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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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For more information about Tony Kart and OTK products, go to www.strawberryracing.co.uk. Strawberry is open until Wednesday 23 December and will re-open Monday 4 January. Warwick and all the team would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk Strawberry and Varley on top of the World! Luke Varley adds World Rotax title to Euro crown
Having secured pole for the pre-final, Luke went on to dominate it – winning by over five seconds. He was made to work hard for victory in the Grand Final after dropping a couple of places during the opening lap. However, as the lead pair began to tussle, Luke seized his chance and, with an incisive move, regained the upper hand. From there he was able to open a gap and maintain it to the chequered flag. Strawberry team principal Warwick Ringham was understandably delighted, “Luke drove fantastically well. Because everyone’s on the same equipment, it all comes down to driver ability and who’s got the best set-up and ultimately, who wants it the most.” He added, “This year he’s won Kart Masters, finished second in the British Super 1 championship, won the European and now the World title – Luke’s just really good, isn’t he?!” Indeed, such has been the impression that Luke made in Egypt and with his performances throughout the season that he has been invited to compete in the Florida Winter Tour - and there is a possibility that he could land a drive with Paul Spencer’s Tony Kart Junior Racing Team in 2010. The team’s other drivers experienced varying fortunes. Formula Renault graduate, Joseph Reilly returned to complete his karting career, but after a series of misfortunes found himself in the repercharge and was unlucky not to qualify for the main final after a questionable black-flag. The team’s sole Junior representative Henry Hunter was making his World finals debut, and acquitted himself admirably. Facing a steep learning curve, he came through the heats and pre-final to qualify well for arguably, the biggest race of his career to date. An intelligent drive saw him thread his way to an eventual 8th place at the finish. Warwick said, “Henry did really well. This was a new experience for him but the more laps he did, the better he got. In fact, what he achieved was fantastic.”
Strawberry storms to double Euro Max titles Webster and Varley crowned in France
In the senior category, Joseph Reilly led team-mate Luke Varley across the line in the final round of the Euro Max championship - but it was the latter who triumphed overall. Josh Webster (pictured left)sealed the first major title of his career with third place in the Junior Max grand final. After the heats, the team was delighted to see that two of its stars had qualified for the first of the day’s two Senior Max finals in third [Reilly] and sixth [Varley] - with team-mates James Greenway and Barrie Pullinger in fifth and fifty-seventh, respectively. Despite a quality field, Varley and Reilly would turn both encounters into two-horse races. Luke took a crushing win the in the pre-final, taking the chequered flag over two seconds ahead of Joseph and was almost assured of the title. In the main final, Reilly reversed the order - although Varley ran him close throughout the fourteen, nail-biting laps. Unfortunately, after a crash had put him out of the running in the first final, Greenway was left with the task of fighting his way back up the order in each final and would eventually finish in eleventh place. Whilst disappointed for Barrie and James, team manager Warwick Ringham could not hide his delight at Luke and Joseph’s one-two in the championship’s final positions, “It’s just fantastic!” he said. “To be honest, I think it was the right result. We’ve won all bar one final and overall, did the best job. Everyone put in a huge amount of effort and we’ve got our just rewards. I’m also proud to say that James was able to take seventh in the championship, so we’ve got three drivers in the top ten. That’s not bad. Barrie has learned a lot and will be much stronger in next year’s series.”
After Josh’s podium, Ringham was also at pains to acknowledge the contribution of those who made a key contribution to Strawberry’s run of success in 2009, “I would particularly like to thank Steve, Tim, Heather and Richard at Ogden Motorsport, Paul Chambers and Dave ‘Dodge’ Gregory. Plus all the mechanics, who often work long hours in difficult conditions without complaining.” He added, “I don’t think any of the team has had a chance to celebrate yet. We loaded up the truck, drove back to Sheffield, prepped all the karts and now we’re off to PFi [in Lincolnshire] this weekend [19/20 September].” With the Euro Max and GP titles already won, the team has turned its attentions to adding the British Super 1 Rotax senior title to its haul. Luke represents Strawberry’s best chance of succeeding, whilst Joseph and James will be keen to improve their own places in the final standings. Josh has an excellent chance of finishing in the junior top three, although Warwick predicts a tough weekend for all his young charges, “I think we’ll be fast at PF, but there’s a lot at stake. I suspect we’ll see a lot of drama and action because you’ll have a mixture of people with lots to lose, or nothing at all. If we survive the heats, qualify near the front for the first final, I think we’ll be in good shape to go from there.”
