ELKMANN TAKE STOP KARTING HONOURS
Prior to the British Superkart Grand Prix at Donington Park, it seemed as though the drivers had privately agreed that whoever should win must do so in crushing fashion. Nowhere was that more evident than with Peter Elkmann.
Already a two-time winner of the event, he celebrated the GP’S 40th anniversary by reaping maximum rewards.
During the headline race for 100bhp Division 1 karts, capable of 140mph, Elkmann was untouchable and won by nearly 10 seconds from fellow German and Anderson/vm driver Andreas Jost.
Although Jost was quicker away at the start, Elkmann occupied the inside line into Redgate and held onto first. A loss of water that resulted in overheating curtailed Liam Morley’s race, having started third and briefly passing Jost.
But up front, Elkmann was as much as 1.3s a lap faster than the rest of the field and he duly cleared off into the distance.
After, he waxed lyrical, saying: “It was absolutely a fantastic weekend for us. Maximum points, winning the GP, pole position and fastest lap. There was nothing more to dream about before this weekend.”
His triumph in the blue riband race added to taking both European Superkart victories during the championship’s opening round. Despite smaller winning margins, he looked just as comfortable as he led home Czech driver Adam Kout each time.
Also winning in a bruising fashion, Australian Jordan Forde was a massive 13s clear of Paul Platt in the GP race for F250/450 karts come the chequered flag. That followed after taking the spoils in the first British National F250/450 race, although Forde’s fortunes took a downward turn when a broken ignition switch sustained on the green flag lap of race two meant he dived into the pitlane from what would have been pole. Second starting Liam Fox instead claimed top spot.
The only exception in the GP trend was during the F125 Open race, in which just 0.037s separated Chris Needham from nicking champion Liam Morley’s victory, Matt Robinson having won the previous day’s race.
While it may have been the kart races that topped the billing, the Mighty Minis provided the pick of the action with Dave Rees’ brace belying two frenetic battles. In the opening race, he led into Redgate but fellow drivers David Kirkpatrick and Alex Comis flanked him under braking into the Melbourne Hairpin. Rees recovered with a superior run into the final corner and survived further threats to take his first championship win, which he dedicated to his late mother.
In race two, up until Greg Jenkins, Mark Ditchburn and Steven Rideout collided at Melbourne and brought out the safety car, any one of the top nine looked in contention. Rees led at the restart but a last-lap pass from Comis looked to have denied him. But Comis was slapped with a track limits penalty which relegated him to fourth but only learned of his costly indiscretion after returning to the pits.
A safety car called to retrieve bodywork on track allowed Benn Tilley to close and then pass the Van Diemen RF80 of Ben Tinkler in the opening Classic Formula Ford 1600 race. A clean getaway in race two left Tilley unchallenged into Redgate and from there the Merlyn Mk20 driver added a second win.