Junior X30: Bearman completes perfect weekend in Valencia
A 59 strong, British dominated field were on track for the Junior Winter Cup. Over 20 of the country’s best drivers did battle with some of the top drivers from Spain, France, Portugal and many more.
With 2 groups qualifying, it was Swiss driver Eron Rexhepi who topped the first qualifying session with a 57.659, Ken Oskar Algre was 2nd fastest while Miguel Peiro Luzarraga 3rd. Top Brit was Alex Ley in 4th and Josh Rowledge 5th. The second session was a touch slower with Daniel Guinchard topping the time sheets with a 58.097 closely followed by Oliver Bearman second. Herolind Nuredini put his Evolution kart in 3rd while Freddie Spindlow was 4th.
Over the course of each drivers 3 heats, it was Oliver Bearman who put himself at the top of the score sheet. He managed to win all 3 of his heats. Firstly, being followed home by Oliver Gray and Alex Ley, then by Miguel Peiro Luzarraga and Douglas Bolger. Bearman’s 3rd heat was a much closer contest between himself, Freddie Spindlow and Daniel Guinchard. Bearman managed to hold off Spindlow by just 0.063s. The remaining heats went the way of Josh Rowledge and Oliver Gray with Rowledge bagging a pair of wins.
That meant Bearman topped the score sheet with Guinchard alongside him after a consistent run. in the top 5. Rowledge held the second row with Zach Ripley while Liam McNeilly and Rexhepi the first non-British driver in 6th. Algre struggled in the heats, leaving himself 15th while Spindlow was down in 16th. A few big names were down in danger of not getting through to the finals, including Cian Shields, Josep Martin Sobrepera and Ed Pearson. They would all have to fight it out in the LCQ. Here, the top 6 would go through to the final.
It would be a 7-way battle through the event, with the lead changing from Matthew Marrocco, to Jerzy Spinkiewicz, to Wilgot Edqvist and eventually Cian Shields who took the win. The battle for 6th went down to the last few laps, with Sam Heading sneaking passed Felix Aparicio to claim the final spot in the final.
The Pre-Final was another win for Oliver Bearman, closely followed by Josh Rowledge. Oli Pykla impressed moving up 6 places to 3rd, but Joseph Taylor climbed 13 places to 4th. Zach Ripley and Alex Ley would get hit with penalties dropping them to 11th and 13th. Sam Heading impressed gaining 18 places to finish 16th, a performance like that in the final could see him comfortably in the top 5.
Bearman held the lead into turn 1 with Joe Taylor jumped up into second who was followed through by Bolger, dropping Rowledge to 4th. The next lap round it all changed, Bearman went wide allowing the chasing pack through, first Taylor and then Bolger and Rowledge got through. Rowledge then made a move for the lead with Bolger slamming the door on him, Allowing Taylor to try around the outside for the lead, eventually getting it at the chicane. The fighting allowed Pykla and Hakala into 3rd and 4th infront of Bearman. Rowledge then made his move on Hakala for 4th before swiftly dispensing of Pylka for 3rd.
Bolger would soon drop back leaving Taylor, Rowledge and Pylka to fight for the lead. At this point, Bearman was running in 6th. But that wouldn’t last long, he quickly managed to get to 4th having passed Bolger and Pylka. It took him just a lap to get back up to 3rd chasing Rowledge and Taylor. As the race hit half distance, it was now 5 karts for the lead. Taylor moved through to the lead dropping Rowledge down to 4th, Bearman was now into 2nd again. Rowledge manged to get passed Pylka for 3rd, and with that the leading trio pulled away. Once they had a gap, they started fighting.
Taylor and Rowledge started pushing each other, which allowed Bearman through to the lead, and the charging Miguel Peiro who had come through from the back of the pack to 4th and was charging towards the leading pack. Perio made a quick move on Rowledge to take 3rd, setting his eyes on Taylor’s 2nd place. Rowledge made a move on Peiro, who was left out wide. The pair made contact undoing all Peiro’s hard work, leaving Rowledge holding 3rd.
With 3 to go, Bearman held the lead from Taylor and Rowledge with Pylka and Ley just behind. Taylor and Bearman were trying to work together to build a gap, so they could have the fight for the win, but Rowledge and Pylka had the same idea. Taylor was sizing up a move. He dived to the inside at the final chicane but ended up over the kerbs as Bearman cut the chicane as well. That allowed Rowledge and Pylka to make it 3-wide down the pit straight, with Pylka and Ley picking up 3rd and 2nd as a result.
That squabbling allowed Bearman to pull clear to take the win Rowledge managed to sneak second on the line from Pylka taking a stunning 3rd place. Taylor would finish 4th and Gray having an incredible recovery drive to fifth having started on the back of the grid.
Image: KR Sport