Strawberry pair pips GP rivals Varley and Reilly score brilliant 1-2 at Kart Masters
The team’s Junior Max driver, Josh Webster overcame a chassis bending crash during Saturday’s warm-up – which required some ‘caveman tactics’ to try and straighten it out again – and went on to finish 16th and 2nd in his two heats: good enough to secure him a sixth row grid position for the first final. His team-mate, Barrie Pullinger had had a similarly torrid time but qualified just one row ahead, in tenth position. Their fortunes would be polarized in the opening moments of the race. Despite losing a place at the start, Josh was able to recover and steadily climb up the order to take an excellent 2nd place. In contrast, Barrie was out almost instantly – the victim of a crash and with a broken wheel. Unable to cut in at the start of the Grand Final from his outside position going into the first corner, Josh dropped to fifth place, whilst Barrie conversely enjoyed a dream start. He rocketed from thirty first on the grid up to seventeenth. As the race settled down, Webster began to pick his way through to the runner-up spot. In the midfield, Pullinger had something of a rollercoaster ride, but was eventually able to seal a respectable fifteenth place. In the Senior category, Luke Varley led the line with strong performances throughout the weekend. Fastest in his group during Timed Qualifying, he won his first heat and finished fourth in the second. James Greenway and Joseph Reilly fared less well, although James also did take a heat win. In order to join his colleagues in the pre-final, Joseph found himself needing a top six finish in the B-final (or repecharge) and didn’t disappoint, winning it with ease. He then delivered a barn-storming drive, to leap-frog from twenty ninth to sixth place in the pre-final. Varley had assumed the lead almost immediately and duly won to take first blood and pole for the Grand Final. Greenway was unable to get into his stride and became embroiled in a four-kart dice just outside the top ten, where he stayed. As the air thickened with tension, Luke emerged from the fog of exhaust smoke to lead the Grand Final. Joseph also profited, nipping into third, then second, in quick succession. The pair broke away and was able to open a gap of over three seconds from Michael Simpson’s similar Tony Kart, which they held to the chequered flag. Strawberry boss Warwick Ringham said, “I’m very pleased, especially for Joseph. He had a couple of bad heats – one where we had to start from the back of the grid and the other where he broke a rim. To go from the B final to finishing second was just fantastic.I said to Luke before everything started on Saturday, whoever qualifies on pole will have the early advantage. He focused on making sure it was him and he did it. From there, he was consistently in the mix. He deserved his victory.” Regarding his Junior stars, he commented “I’m really happy for Josh. He did very well and I think second was a good result. Unfortunately Barrie broke a wheel in the first final and that put paid to his chances. But he showed character and didn’t give up. I would also like to say a special thanks to Paul Chambers for his efforts and contribution to our success. He gave us great technical support and a big ‘Thankyou’ to Paul Carr who worked wonders helping to get Josh’s kart somewhere near driveable again. I’m also grateful to all the drivers and members of the [Strawberry] team for their efforts and of course to Steve, Tim, Richard and Heather at Steve Ogden Engines for their support and fast engines!”
