After months of searching and many nail-biting moments we have now found our 2013 KartChamps Podium Finishers. This annual competition takes the top talent from each of our tracks and lets them fight it out! Aside from being hugely competitive, it’s great to see our community of TeamSport racers and fans all in one venue!
The 2013 Podiums
Aged 8-12 Junior Championship
1st Dillon Reed / 2nd Lewis Foster / 3rd Callum Boyce
Aged 13-16 Youth Championship
1st Ed White / 2nd Dan Healey / 3rd Joe Davison
Adults -80kg Championship
1st Jack O’Neill / 2nd Andy O’Neill / 3rd Dominic Nolan
Adults +80kg Championship
1st Lee Morris / 2nd Ewan MacDougall / 3rd Mike Newland
We spoke most of the podium placers for each category and here is what they made of the experience…
What was the atmosphere like on the evening of the Final? How did you feel?
Dan Healey - The atmosphere was incredible. Everyone cheering on the racers, the excitement, everything. I felt nervous because I didn't know what to expect in terms of experience of other drivers. Ed White - The atmosphere was great, all the friends and family of all the competitors made it such a great event! Without them it wouldn't have been half as good! Mike Newland - The atmosphere was fantastic, the pits were buzzing with excitement! I was feeling extremely nervous but the staff were great and all the other racers offered fantastic support even for those they were racing. Lots of congratulatory handshakes all around! Lewis Foster - Quite exciting actually. I was buzzing and really looked forward to it. I was nervous and not very confident but couldn't wait to race! Lee Morris - The atmosphere on the night of final was amazing everyone there was in good spirits and friendly, it was good to meet some talented drivers from around the country. I felt nervous heading into the event not having any experience in electric karts, but knew from my experience at TeamSport Bristol I could race with the quick guys. Andy O'Neill - The atmosphere was calm to begin with. That did change as the event went on, especially after all the reverse grid races, but I felt confident going into each of my races, and concentrated about making my way through the field methodically and not taking myself out by making silly moves!
When you entered KartChamps did you believe you would get the results position you achieved?
Dan Healey - I was ecstatic with the result. Although I was devastated to lose out on 1st by just a few corners, I was still very proud that I finished where I did. Mike Newland - In no way at all did I think I would finish on podium. I attended because it was a great opportunity to race with like-minded people. I knew the racing would be highly competitive. Lewis Foster - No I had no idea I would come 2nd I thought I may have come 4th at the best, but I very nearly finished 1st. Lee Morris - When I entered kart champs I thought qualifying for the A final would be a good result, so I was extremely happy to walk away with the win. Ewan MacDougall - No not really, and specially as I had never been to Tower Bridge and have only been Karting the last year! Deep down I thought I had a chance but was expecting disappointment. Ed White - When I entered kart champs I didn't think I had a chance to win it, I only entered to get some FREE KARTING at Tower Bridge and hope that I could win some prizes! Never did I think I would win!
Do you have any tips for anyone looking to enter next year’s KartChamps competition?
Ed White - The 1st tip I would give is too make sure you go fast and the 2nd one is make sure you can overtake! Hope this helps everyone Ewan MacDougall - Yes, get a practice session in beforehand, how can you expect to compete without knowing the track a little bit! Lee Morris - My advice for anyone wanting to enter next year’s competition would be to put in lots of practice and always have confidence in yourself Lewis Foster - Believe in yourself, never give up and keep going! I was so thrilled and couldn't wait to show my dad who's working, and my family and friends. I can't wait for the next one. Thank you for my experience. Andy O'Neill - Top tip for anyone entering in the future is practice practice practice! No one had much practice at Tower Bridge, so it was all about finding the right lines in the heats, and I believe that’s why Jack and I did so well. You can gain a whole lot on the competition if you can get a lot of sessions in before the main event. Dan Healey - Don't be nervous. Just go out and have fun. If you do well, fantastic. If you don't do as well as you hoped, just think of it as experience for the future. TeamSport KartChamps will be returning in Spring 2014!