The Grid.co.uk    the national & club motor racing website - est1998          

  ^News

The team now turns its focus back to the British Super 1 Championship on 28/29 August.

Strawberry Racing uses the Tony Kart EVR chassis and Ogden-prepared engines. For more information about Tony Kart and OTK products, go to www.strawberryracing.co.uk   

mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk 

Double delight for Strawberry as Russell dominates in Belgium 

Mini Max ace takes back-to-back FKS victories and Jack Barlow maintains Jnr Max title hopes    

George Russell retook the initiative in the Formula Kart Stars championship by stamping his authority on the series’ annual visit to the superb Genk circuit. 

The 12-year old Strawberry Racing driver won all six of the races, covering rounds seven and eight, to re-establish him as one of the title favourites with just two events to go. 

“He was red hot all weekend, the best I’ve seen him drive” commented his understandably proud father, Steve. “George was fully relaxed, put his foot down and got on with it.” 

George said, “I went there to do a professional job. It wasn’t all about winning – I went there to regain my championship lead. On Sunday, once I’d won all the heats I knew I could win the main final in the wet, even though Genk is very slippery in those conditions. My confidence is very strong at the moment which also helped. I was gutted about Glan Y Gors (the previous round on July 3/4) because I drove really well and was fast all weekend but didn’t win. I used that to focus myself last weekend.” 

George’s team-mate Jack Barlow also returned to the podium with a well-taken 2nd place on Saturday to keep the pressure on the championship leader. On Sunday, the Benelux weather provided challenging race conditions for the drivers. With a brace of runner-up finishes in the heats Jack put his kart on the front row for the final and enjoyed a race-long scrap as he fought hard for another podium finish. 

 “I pushed as hard as I could and managed to get into 3rd but pushed a little too hard in the later stages and ran wide in one corner. This allowed the driver behind me through and I settled for 4th rather than risk any more dramas.” 

He added, “Overall I’m pleased with how things went. I’m consistently at, or near the front and all is still to play for. I won’t give up.” 

Team Manager Warwick Ringham was suitably pleased with his young stars, saying “George didn’t put a foot or a wheel wrong all weekend. He bounced back from GYG in the best possible style and although it will be tight in the points, when you take dropped rounds into account, his performance in Genk underlined his quality as a driver. Jack couldn’t quite find the form he showed in Wales (when he dominated the event) but at this stage of the season, it’s all about getting good points finishes. He showed his maturity by making sure he did just that. One thing is for sure, he and all of the team will keep pushing right to the very end.”  

pics Bas Kaligis/KartXpress

Strawberry duo set up title showdown after Austrian 1-2   

Jack and Joel dominate Euro Max Juniors, whilst James Greenway takes 3rd in Seniors 

Strawberry Racing took a significant step towards retaining the Junior Euro Max crown it won in 2009, after Jack Barlow and Joel Affolter locked out the top two steps of the podium in Austria last weekend (17/18 July).

The Speedworld circuit at Bruck, near Vienna hosted the penultimate round of the series and saw the English and Dutch drivers win four of the six heats. In the pre-final, Jack came through from grid eight to finish second, with Joel opting for a strong points finish in 3rd.

World number one Ukyo Sasahara initially led the main final, but a superbly timed and taken manoeuvre by the Strawberry pair saw them seize the advantage. Showing great maturity, Affolter wisely gave Barlow room when the latter attacked for the lead and then followed him home. It was Jack’s first victory in Europe and has set up an exciting, if nerve-wracking, finale at Genk in September.

“Jack was fast from the moment he got there (Speedworld),” said team manager Warwick Ringham. “I privately predicted that we’d finish 1st and 2nd in the run up to Sunday, but didn’t know which way round. Joel was clever, he didn’t need to battle with Jack and thought ‘It’s good for Jack to win and for me to finish 2nd’. It was a win - win situation for both of them. They didn’t take each other off trying to win, so were both very bright in doing that.”

In the senior class, Rotax Winter Cup champion James Greenway returned to the podium with a fine performance in the main final to seal 3rd place. His team-mate Tom Fawcett survived a huge ‘moment’ in the pre-final to fight his way up the order and finish 8th in the feature race. 

“A large rock became trapped in his throttle cable and jammed it wide open,” Warwick explained. “He speared off the circuit, but managed to dislodge it and finish the pre-final.”

