Toby Sowery clinched the Ginetta Super One Junior TKM Championship with a dominant performance at the series’ final round at Whilton Mill, last Sunday (9 October).
The highly-rated 15-year old also created history by achieving the rare feat of winning two separate national series in the same season – after wrapping up the Easykart UK Junior title, a fortnight earlier.
The Junior TKM title fight went right down to the wire at the Northamptonshire venue, with Sowery needing to beat his closest rival in both the day’s two finals in order to secure overall victory.
He laid down a marker by comfortably setting the fastest lap in timed qualifying to claim pole position for his two preliminary heats. He duly converted his advantage into a pair of lights-to-flag triumphs.
This again gave the Litchfield Motorsports driver the P1 starting position for the pre-final. A superb start saw Toby take the early advantage and he quickly set about building a sizeable lead, whilst his rivals disputed 2nd place.
At the front, there were no dramas for the peerless Sowery who crossed the finishing line over seven seconds clear of his pursuers and levelled the Championship points scores, setting up a thrilling showdown for the very last race of the season.
At the beginning of the crucial main final he out-foxed his rivals and got the perfect getaway to lead the twenty-eight strong field into the appropriately-named first corner, ‘Oblivion’.
As his competitors jostled for track position, Sowery was already clear and his consistent speed and inch-perfect driving saw him build an insurmountable lead.
“It’s fantastic to have won two different Championships in one year,” he said after winning the race and the Super One series by just two points. “Very few drivers achieve this and to put my name on the same trophy that Jenson Button won back in 1992 is very special. Of course, this is all down to the help and support I’ve had from Litchfield Motorsports, plus Martin Stone and Paul Spencer, so a massive ‘thank you’ to all of them.”
With little time to savour his latest success, Toby is set to contest this weekend’s Easykart International Grand Finals (12-16 October) at Castelletto, near Milan. After retaining his Easykart Junior title, Sowery has again qualified for the popular karting series’ annual World Championship and will compete against drivers from twenty different countries.
He says: “Last year I finished 4th at my first attempt. This time around I feel better prepared and more confident so, fingers crossed, I can get on the podium next Sunday.”
