From Left To Right - Oliver Clarke,
Serkan Erdem, and Aaron Adams
Aaron Adams on his first
day in real kart “It's been a good day. I have been
looking forward to it for ages. It's my first time in a Rotax,
and have mechanics.” What did he think about the
kart? “It's brilliant. It's just out of this world.
I can't explain it really, it's just one of those things.
It gives you the best adrenaline rush.” On the
BSKC “I think it's a brilliant idea and it should
be carried on because it's gave us loads of opportunities.
We've obviously done this, and been to the British Touring
Cars. That was a good day out, and its good to get people
into the sport”
Aaron Adams was buzzing after
he tested the Jr MAX, and looked very comfortable in the kart!
Serkan Erdem had tried a
Rotax before but still thoroughly enjoyed his experience
“I've been having great fun. I've driven a Rotax a couple
of years ago, but the standard wasn't near this... we were
just having fun really. But this is in another league.”
What did Serkan think about the karting scene at PFi “It's
all new like, I haven't seen proper professionals before.
It's a lot different than I thought it would be”
We asked if the BSKC prepared him for the day “It
has prepared you a bit because you're used to racing other
karts... that's helped. But here the speed is a lot different
than to a Pro-Kart.” Would he now get into karting
himself? “I would like to but the budget is expensive.
I am probably looking at Pro-Karts more than Rotax etc...
because of the costs, because otherwise I would do Rotax.”
Surkan was showing some nice kart
control.
Oliver Clarke has also had
experience in a Rotax but still was excited about the day
“It's been good fun. I used to own a Rotax, so I have
had quite a bit of experience before. But I've got my own
mechanic today so it's a bit unusual to us. PF is the best
track I have driven though.” We asked Oliver what
the BSKC has done for him, and about his school “I
have got a lot out of it and got a lot of privileges. It's
mainly us at the school who are interested in it. No one else
is interested in it they are more into football, we like to
be different. It's such an adrenaline rush, once your in your
in.”
Oliver Clarke has owned a MAX
before, and his experience showed, but he still enjoyed his
day!
Will Tew is the organiser
of the championship, and has big plans for the future. He
had this to say
“On a slippery day like today
and given that the drivers have never driven such a high performance
kart before they’ve done remarkably well. They all clearly
have a lot of talent and they had a lot of fun too.”
“It’s very exciting as this
is just the beginning. The BRDC Stars of Tomorrow and the
British Schools Karting Championship will continue to work
together to introduce many more youngsters in to competitive
high performance kart racing. The BSKC will become a great
feeder series into 2-stroke racing and the BRDC Stars of Tomorrow
championship. Many thanks for Carolyn Hoy from the BRDC Stars
of Tomorrow and Ian Goff and his racing team for putting on
the day for the winners of the British Schools Karting Championship
2007.”
Will Tew and the BSKC winners
How does the championship work? “In
2008, the British Schools Karting Championship will be spread
across 9 regions with the finals to be held at Buckmore Park
at the end of February. The cost is limited to £120
per team (£40 per driver) to enter in to the entire
championship. Teams pay for entry in to a practise session
and a semi-final at their local kart circuit and that's all
they'll be asked to pay. If teams do well and qualify through
to the National Finals at Buckmore, competitors do not need
to spend a penny more.” It is this aspect which
Tew believes is the key to making the sport accessible to
all.
"Keeping the cost to a one-off entry
fee of £40 is a fundamental corner stone to the championship.
It means that drivers don't have to worry about money and
it becomes purely down to driver talent and team working skills
to make the difference. Once past that initial £40 entry
fee I don't want anyone to think about money again, no matter
how far they get in to the later stages of the championship."
Maranello Jr MAX supplied by Extreme
Racing
Tew is so adamant that cost should not be
an issue, that he is promising to pay for travel costs to
the final. "Schools will be coming from all over
the country to race in the final. Some of them will be traveling
hundreds of miles which has quite a cost to it, so yes, paying
for the travel costs to the final is fundamental to the championship."
“And schools are signing up every
day. So far the championship is up to 195 teams for 2008.
I expect this to grow to 250, perhaps even 300. There’s
capacity in the championship this year to accommodate up to
400 teams if we need to. Schools have until the end of this
year to sign up and get their entry fees in.”
Where does Tew see the championship going
in the future? "I have big plans, I really do! I
see it growing in to a huge Wimbledon-style knock out tournament,
contested by tens of thousands of school students from all
over the country. I really believe the championship will become
the largest contested championship in the world. That's quite
exciting, and you never know, maybe we'll see a whole new
generation of future F1 stars finding their feet in the British
Schools Karting Championship. That would be amazing wouldn't
it?”
Alan Dove
The
British Schools Kart Championship
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