

From the ‘off’, Watts forged into the lead followed by Gray and Cleal. Paul Alexander and Russell O’Neill forced their way past Vickery into 4th and 5th places. Michael Bell accounted for Rob Mortimore. From the back, Alex Fortune rocketed up to 11th passing Ron shone, Kevin O’Neill and Mark Cook in the process.
Into lap two and Cleal’s race was over, hitting a pool of water he slid off into the barriers. Russell O’Neill passed Alexander in the confusion. Fortune continued his change passing Waldron for 9th spot.
Lap three and Serita Shone was by Mortimore and into 7th place. Fortune followed her through. Cook scraped past Waldron and Kevin O’Neill outgunned Ron Shone.
Next lap and Vickery slid wide allowing Bell, Serita Shone, and Fortune through. Ron shone re took Kevin O’Neill, who as the rain turned to hail was struggling on his intermediate wet tyres.
Lap five and Cook spun 360 degrees in the wet, taking Mortimore with him. Although Cook was able to continue, Mortimore suffered a steering breakage and had to retire. Waldron took the opportunity to pass them both.
Half distance and Watts was clear at the front. Passing backmarkers would look to be his only concern. Not so behind, as Russell O’Neill was hounding Gray trying every which way to find an opening to get past.
A little way back a battle royale was taking place between Alexander, Bell, Serita Shone, Vickery and Fortune.

On lap nine, the pressure finally told as Gray spun, allowing O’Neill through. Gray was able to recover before the chasing pack was on him. Alexander also succumbed to the pressure of the group on his rear bumper, on lap twelve and he spun losing six places.

On the penultimate lap with Watts cruising in the lead. O’Neill was equally secure in 2nd place with Gray 15 seconds adrift. Serita Shone finally found a way past Bell and Fortune accounted for Vickery.
So to the chequered flag, with a Pole to Flag win for David Watts. Three seconds adrift, O’Neill had gradually closed him down achieving the fastest lap in the process. 3rd over the line was Stuart Gray. A tight finish for the chasing group saw Serita Shone cross the line ahead of Mike Bell, Alex Fortune and Nigel Vickery.
When the grid and finish points were added together, David Watts emerged as the clear winner on Zero points, with Stuart Gray in 2nd place and Russell O’Neill in 3rd. Nigel Vickery came in 4th ahead of Mike Bell and Serita Shone, who tied for 5th place.

In the Master sub-group, Gray took the lead on 2 points in front of Russell O’Neil on 5 points and Vickery with 7 points.
Gray also established a lead in the Veteran section. this time from Vickery and a tied pair of Alexander and Waldron.
With a near clean sweep, Gray now heads the Legend sub-class from Cook, with a tie for 3rd between Kevin O’Neill and Ron Shone.
Cook, who nearly went home when the weather was at its worst, ended up leading the Top Weight section with Ron Shone and Rob Mortimore 5 points adrift sharing 2nd spot.

The next round is once again at the Clay Pigeon Circuit on April 12th. Here the Formula Blue Challenge is combined with he Wessex Championships, so it should be a blinder !!

For more details and points update please view the results section on the www. planetkarting.uk website or CLICK HERE

Russell O’Neill has cemented his ambition to regain the TABOR Trophy and £ 500, which he won last year. In atrocious conditions, he won the Clay Pigeon Race on 8th March to improve on the lead he had already established. David Goode, by virtue of his absence, due to a pre-organized event, slipped out of the top five. This promoted Mike Bell up into 2nd place. Behind him, father and daughter pairing, Ron and Serita Shone move up into equal 3rd spot. One point behind, David Waldron hangs on to 5th position and a potential £100. Drivers having just raced in back to back meetings, now have a little recovery time (five weeks) before the next round, which is also at Clay Pigeon.

For more details and results please view the results page on the www.planetkarting.uk website or CLICK HERE

It has taken 11 years but Russell O’Neill has finally won a competitive Final.

In the opening round of the 2 Counties Club Championship, held at Forest Edge in March, O’Neill put his kart down on 3rd spot for the Final. The reigning No1 , for Formula BLUE, Anthony Cleal was predictably on Pole Position, with last years No5, Mike Bell opposite.
At the start, Cleal took the lead but O’Neill out muscled Bell to follow Cleal through the pit complex of bends. Knowing he would have but one chance in the race, O’Neil out braked Cleal at the end of the fist straight to slot into the lead. Cleal, despite applying absolute pressure, was unable to regain the lead up to the flag. O’Neill took the chequered flag in a jubilant manner, but it was Anthony Cleal with a pole and 2nd, set of points, who won the race weekend from Russell O’Neill. 3rd spot was claimed by Mike Bell with Paul Alexander and David Goode finishing in equal 4th place on the day.
In the Master sub-section, Cleal and O’Neill share the lead from Alexander and Goode in equal 3rd spot.
Anthony Cleal also leads the Veteran group, once again from Paul Alexander and David Goode. Goode, however, heads the Legend sub-class, with Ron shone and Mike Watts bringing up the rest of the podium.
In the Top Weight category, it is Paul Dible who heads the list with a Pole to flag win. shone and Watts again taking up the next 2 places. last year’s Champion, Rob Mortimore, unfortunately having a disastrous day, has left himself a lot to do in the remaining rounds.
The Formula BLUE grid now switches it’s attention to the NKRA and BLUE Challenge rounds, at Clay Pigeon on 8th March.
The next round of the 2CKC Championship is scheduled for August 2nd at the Forest Edge Circuit.
For more information and results, please view the results page on this website www.planetkarting.uk or CLICK HERE

The entry list for the opening round of the 2 Counties Kart Club for Formula BLUE, has now closed. All of the top 10 from 2019 have entered for Forest Edge on March 1st, ready to do battle once again.
Russell O’Neill the reigning Club Champion heads the top 3, which includes Mike Bell, and Robin Stoddart-Stones.
New boys include Kieron Quirke and Mark Church, join novices Mike Watts and Geoff Webster who are hoping to make their mark in 2020.
Good Luck to all competitors for the opening round of 2020.

Tabor Karting will be in attendance, as usual,  with their mobile shop at the Clay Pigeon Circuit on 6th, 7th & 8th March for the club meeting and the 2020 National Kart Racing Association Championship ( Round 1).
Competitors requiring tyres and/or specific spares for this event, please order and purchase your requirements in advance   (Tel 01305 774074)  by 12 noon on Wednesday 4th March, for collection at the circuit on the race weekend.
TO ENTER ON-LINE PLEASE CLICK HERE