Webster and Varley keep rivals in Czech Sosnova podiums see Strawberry drivers maintain title hopes
Josh Webster, the Sheffield-based outfit’s sole representative in the Junior Max class, faced a tough challenge but rose to it admirably. In a close Timed Qualifying session, Josh posted the ninth fastest time. His race set-up for the heats proved to be effective and he took a brace of runner-up finishes and a third – putting him fourth overall in the intermediate rankings. Advised by team boss Warwick Ringham that he simply needed to keep out of trouble and go for the best finishes possible in the two finals, Josh duly delivered. He drove superbly to finish third in the pre-final, before going one place better to take a much-deserved second place. A delighted Warwick said, “Josh did really well all weekend. He just chipped and chipped away and got two excellent results to maintain his points lead. At this stage of the Championship, it’s not necessary to go for wins but to maintain the points advantage. He did everything we asked of him.” In the Senior category, team regulars Luke Varley, Joseph Reilly and James Greenway were joined by Barrie Pullinger and new signing, Sena Fujita. As expected, James, Luke and Joseph were amongst the pace-setters in timed qualifying – fifth, seventh and tenth respectively – whilst Sena and Barrie acquitted themselves well by clocking the 26th and 28th fastest times. In the heats, James and Joseph took a win apiece, whilst Luke’s consistent top ten finishes saw the trio qualify for the pre-final in third, fourth and fifth places. Barrie also qualified and was delighted to make the cut for a major international final for the first time. Unfortunately, Sena was unable to complete the line-up after finishing eighth in the repecharge. “Sena did well, but was unlucky,” Warwick explained. “He joined us to experience racing in Europe and he had a tough time in a couple of his heats. He was bashed about a bit and didn’t get the finishes he deserved.” In the first of Sunday’s two finals Luke won in fine style, with Joseph leading James across the line in third and fourth places. Barrie gave a good account of himself to bring his kart home in 27th position. Disaster struck Luke on the main final’s rolling-up lap. His tyre deflated on the rim forcing him to dart into the pits. His mechanics worked a minor miracle to fix the problem and get him back out on track before the race had started. As he jockeyed for position, trying to take up his original grid position, he fell foul of the rules and was given a penalty. At the finish, this dropped him down to a bitterly disappointed 19th. Joseph’s fortunes were little better. After the confusion of the formation laps, he took the start out of position and was given a ten-second penalty –demoting him from second on the road to fifteenth. James was the victim of an opening lap collision and found himself marooned in the midfield, unable to progress higher than 21st. Similarly, Barrie gamely plugged away but could only improve to 25th as the chequered flag waved. “We didn’t quite end up with the results we wanted for the whole team. But with regard to Josh and Luke’s Championships, we’re still in command. Our rivals have to win both finals at the last round to stand any chance of beating us. In fact, Josh could not go to Salbris (9/13 September) and would still finish second at worst. So, I’m reasonably confident but we’ve still got to go to France and finish well.”
Strawberry drivers leave rivals Whilton in the heat... "I'm so happy. I feel like I've won the European Finals!" beamed a delighted Paul Spencer after watching three of his drivers stand on the podium at yesterday's (5 July) fourth round of the British Super 1 series at Whilton Mill, take superbly judged podiums. "I said before the weekend that I thought we'd win in KF1 and KF2, and Ben and Chris did just that," he added. Silva takes bronze Guilherme Silva took a brace of third places in KF3 after delivering another hugely positive performance in his first season of British and European competition. The talented Brazilian teenager had never seen Whilton before the weekend commenced but quickly got to grips with the Northamptonshire circuit's twists, turns and notorious bumps. In Timed Qualifying he was third overall in a large field and took third and fourth-placed finished in his two heats. In each of the two finals, he showed his ability to take the chequered flag in third place and put himself eighth overall in the championship table. Just 18 points off the lead and despite dropping one round (when he didn't compete). Paul commented, "Guilherme is a super little driver. He's able to go to circuits he's never visited before and almost instantly be on the pace. He's also adapted to the English style of racing very well and he's now regularly beating far more experienced drivers. That's a mark of his class." Mid-season form could be key to Lock's title challenge Chris Lock is beginning to show the right blend of pace and power as the season now moves into its crucial stage. The Suffolk driver was fourth quickest in a tight Qualifying session and further showed his intentions when he recorded a third place in the first heat before going one