Mini Max star Lando Norris increased his advantage at the top of the Formula Kart Stars championship table with a top-notch performance in Scotland (9/10 June).
The RL Racing Department driver secured another hatful of vital points with a fine 2nd place in the first of the weekend’s two finals. He went one place better in the corresponding fixture on Sunday, as team owner Steve Armstrong explains: “In terms of pace, we weren’t quite on it on the second day - but Lando stepped up and delivered a superb drive. In a tough but clean fight he won fair and square. To be able to win when you’re not quite fast enough is the mark of a champion.”
Lando’s Mini Max team-mate Flashman Finneran enjoyed a strong event also. “Flashman qualified inside the top ten during timed practice and was consistently in and around the top ten from there on. He’s coming on a bundle now and all his hard work and commitment is beginning to pay off.”
The team’s trio of Junior Max stars experienced the highs and lows of racing throughout the weekend, but all accredited themselves excellently.
Josh White bounced back from a run of bad luck with a brace of confidence-boosting podiums. Steve is full of praise for indomitable Yorkshireman: “In the wet he was awesome! Admittedly he had a dodgy heat on Saturday and was penalised for contact driving on one of the heats. This meant he started stone last in the final but he came through to 3rd. It was a terrific drive. He started 8th in Sunday’s final and picked his way up the order one by one. He took 3rd with an outrageous lunge. Everyone jumped when he pulled it off. I don’t think the lad he passed could quite believe it either and told Josh he didn’t see it coming at all.”
In the dry, Oli Norris was “in a class of his own” says Armstrong, but when the rain fell his advantage ebbed away. This prompted him to use all his racecraft, especially after a scrutineering card error deprived him of the heat victory he’s just earned. Going off the back row of the grid, he eventually finished a respectable 7th. “Oli deserved so much from Larkhall,” Steve admits. “He was really good but we had a few issues and what should have been a positive experience was marred by some niggles. We’ll fix them and he’ll be back, don’t you worry.”
Sam Marsh also found himself on the back foot due to a mysterious lack of grunt, but that didn’t put him off from a series of battling performances: “Sam was quick enough in the dry but lacked killer pace in the rain. Unfazed he just dragged his kart round and that netted 3rd in Sunday’s final. All in all, it was another successful weekend for RL Racing Department and we’re looking good in both the Mini and Junior Max championships. Still, there’s a long way to go and we’re definitely not going to be resting on our laurels.”
