This weekend was Round 8 of the Stars at Whilton Mill Championship where Essex kart racer Lochlan Bearman is currently leading the Minimax Championship in his first season of Minimax.
With results from 3 heats determining the grid positions for the final Bearman started 14th in heat 1. He was up to seventh after just 3 laps and looking strong when a kart in front that had gone off the track came back on from the grass and collected him putting him of the circuit. Having dropped way down the field he rejoined the track and drove hard back through the field to finish 5th.
In heat 2 he delivered an outstanding drive to finish first from 22nd on the grid. “My championship rival Kieran Wragg had already won the first heat so I needed to have a good result and that is exactly what we got – and it was very enjoyable”, explained Bearman.
For Heat 3 he started on pole and was embroiled in a 3 way battle from the start, with the front 3 swapping places throughout the race. Going into the last lap Bearman was second behind Wragg but he got a good run out of Christmas Corner and dived down the inside of the leader as they braked for Ashby. From that point Bearman looked safe as he took the win.
Bearman had pole for the Final with Wragg second. Wragg the defending champion seemed to play a little brinkmanship at the start and managed to beat Bearman into the first corner. As the race settled down it became a 3 way battle for the lead. Bearman snatched the lead on lap 3 and held it until lap 6 when Wragg slipstreamed past on the 65mph run into Christmas Corner. Bearman seemed happy to sit behind Wragg during the middle of the race and then began to fight for the lead with a lap and a half left. Wragg had to go defensive which allowed 3rd and 4th place to join the fight. Bearman was then trying to find a way past Wragg but also defend his 2nd place. Ultimately Bearman could not find a way past and had to settled for 2nd as the top 4 crossed the line nose to tail.
After the race Bearman said, “Although I’m disappointed not to have won I’ve still finished on the podium, we scored a lot of points and the driving was clean today. It’s nice to get through a weekend without being knocked off. The final was hard but very clean and without risking my own race there was not an opportunity to make a move. The CooperMotorsport Team had the kart set-up perfect all weekend and my Grice engine was good throughout.”
Bearman continues to lead the championship from Wragg but with three rounds remaining it will go to the wire.
Bearman’s next race will be the London Cup held at the Rye House Circuit on 7th September. This is a one-off televised event that will be televised. If anyone is interested in discussing sponsorship opportunities then they can contact John Bearman at john.bearman@gmail.com