better in the next, to cross the line in second. A fantastic scrap in the first final saw Chris in a gaggle of Tony Kart drivers and his eventual fourth place finish gave him a sufficient haul of points to maintain his pressure on the championship leaders. Through a controversial encounter, Chris emerged victorious in the second final. He won comfortably and in doing so, broke his domestic KF2 'duck'. Now sixth in the title chase, Chris is coming into form when it most matters. "I'm really happy for Chris, " Spencer said. "He's worked very hard for this victory. We've had some bad luck but he's never complained, just quietly stuck to the job in hand and this is his just reward. I think he'll make the run-in for the title very close now." In comparison, the team's Bulgarian star Todor Batkov endured a tougher weekend. Having not raced in the UK for some time, Todor faced a strong challenge amongst a large field, many of whom knew the circuit extremely well. In each of the typically frenetic thrashes, he battled hard and was rewarded with two top twenty finishes in the finals. He learned much and will surely use that experience to good effect in the coming races. Cooper barrels along to extend championship lead Strawberry's sole contender in the premier category - KF1 - is certainly doing his team proud. After clocking the second-fastest time in Qualifying, Ben suffered two engine seizures in the heats. Needing to show prfessionalism and character to fight back in the finals, he delivered in spades. Starting second from last in the first final, he carved his way up the order to take the runner-up spot - setting the new lap record (43.98) in the process. A combination of supreme driving and good fortune saw him take charge of the main final - when the early leader succumbed to engine failure - and make the race his own. Ben swept to a dominant victory, over four seconds clear of his nearest pursuer. In his typically understated style, Ben said afterwards, "It was a good weekend. We had some new developments with the motor and as a result, I was quick throughout. The kart was faultless but the first seize was entirely my fault. But Philippe (from engine tuners, Marechal) worked his heart and soul out and I'm pleased that all his efforts and those of my dad, Paul (Spencer) and Dodge (Dave Gregory) were repaid by my win." Looking forward to the remainder of the season, Ben is focused on maintaining his current form. "Podiums, they're what I need to keep taking. If I do that, then the title might just sort itself out. The work of the team has given me a big chance of winning though but let's just take it one race at a time though."
Luke leads Strawberry to stunning 1-2
From the outset, Varley was in scintillating form. Fastest in timed qualifying, he then comfortably won both his heats - setting the fastest lap in both races - to seal pole position for the first final. Last year’s Junior Max champion Joseph is really beginning to get to grips with the rigours of the Senior class, illustrated by being fifth quickest in qualifying and taking excellent second and third place finishes in the heats. As
the lights flicked to green, Luke made good his advantage and
disappeared into the distance. Joseph (below)
The nature of the challenging Kent circuit often produces first lap crashes, but by combining a clear circuit ahead of him with great reactions, Luke was again able to avoid the dramas unfolding behind him as the second final got underway. Also capitalising was Joseph, who quickly slotted into second spot and matched his team-mate’s speed through every one of Buckmore’s twists and turns to secure his first Super 1 Senior Max podium. Strawberry team boss Warwick Ringham said “We were confident beforehand that Luke would be there or thereabouts but didn’t expect him to be quite so dominant. He just drove away from everybody”. He added, “I’m over the moon with Joseph. He’s really improved and come on. Like Luke, he’s doing everything right. I’m just delighted.” In the Junior category, Josh Webster was joined by new signing Barrie Pullinger. In a close timed qualifying session, Josh finished sixth overall, just a tenth of a second shy of the pole time. Barrie’s twenty first place, showed how close the Junior Max class has become, with him three tenths off the front-running pace. Tripped up in each of the heats by the almost inevitable crashes, Josh came through with a pair of top ten finishes, whilst Barrie also showed character to deliver his best performances since joining the squad. Josh was again the victim of startline incidents in both finals, but gamely fought his way back into the top ten, with ninth and eighth place finishes respectively. Barrie was also on a rollercoaster of luck bringing his Tony Kart home in sixteenth and thirteenth. Warwick said, “Barrie’s coming on in leaps and bounds. I’m well pleased with his progress. Buckmore was only his third race with us and he impressed me with the way he went about his job. As for Josh, well, like all the other lads he really buckled down. He had bad luck making it through the first corner, every time. He didn’t have the sort of weekend he can usually expect but he’ll bounce back. In fact, it’s all looking good from here.”