He added, “It was a tale of woe for the other boys really. Barrie (Pullinger) got a good start but got caught up in a massive crash in the chicane during the opening lap. That effectively put-paid to his chances and he ended up 16th, whilst Mats (van den Brand) had a very big accident. He went into the barrier so hard and, had he not hit a metal fencing pole, he would’ve ended up in another team’s awning. Mats completely wrote his kart off. All of them were good enough to be in the top six, but on this occasion only James made it onto the podium.”

Just days after returning to its Sheffield base, the team now heads to Larkhall in Scotland for this weekend’s (24/25 July) 5th round of the British Super 1 Rotax series. “We’ll just have to see what happens,” Warwick says. “For the lads who raced in Austria, it’ll probably take about half a day to re-adjust to the lower grip levels, lack of front brakes (on the senior karts) and shorter laps. Jack (Barlow) is on a roll right now and he desperately wants to add Super 1 victories to his FKS and Euro Max wins. Jack Marshall is 4th overall, and despite a lack of testing Shaun Pirie is batting away in 8th place. Tom leads the senior title race and will be hungry to get back to winning ways. Ren Nagabuchi continues to learn and improve and I suspect he’ll enjoy Larkhall because it’s grippier than many of the other tracks he’s raced on in the UK. Every time he gets into the kart, Barrie improves and it would be fantastic to see all his hard work translate into a great result for him in Scotland.”

Warwick says that Mini Max title protagonist George Russell will “definitely be one to watch” after successful tests at Larkhall and Shenington. “We’ve found some more speed in the equipment, and consequently I’m expecting him to be quite good throughout the weekend. If we’ve got it right, he’ll be fighting up the front come Sunday.”  

 pic: Bas Kaligis/KartXpress

Barlow dominates and Russell keeps in the hunt 

Strawberry Racing Junior and Mini Max stars on FKS podium in Wales 

When the Formula Kart Stars championship sparked back into life at Glan Y Gors last weekend (3/4 July), Jack Barlow was some 70 points adrift of early Junior Max leader, Ash Hand. By Sunday evening, as he helped to take the Strawberry Racing team’s awning down, he had closed the gap to just three points.

Jack hit a rich vein of form at the North Wales circuit and took back-to-back wins in Saturday’s two preliminary heats to secure pole for the final. Despite leading from pole he slotted into second place and shadowed the leader until the final lap. With the chequered flag being readied, Jack made his decisive move and from there held his advantage to the line.

With maximum points, he had already made a sizeable leap up the points table - but needed more of the same on Sunday if he was to become one of the key protagonists for the title.

With rain making driving conditions tricky, Barlow revelled in the grip afforded him by his Tony Kart EVR chassis, and again aced the heats. A close and hard fought main final kept Jack on his mettle throughout - and showing great coolness under pressure - doing what he needed to do to take the win and complete a perfect weekend.

Strawberry’s Mini Max star George Russell(left) also featured on the podium, but a brace of runner-up finishes were not enough to see the talented youngster keep his championship lead.

Like Jack, George opened his Glan Y Gors account with victories in Saturday’s heats and led the main final for much of the race. However, a mistake dropped him to 2nd setting up a nail-biting finish. Separated by just two tenths of a second the pair crossed the line with Russell unable to re-pass winner, Adam Glear.

With some set-up changes designed to give his kart extra pace on Sunday, George recorded the fastest time in qualifying.

Gremlins with his motor saw him unable to finish higher than 12th in the opening heat and after they were quickly rectified - he resumed normal service with 2nd in the following race.

A crash at the start of the main final dropped George down the order, prompting a gritty fight-back. He duly caught the leader but under pressure as they headed to the finish, he defended hard – perhaps too hard – allowing Glear to pounce.

Although disappointed not to have won, he was encouraged by the extra speed he had on tap and as Strawberry’s Warwick Ringham summed up with a wry smile, “He’s driven worse but got better results. It just didn’t happen for George in the finals this time but he’ll be back.”

He added, “People also forget he’s only 12 whereas a lot of the other drivers are older and more experienced. To be battling for the title in his first season is a mark of his quality.”    

pics: Chris Walker/Kartpix

Double victory joy for Russell 

Strawberry Racing Mini Max star takes FKS series lead after twin wins at Whilton Mill 

Fresh from taking the initiative in the British Super 1 series barely a week before, George Russell repeated his earlier success, to leave Whilton Mill in Northamptonshire with the Formula Kart Stars championship lead also under his belt.

