The layout for grids at this event was a little different: Heat 1 Grids = Qualifying 1 results, Heat 2 Grids = Qualifying 2 results, Prefinal Grid = Points from Heats 1 & 2, Final Grid = Prefinal finish.
In Qualifying 1 I set a time of 36.291, which gave me 6th grid for the first heat.
In Qualifying 2 I set a time of 36.610, which gave me 10th grid for the second heat.
At the start of the first heat I was forced to the outside of turn 1, I dropped to tenth, but lost a lot of momentum, so dropped to 14th in the next few laps. After I had caught back up to the pack, I started to make moves every couple of laps, unfortunately I ran out of laps and finished 11th, but was given 10th due to another kart being disqualified.
At the start of the second heat I was forced off the track at turn one and dropped to fifteenth position, I had to stay behind the kart ahead for the first lap, because if I made a move and it didn’t stick – which was likely because tyres are cold on the first lap – I would lose positions to the karts behind. From the first lap onwards I was catching the kart ahead and making a move, with about three laps in between each move. However, I had an incident just in front of me, and had to go through the sand to avoid it. I got back on to the track, but sand had gone all through the engine, and it wasn’t revving properly, so I could only manage 13th place.
In the prefinal I started off 11th. At the first corner I managed to get into 7th by jumping to the inside of the corner. On the second lap, into the first corner, I made a move for 6th. Over the course of the next five laps I slowly reeled in 5th. I caught him, but couldn’t quite find a way past. I was on his tail right up until the final lap, then I was overtaken with two corners to go, so I finished 7th.
Photo: Andrew Hooper
In the final I started off 7th. Just before the race it had rained, so everyone was messing about with setups. At the start of the race I stayed in 7th. I was battling with 8th for a few laps, until I finally pulled away. Then I started to catch 6th. I caught him within 6 laps, and made the move. I started to pull away from him and catch 4th. I was behind him for three laps because he kept cutting in on me at the first corner. Eventually I got close enough to pull out of the slipstream early and get alongside him into the first corner, but he gave me no room, hit me, and we both went out of the race. I had a good chance at finishing third, but once again someone else ruined the race.