Strawberry over the moon at Kart Planet
And once again, Strawberry’s drivers were in the thick of the action - and on the podium. In the Senior class, Joseph Reilly was able to make up for his disappointment in the opening round (at Campillos, Spain, 28 - 29 March) and used the “the right strategy” at Busca to take a well-deserved victory. Team-mate Luke Varley returned to the podium (after winning the opening event), taking a finely judged third place and extending his championship lead. Special mention should be made for Strawberry’s third Senior and series leader going into the weekend, James Greenway. Warwick explains, “James wasn’t in the best of health after getting a blood infection. He battled on but was in no fit state to be able to challenge at the front.” Joseph’s win has boosted him to fourth in the title chase, whilst James remains in touch from fifth overall. Speaking in the press conference afterwards, Joseph said, “We made the best decision this weekend, to have the right tyres, tyre pressures and ideal set-up to win. The result is good for the championship points and I’m feeling quite confident now going into the third round. I want to thank Warwick, David and Strawberry Racing for all their hard work, and my team mates for being there and ‘having my back!’ Also thanks to my sponsors back home in London and my parents for all their support.” Representing the team in the Junior category, round one hero Josh Webster figured well in the eliminatory heats, taking a first place and two fourths to earn himself a front-row start in the pre-final. Having opted to run his new tyres in the pre-final, Josh used their superior performance to grab a breathtaking win on the last lap. He made a perfect start in the main final, but suffered from now having worn rubber on his Tony Kart Racer EVR chassis and was soon under pressure. A monumental scrap developed and Josh found himself shuffled down the pack to sixth. Surviving some desperate manoeuvres, he held onto his place and the Championship lead - which he later admitted was his main priority in Italy. Strawberry’s KF drivers maintain impressive early season form
Changeable weather and a recently resurfaced track presented a stern test to all the competitors - not least the team’s brilliant Brazilian, Guilherme who had never seen the Cumbrian circuit before, so racing in a former quarry must have been something of a culture shock. KF1 points leader Ben Cooper overcame the effects of a big accident in the second heat and powered through from 13th on the grid to take 4th spot in the first of the day’s two finals. In the following race, he went two places better to take a well-judged runner-up finish and retain his position at the top of the Championship table. Chris Lock’s consistency throughout the weekend ensured that he was never outside the top ten – from timed qualifying, through to the heats and finals. The reigning European Max Champion took valuable points with 8th in the first final, before demonstrating blistering pace to rise up the order in the second encounter to snatch the remaining step of the podium with a brilliantly judged move on the last lap, setting a new lap record in the process. Guilherme Silva is winning scores of new fans with his exciting, flamboyant driving in the KF3 class. Making his Rowrah debut, he was initially off the pace in qualifying but became the pace-setter in the first heat, taking 3rd place and recording the fastest lap. He was third again in his second heat and earned the same grid position for the first final. A dramatic and thrilling race was only resolved when the talented youngster crossed the finishing line in a creditable fifth place. An opening lap clash in the second final knocked Guilherme down to 10th, forcing a gritty fightback. Patiently he picked his way back through the field to cross the finishing line in 5th, earning praise from his team boss, Paul Spencer - “Guilherme was brilliant. He’s never raced here before and is still very inexperienced in terms of his understanding of the British style of racing. Nevertheless, he gave an excellent account of himself.” He added, “It was a tough weekend for everyone in the team. But I think each one deserves praise for sticking to their task and taking away something positive. Ben, another trophy and retaining the series lead; Chris was back on the podium and set a lap record, and Guilherme deserved a podium but was unfortunate. But he learnt a great deal and again showed that he’s a big talent.” Cooper takes double KF1 victory at Shenington