With the double-header format offering two days of racing, rather than the more usual one, he was keen to boost his FKS title bid after last month’s encouraging championship opener at Rowrah in Cumbria.

On Saturday (15 May), a strong performance in qualifying enabled him to capitalise on a good grid position and take 1^st and 3^rd place finishes in the two heats.

In a nail-biting final, he waited until the last lap to launch his dramatic bid for the lead. Once ahead, he was able to hold off his pursuers and win by three tenths of a second.

Having started the day fifth overall in the points table, his victory moved him up the order - but with his closest rivals also scoring well, it kept the pressure on the Cambridgeshire driver.

An incredibly close qualifying session saw George post the 6^th-fastest time, just over a tenth of a second off the pole time. Just as he had the day before, he drove sensibly to take 2^nd and 3^rd in the heats and ensure he would be at the sharp end for the 20-lap final.    

As the 28-kart field plunged into the aptly named ‘Oblivion’ Corner, Russell found himself pushed back into 4^th spot - but just three corners later, he was up to 3^rd with the entire remainder of the field falling into line-astern behind him. Successfully attacking for 2^nd place through Inkerman’s he then began to size up the leader. Tracking him through the remainder of the lap and through the first two corners of the following tour, George then took the lead with a superbly-judged move on the run up to ‘Christmas’ Corner.

White responded, and despite a spirited defence from the Strawberry driver, was able to retake the lead moments later. Once again, on the drag up to Christmas, Russell had a quick glance over his shoulder to check if an attack from behind was imminent. Seeing one wasn’t, he repeated his earlier move on White to again assume the advantage. However, just as quickly as he’d earned it, he lost it.

Incredibly, George successfully repeated the same move at the same corner. This proved to be the decisive pass when, through the bumpy Chapman’s bend, White span leaving Russell momentarily clear. A determined Bobby Thompson led the chase and managed to claw his way up to Russell’s rear bumper, but just lacked that final bit of pace to enable him to commit to a move. Nevertheless he put George under enormous pressure, which he handled with considerable maturity.

With the race nearing its conclusion, George continued to lead and survived a stunningly brave, last-gasp bid for the win from Adam Glear, who tried to drive round the outside of the leader and 2^nd-place man at Inkerman’s. As the lead trio for track position, so the drivers in 4^th and 5^th saw their chance and joined the fray with all five arriving into the first part of the Boot as one. Russell drove a perfect line through the two part corner and emerged out of the fray with his nose clear of his pursuers to take a thoroughly deserved triumph and the championship lead.

Russell at the double, as Fawcett extends Rotax lead   

Strawberry Racing’s Mini and Senior Max stars triumph in thrilling encounters at Whilton Mill 

George Russell restored himself to the top of the Super 1 Championship’s Mini Max leaderboard with a pair of superbly taken wins at Whilton Mill, last Sunday (9 May).

As the action-packed main final neared its conclusion, there was still nothing in it between the main protagonists, as mistakes by each of the drivers were instantly punished. Through the penultimate corner it was heart in the mouth stuff as the karts bumped and bored for position, but in the dash to the line, just over a tenth of a second was enough to give George a superb victory – his fourth of the campaign.

“He’s great isn’t he?!” Strawberry’s Team Manager Warwick Ringham said. “George had a bit of a wobble at Rowrah (during April’s rounds 3 and 4) but he’s definitely back on track now. He’s one of he best 12-year olds in the country.”

In the Senior class, Tom Fawcett triumphed in, what one observer called, a “brutal” race.

He finished a close 2nd to (fellow Tony Kart EVR driver) RL Racing Department’s Jake Ball in the pre-final, but went one better in the feature race.

The pair was again fighting hammer and tongs when, at the left-right corner the Boot, Fawcett launched his decisive move and from there was able to make it three wins from four and extend his championship lead.

“Tom’s very good. Nothing seems to phase him. He had a tough time in qualifying (32nd overall) but did everything necessary to make sure he qualified for the points-scoring races. He combines a cool head with a great heart. He wants to win, but knows when and how to take his chances.”

Barrie Pullinger was denied his highest senior finish yet after being pushed off the circuit and into the barriers. Such was the speed of his impact that a metal fence collapsed on top of him, momentarily trapping the Essex youngster.

