13 year old Essex based racing driver Lochlan Bearman went into the 10th round of the hunts kart racing championship looking to strengthen his lead in the championship.
He made the perfect start by coming out on top in qualifying and putting himself on pole position for heat 1
Making a clean getaway Bearman led for the first 5 laps but 2nd placed man James Hillery was catching in the slipstream. Hillery got passed into the bus stop and Bearman was stuck to his bumper. Bearman got his exit right out of Kimbolton corner and slipped up the inside to receive take the lead as they started the last lap they came up on a back marker who was in the middle of the track. The leaders passed him on either side but he forced Bearman to lift off allowing Hillery to cut back and take the lead and just keep Bearman behind on the run to the flag
The Phoenix FM driver was on pole again for heat 2. Leading from the start Bearman set up changes were working well. He was overtaken once but re took the lead on the next corner with a late braking move and led the field home.
This put him on pole for the final.
This was a close race from the start. Again the 13 year old led the field throughout the first lap. This time the top 5 were all together. Bearman was demoted to 2nd for 2 laps but set up a move to take the lead with another outbreaking manoeuvre into kestrel.
On lap 6 the positions changed again with a new leader taking advantage of Bearman and 2nd placed lulham slowing each other down. On lap 9 Bearman slipstreamed the leader and made a super late dive to re take the lead. Bearman then led the final 4 laps as the front running group squabbled but never looked like making a mistake.
Bearman said “We’ve been getting on top of the power situation and if it hadn’t had been for the back marker I would have been top in qualifying and won both heats and the final – which is what I want to be doing. The CooperMotorsport team had the kart set up well and I just had to think about when to make my moves, when to hold and when to attack. It all worked out perfectly today, I always thought I could win. It’s been good all day.”
There are just 2 rounds left in the Championship and Bearman is 100 Points ahead of his nearest challenger with 144 possible each round. Every driver has to drop one score so it is now possible for him to win the Championship in November and not compete December’s round.
His next race is on October 25th, the penultimate round of the Whilton Mill kart club where again he leads the Championship but by a smaller margin. Check back with Phoenix98FM to see if he can secure another title.