In the KF2 class Chris Lock had a tougher time, but showed the character that made him European Rotax Champion last year - a consistent performance saw him maintain his title aspirations. Having qualified on the first and second rows of the grid for the first KF1 final, Luke and Ben had clearly demonstrated that they are getting to grips with the premier class. Unfortunately, as the field cannoned into the first corner Wright was shepherded off the circuit. He rejoined well down but immediately began a spirited drive back up the order. Surviving the opening lap dramas, Cooper initially slotted into third place but within rapid succession moved into second and then the lead. However, he came under sustained pressure in a thrilling race that saw him battling with three other drivers. Having dropped to second, Ben made his decisive move three laps from home and held the advantage to the chequered flag. Luke finished in a creditable ninth position, but was to go six better in the following final. Reigning World Rotax Champion, Ben led the quality-packed grid into the fast left/right/left complex just after the start and was hounded by a gaggle of thirteen chasing karts. As in the first race, he relinquished the lead but was never far from it in the following twenty four laps. The race-long, fight for victory was only settled when Ben delivered his race-winning move on the last lap, while Luke doggedly held onto his excellent third spot. Team boss Paul Spencer couldn’t contain his delight and hugged his young charges, saying “That was brilliant, I’m very, very happy.” The team’s soul representative in KF2, Chris was never out of the top seven throughout timed qualifying and the heats. In the first final, he fought hard for his seventh place, but all his efforts were undone in an incident-filled return encounter. A coming together forced him down the order and ultimately left him in a lonely thirteenth. All three drivers are now preparing to join their Tony Kart Junior Race Team colleagues at next week’s CIK Asia-Pacific Championship (21-24 May), to be held at Suzuka, in Japan. pics Chris Walker/Kartpix
Strawberry reign in Spain Strawberry Racing dominated the opening round of the Rotax Euro Challenge at Zuera, Spain last weekend (28/29 March).
In
Timed Qualifying, the Senior drivers, James Greenway, Joseph Reilly and
Luke Varley and Junior ace Josh Webster Reilly opened his account in the first heat with a well taken win. Not to be outdone, Varley won the following race to give the team a superb start. If this put pressure on the young shoulders of Webster, he didn’t show it. Josh confidently took victory in the second Junior heat. He repeated this with metronomic efficiency in his following two races to head the intermediate classification with no penalty points. Similarly, the rapid Londoner Reilly maintained his 100% win-rate – leading home a Strawberry 1-2-3 in heat six – to seal pole position for the pre-final. Varley and Greenway both ran strongly, but a DNF and a 23rd place saw the pair make the cut in 17th and 13th places respectively. Team manager Warwick Ringham said, “At this stage, I was delighted. No one had had to come through from the repecharges, and apart from the glitches for Luke and James, we couldn’t have asked for more. Our main job was to get the set-ups right to maintain Josh and Joseph’s pace at the front and give James and Luke the kit to come through the mid-pack traffic quickly, and then push for the top places”. In the pre-finals it was business as usual for Reilly and Webster, who converted their pole advantages into straight victories. Greenway battled through to 3rd with Luke moving up to 11th. So far, so good. However, Joseph’s fantastic weekend was about to hit the skids – literally. As he led the pack into the first corner, James was pushed past him by the fast-starting Van Splunteren. Pushed wide, Joe then had the inside line for the following left-hand corner - but found the Dutchman in unyielding mood. They touched and span, ultimately leaving the Englishman furious and out of the running. This left James leading, and behind him Luke was rocketing up the order. In this form, he was unbeatable and took a sensational triumph, with James sensibly opting for the points rather than risk a clash. Josh had no such dramas and his subsequent lights-to-flag win was a fitting reward for his faultless performance in every race. A delighted Warwick commented, “The results speak for themselves really. To win all our heats and both finals, well, it’s almost embarrassing. I’m disappointed for Joseph because he deserved so much more. But he’ll be back. Every one of the lads did all that we could ask of them – and more!”
