From (almost) zero to hero! - Daytona MK Inkart championship S3 R3

I’m still speechless, even a day later!

Yesterday, was Daytona Inkart Round 3 Championship.   I needed to put a another solid performance in after missing R1 and improve on my R2 result of P6 in the A final.

R3 was the cup format, which is a ten minute practice, followed immediately by a fifteen minute qualifying.  Your best lap in quali determines your starting grid position in the  A or B final.

As soon as I started practice, I realised my kart was under powered on the straights. After a couple of laps, I pulled into the pit lane to report it but there was a queue as a test driver was checking another driver's kart.  Waiting to have mine checked would have cost me all of my practice time,  so I decided to just get the most out of the kart as it was.   In the go-pro footage and videos my Dad took below, you can hear the kart's lower engine revs at full throttle compared to others.

It wasn't a great qualifying session.   With the underpowered kart, I finished P9 in my heat and based on the other heat's lap times, I was placed P7 of 9 for the B final.   This was really disappointing but I still hoped I could perhaps get a podium.
      
Fortunately, I was allocated a different kart for the final and I had a great start, working my way through the field making up three places in the first lap! P1 and P2 had a huge gap, but in P3, I knew I still had a shot. After some great battles, I overtook P2, but they tried to divebomb me, earning a two-place penalty. I caught the leader and overtook them on the straights, eventually pulling a 6.6-second gap to win the B final, which promoted me to the back of the A final in P11.

Going into the A final, I didn’t expect to go from last to first. I was just happy to have made it!

At the start, I gained a place on the first lap and then three more places on the second lap before a red flag came out due to a cadet kart's fuel cap flying off. Thanks to the Daytona marshals for handling that quickly and safely!

After the restart, I got hit, dropping me back to last but I was determined and worked my way through the field. I had some fantastic battles, especially with Tom Justice, the current championship leader. On the second-to-last hairpin, Tom defended too hard, taking out another racer and opening the door for me to take P3. I pulled away and even set the fastest lap of the day, giving me a bonus championship point too!

Crossing the line in P3 in the A final was an incredible feeling as across the two finals, I made up fourteen places!    A double podium and fastest lap!

Overall, in the championship, after three rounds and my DNF in R1, I'm still going to be close to the bottom of the table but things will get interesting after R7, when I too will have six rounds that will count.  Everyone else is one round ahead of me until then.   It just shows... Never give up! On to R4 in a couple of weeks.

Huge thanks to my parents, my supporters, and especially Camuri Ltd. You guys are amazing, and I truly appreciate the support!