In the Junior category, the team’s Jack Marshall and Shaun Pirie were in fine form. Solid performances in qualifying and their respective heats put the pair in right in the hunt for silverware in the two finals.

In a pulsating encounter played out in front of the TV cameras, Jack pushed and probed to break in to the top three, whilst fighting off attacks from behind. Shaun found himself just outside the top ten, but ultimately enjoyed his best finish in the championship this year.

Commenting on their performance, Warwick said, “Jack’s learning all the time and it’s only a matter of time before he’ll be standing on the top step of the podium. Shaun did really well too. He’s still settling into the team and the equipment, but he’s on the verge of pulling off his best result yet. You can sense it’s coming, and like Jack I don’t think he’ll be waiting long if he keeps improving in the way he has been.” 

pics: Chris Walker/Kartpix

Fawcett takes Rotax championship lead 

Perfect weekend sees Fawcett and Strawberry take the initiative 

Strawberry Racing’s Tom Fawcett delivered a peerless performance at Rowrah (17/18 April) to seize the British Super 1 Max title initiative. He left his rivals trailing in his wake, scoring back to back victories in Sunday’s finals to open an 18-point lead in the championship table.

Throughout the meeting it was Fawcett’s name topping the results sheets – from Timed Qualifying, through the heats and ultimately to the pre and main finals.

Behind him, Japanese star Ren Nagabuchi - demonstrating superbly that he is rapidly getting to grips with the cut and thrust of the British style of racing – had strong heat results and a top ten finish in the feature race.

“Ren was really good! His first race (at the opening S1 round at PFi in March) left him a bit unsure of himself, but he’s now more comfortable with the tyres, the team and of course, the racing. He was top rookie and showed great character and that he can drive!”

Barrie Pullinger again drew praise from his team manager Warwick Ringham after another promising series of drives. Unfortunately, a crash in the pre-final saw him finish well done the order, necessitating a feisty drive back up the order in the main race, to an eventual 14th place at the finish -“Things are looking promising for Barrie. He’s another one who has much to learn, but with every race just keeps on getting better. By mid-season, I think he may start surprising a few people.”

Strawberry’s Winter Cup champion, James Greenway continued to feel the effects of recent surgery and was forced to withdraw from the event after his first heat.

In the Junior class, Jack Marshall was again underlined his burgeoning talent with a brace of runner-up finishes that installed him at the top of the points table.

“Jack was really good all weekend,” said Ringham. “He’s come on loads and exceeded all my expectations. He’s beginning to look like championship-winning material – he’s quality.”

The team’s latest signing, Shaun Pirie, enjoyed a solid start to his Strawberry career with a pair of top-15 finishes at the ‘business end’ of the day and impressed his new boss; “Shaun had a lot to deal with and get used to – coming into a new team, learning the characteristics of the Tony Kart EVR chassis, working with different personnel etc. He did really well. I think we have a good, solid platform to build from.”

In Mini Max, George Russell had a torrid time in the finals. He crashed in the first encounter, but fought back to 7th. In the main final, George was running as high as 2nd - but would eventually cross the line in 12th position. However, he had done sufficient to maintain his position as one of the title protagonists.

Rowrah is a tough place to make your debut, even if you’re an experienced racer, and so it proved for Canada’s Lance Stroll. Lance was also making his first appearance with Strawberry and found the experience a stiff challenge. Warwick observed, “We did throw him right in the deep-end, but fair play to him, Lance stuck to his guns, never complained and learned a hell of a lot. He’ll take a little while to get his head round our style of racing, but he comes very well recommended and I’m sure he’ll deliver.” 

Despite a strong overall performance from the team, the day belonged to Fawcett. Ringham said, “Tom was the class of the field, all weekend. He didn’t put a foot wrong and it’s all looking very promising now. In fact, I’d say pretty stunning actually.”

Pic: Chris Walker/www.kartpix.net

Strawberry boosted by early success 

Tony Kart team scores 1-2 at Euro Max opener after shaky start

Strawberry Racing’s manager, Warwick Ringham is confident that his team can build upon the foundations laid down at Salbris and launch a full-on bid to retain their Euro Max titles this year.

Fresh from a superb 1-2 in the Senior Max class in France last weekend (27/28 March) and narrowly failing to win the Junior final, Ringham believes that his drivers are poised for an exciting season in Europe.

"It’s too early to be talking about titles, but of course that’s our sole focus,” said Ringham who saw his latest signing Mats van den Brand(second on right) lead home his team-mate, Tom Fawcett in Salbris.