Reilly and Strawberry begin new season where they left off
And what made Joseph’s victory all the more remarkable, was that this time it was in the Senior class. Billed as the ‘ice-breaker’ for this year’s Euro Max Challenge, the event had attracted a strong field to the impressive Campillos track, near Malaga in Spain. After setting the pace in testing prior to the event, Strawberry’s pairing of Reilly and James Greenway were confident that they would be able to maintain this early pace through timed qualifying and into the racing. This certainly proved to be the case, with James fastest in the warm-up prior to the first heat and Joseph close, setting the 4th quickest time. Joe opened his account with a win in his first heat, followed by a 2nd and another victory to put him top of the intermediate classification. James meanwhile took 3rd, 6th and 1st place finishes to rank 4th place overall. From pole, Londoner Reilly was the class of the pre-final. After getting the hole-shot over his rivals on the run into the first corner and allowing the field to settle, Joe extended his advantage to over half a second and secured a comfortable win.
Team Manager Warwick Ringham was pleased with his young drivers’ saying, “I was delighted. We’d come through the heats and pre-final intact and both the boys were in the top three rows and on the inside line for the first corner of the final.” Again, Reilly aced the start and delivered a perfect lights-to-flag victory in the feature race. Greenway briefly ran in 3rd but found that his kart’s tyres were not offering the expected levels of grip and ran just a fraction off the front-runners’ pace as a result. Nevertheless, he was pleased with his eventual 6th place, believing it to be a strong platform from which to build a successful 2009 campaign. James said, “I’m pleased and yet disappointed. I’ve been rapid throughout but when it mattered, my tyres just didn’t quite deliver. But I’ve got great expectations for the year after this performance.” Warwick acknowledged, “Joseph’s effort and concentration throughout was fantastic. The kit’s quite good too! Both the lads are progressing amazingly well. They were up against a high standard and were amongst the fastest at the start of the week and maintained that pace and pressure until the end. It’s an encouraging start to the season for us all.” pics - Bas Kaligis
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Strawberry
Racing’s Luke Varley underlined his huge talent by dominating the Rotax
Grand Finals at the Ghibli Raceway, near Sharm El-Sheikh (Saturday 12
December). 
Strawberry
Racing is celebrating a unique double after lifting the Junior and
Senior Euro Max crowns at Salbris last weekend (12/13 September).
his hugely-supportive family immediately started their celebrations,
“They were ecstatic!” says Warwick. “They were all jumping around and
who could blame them? Do you know, when he won the title, it was just
four days shy of being exactly three years since he competed in his
first ever race. That’s quite an achievement. I’m over the moon for him
and his family, he deserved it.” 
For
the past thirteen years, the annual Kart Masters event at PFi has been
the jewel of the British karting’s summer season. The chance of winning
the sought-after ‘GP’ plates attracts large grids, and as a result the
racing is often fast and furious. 
The
third and penultimate round of the Euro Max Challenge at Sosnova in the
Czech Republic saw the Strawberry Racing team experience mixed fortunes,
but able to maintain it’s lead in the Senior and Junior classes.
Luke
Varley (left) capped a faultless weekend at Buckmore Park (13/14
June) by leading his team-mate, Joseph Reilly across the line to record
the team’s first Rotax podium 1-2 of the season. 
had
a tougher race against more experienced opposition, but came through to
take an excellent fifth. 
The
increasingly popular Rotax Euro Challenge had attracted over 130 entries
for the second round of the series, held for the first time on the Kart
Planet track at Busca in Piedmont, northern Italy (29-31 May). 
Ben
Cooper, Chris Lock and Guilherme Silva(pictured) all showed
character and mettle to deliver strong performances in challenging
conditions at Rowrah last Sunday (7 June). 
Strawberry’s
Ben Cooper scored sensational back-to-back victories at last Sunday’s
(10 May) second round of the MSA British Super 1 Championship, whilst
team-mate Luke Wright took his maiden KF1 podium. 
(pictured)
were all well within the top ten - with Greenway fastest in his group.
This gave the team a solid platform from which to challenge for race
wins. 
Exactly
four months after they wrapped up the British Super 1 Junior Max title
together, Strawberry Racing and Joseph Reilly (left)again
returned to winning ways with an emphatic victory at last weekend’s (14
/ 15 February) Rotax Winter Cup. 
Skipton-based
Greenway(right) faced a tougher scrap - but sensibly opted to
drive for a good top five finish and conserve his tyres for the main
final.