Redemption for Aaron Walker in Junior X30

The biggest grid of the weekend, is the one that usually provides the most action packed racing. That’s the Junior X30 field. 36 drivers would do battle around PFi for the coveted GP plate.

As qualifying kicked off, it was clear it was going to be close. Setting the pace was KR-Sport’s Freddie Spindlow, lapping just 0.05 faster than Fusion’s Oliver Greenall who had a 0.09 in hand over Sam Shaw. Alicia Barrett was 4th for Fusion with Harvey Charter and Luke Watts completing the top 6. Returning to X30 was Theo Micouris, who had won a GP title in Honda cadet, he would start 9th while Cadet graduates Harry Burgoyne Jnr and Brandon Carr would go off 10th and 14th respectively.

The opening heat would see Greenall get to the front and build a small, 7 tenth advantage over Barrett to take the win with Shaw holding station in 3rd. Charging through the field was Rashan Chigorimbo, who had qualified outside the top 15, but managed to come home 4th. Spindlow would cross the line 5th, but a penalty would drop him to 10th behind hard chargers Daryl Taylor and Harvey Ribby who finished 7th and 9th after both starting outside the top 20.

Heat 2 was a close fought affair, with the top 3 split by just half a second at the line. The win, that went the way of Sam Shaw. Harvey Charter missed out by just 0.14 seconds with Harry Burgoyne Jnr climbing 7 places to finish 3rd while Chigorimbo again stormed through, this time to 4th. Barrett fell 1 place to finish out the top 5. One driver kicking himself was Luke Watts, having took the win on the road, a nose cone penalty would see him fall to 10th behind his rivals.

Those mixed up results would put Shaw and Barrett on the front row, with Chigorimbo in with a great shot in 3rd with Watts alongside. Row 3 was Taylor and Spindlow while Aaron Walker would go off 8th behind Lewis Mackie.

The pre-final was typically frantic, but it was Alicia Barrett who took the win by over 1.6 seconds to secure pole for the main event. She would share the front row with Luke Watts with Mackie and Taylor on row 2. Burgoyne Jnr and Oliver Stewart filled row 3, while Walker would have to go off 10th, with Sam Shaw going off 8th. Splitting them was Jess Edgar who climbed 14 places to 9th. Chigorimbo would have it all to do again, having failed to finish leaving him 33rd.

Barrett got the hole shot into the first corner, followed through by Mackie and Burgoyne, dropping Watts to 4th. Watts quickly set about Burgoyne, taking 3rd back on the opening tour. This time, Barrett wouldn’t run away at the front, loosing the lead to Watts at the first hairpin on the 2nd lap. Watts and Barrett then set about building a gap over Walker and Taylor in 3rd and 4th.

The truce at the front wouldn’t last long, as Barrett got bored of following and took the lead from Watts’s KMS team. Meanwhile Rashan Chigorimbo was on a charge, moving from 33rd to 12th in just 4 laps! While behind them, Edgar would end up backwards after contact with Micouris and one of the Spirit of Senna drivers.

Back at the front, Walker was trying to make amends for his Junior Rotax loss, moving Watts down to 3rd and bolting himself onto the back of Barrett. He didn’t stay behind for long, sending it on the bridge to take the lead away from Barrett. Their fight would allow Taylor and Watts back into contention. Watts tried to go around the outside of Taylor to take 3rd. Watts couldn’t make the move stick, and tumbled down the order. All the while, Chigorimbo was now inside the top 10 and getting close to the leaders.

Chigorimbo saw his chance, trying to dive down the inside of the hairpin, but contact with Burgoyne jnr would see Chigorimbo’s kart hop into the air, leaving him out of the race. Thankfully, he was alright. While that was kicking off, Barrett was back through for the lead. Mackie tried to stick it down the inside of Barrett at the first corner, almost causing a monster crash. Skilfully, they all got away with it, but Walker was back at the front. The next lap round, Walker was mugged by Mackie and Sam Shaw. Barrett was falling, loosing out to team mate Spindlow.

Mackie was defending like crazy with 2 minutes on the clock, that was just bringing more and more drivers into the leading train. Shaw saw his chance for the lead, and tried to go around the outside of the pack. The move, a gallant effort, didn’t come off, and allowed the KR-Sport pairing of Spindlow and Barrett to get through. Shaw would get swamped at the 2nd hairpin and was pushed out wide. Mackie was also falling, having started the lap in the lead, he was now down to 8th.

As they headed onto the final 2 laps, Walker lead over Spindlow with Watts and Barrett trying to hold off the charging Greenall for 4th. As the final lap started, Spindlow was bolted to the rear of Walker. Walker went defensive into the first hairpin as Spindlow tried to go around the outside of Walker, which ended up dropping him into the clutches of Watts and Greenall. Their fight left Walker clear to take the win and redemption for his Junior Rotax loss. Spindlow would just hang on for 2nd with Greenall sneaking onto the podium in 3rd.

Junior X30 Kartmasters GP Top 10

1 – Aaron Walker – Strawberry Racing
2 – Freddie Spindlow – KR-Sport
3 – Oliver Greenall – Fusion Motorsport
4 – Luke Watts – Kato Motorsport
5 – Alicia Barrett – Fusion Motorsport
6 – Oliver Stewart – Jade Racing Team
7 – Harvey Charter – Litchfield Motorsport
8 – Sam Shaw – Premium Karting
9 – Charlie Rippin – MLC
10 – Lucas Ellingham – Jack Dex Racing