"It’s great to score the first win because it means we start the championship with the best points score and that gives you that important early confidence boost. What made Mats’ win all the sweeter was that it was his first time out with us and we had to work hard for it. He hadn’t raced since [the Rotax Winter Cup in February at] Campillos and to begin with, wasn’t as fast as the others but he just got better and better. He didn’t put a foot wrong.”

Other bright moments were Barrie Pullinger’s 4th-fastest time during qualifying and subsequent performances in the heats, which earned him 10th place for the pre-final. An opening lap crash put him out of that race, but a storming drive in the main final saw the Essex youngster fight his way into the top twenty.

“Barrie did really, really well. He was absolutely storming and is improving all the time,” Warwick commented.

Winner of the Winter Cup, James Greenway found himself battling a virus and lost nearly 4 kilos in weight, but a gritty performance saw him take creditable 10th and 16th places in the two finals.

Like van den Brand, Tom Fawcett (far right above)is quickly adjusting to life with his new team and was a key player throughout. A string of fine performances in the heats, in which he finished 2nd on each occasion, saw him qualify appropriately on the 2nd row of the grid for the pre-final. A strong 3rd place in that encounter ensured that he would start directly behind his Dutch team-mate for the main race. Shadowing Mats throughout, Tom once again crossed the line in 2nd position to complete a dream start to the championship.

The team’s other new Dutch signing, Joel Affolter,(far left) along with his English counterpart Henry Hunter (2nd on left)was in sparkling form. The pair set the pace in qualifying and were formidable in the respective heats. Henry emerged with pole position for the pre-final, with just Joel a row behind.

Affolter made the two finals his own, scoring a brace of fine wins, whilst Hunter took 5th and 3rd.  

Strawberry’s the cream at Campillos 

Greenway takes breakthrough win at Winter Cup  

Like cream, talent always rises to the top and after his 2009 season was blighted by a blood injury, James Greenway bounced back with a superb victory at the Rotax Winter Cup at Campillos (13/14 February).    

However, the week had not begun smoothly for James and the Strawberry Racing team, as they worked hard to cope with adverse weather conditions and technical problems. Having largely overcome them, James then made steady progress through timed qualifying and the heats to keep in touching distance of the initial pace-setters. 7th place in the pre-final gave him a good grid position for the final.  

Taking just a handful of laps to work his way up to 2nd place, Greenway patiently waited for the opening he needed. It came on the penultimate tour and having seized the initiative, he brought his Tony Kart home nearly three seconds clear of the chasing pack. 

Strawberry Team Manager, Warwick Ringham said: “After a very difficult week, where all our drivers experienced ups and downs, I was over the moon for James. It’s been a hard few years for him and he’s come close to a big win several times before. Now he’s got one under his belt, I’m sure it will give him the confidence to challenge for all the major honours in 2010.” 

James’ team-mate and newcomer to the squad, Tom Fawcett joined him on the podium. As Warwick explains, “Due to exam commitments before the event, Tom had limited testing time. So, in his first race with us, he preformed exceptionally well. To be quickest in timed practice, third in the final and post the fastest lap is a great start to his season. I am sure he will have a great year with Strawberry, as he is a fantastic driver.” 

Fellow recent signing, Dutch star Mats van den Brand qualified third fastest overall in timed practice and took a heat win but suffered from bad luck in the heats. From a lowly grid position in the pre-final, Mats recovered from another opening lap crash to carve his way from the back of the field to eighth place - the only non-English driver in the top twelve. Warwick observed: “Mats is already fitting in really well with the team. He’s reallyenthusiastic and wants to learn.” 

Although he was unable to join his colleagues in the main final, Barrie Pullinger gave his boss plenty to be positive about. “Barrie’s learning and improving all the time. He secured his first top ten group qualification and a sixth-place finish in his first heat. He has come on so much in the last few months. If he can keep up the hard work and commitment he has shown over that time, he will only continue to get better.” 

Strawberry’s sole representative in the junior category, Henry Hunter was making his European debut. After initially losing ground at the start of the main final, he managed to take sixth place and set the fastest lap.  

“Henry will have a good year in 2010. He’s keen to learn and is a great racer. We still have a few things to iron out but they will be sorted by the time we arrive at Salbris (24-28 March).”

pics Bas Kaligis/KartXpress