Rounds 13/14: Fulbeck 17/18 October
In a dramatic twist at the end of the day, Robert Foster-Jones was crowned champion by the narrowest of margins after the title favourite Ben Cooper was eliminated. Foster-Jones believed he had to win both finals, with Ben Cooper lower than third, to take the title, and he was quick to leapfrog Jonathan Walker and head the first final. Cooper was soon in pursuit, having passed Walker. Knowing that a second place would gain Cooper the title, Foster-Jones allowed him to pass, then immediately shouldered him aside to get back in the lead and in the process backed Cooper into the pursuing pack, where he was quickly swallowed up to finish fifth. Bradley had come through for second ahead of Litchfield. Cooper’s team protested the alleged unfair tactics, then appealed again to the Stewards, again losing.
In the meantime darkness was approaching when the karts took to the track at 6pm for their second final. Foster-Jones was pushed wide at the start, while Litchfield and Bradley nearly came to a stop in the gravel trap, letting Cooper stretch out a big lead over Luke Wright. Sparks were flying in the gloom as the karts attacked the chicane kerbs, Foster-Jones setting a lightning pace to claw back into contention, hunting down the leader. Cooper gave up the lead and fell back to avoid trouble, but again Foster-Jones slowed the pace until Cooper, seeing the others approaching behind, made a rash move, squeezing Foster-Jones over a high kerb and putting him up on two wheels. Foster-Jones came in third behind Bradley, with Litchfield a surprised winner.
The Clerk of the Course then excluded Cooper from the meeting, meaning that he could not drop the zero score for his points total putting him right out of championship contention. That decision meant Foster-Jones claimed the title by one point over Mark Litchfield. “He forced me over the kerb, it was very dangerous,” said Foster-Jones afterwards. The Ricky Flynn Motorsport driver wins a free test with Manor Competition and has in fact signed with them for the Formula Renault Winter Series.
ResultsFinal 11 Robert Foster-Jones Alonso2 Richard Bradley Tonykart3 Mark Litchfield Alonso4 Jonathan Walker Gillard5 Ben Cooper Tonykart6 Luke Wright Tonykart
Final 21 Litchfield2 Bradley3 Foster-Jones4 Elliot Burton Tonykart5 Walker6 Wright
Final Provisional standings
1 Robert Foster-Jones 425
2 Mark Litchfield 424
3 Luke Wright 408
4 Richard Bradley 405
5 Jordon Lennox-Lamb 399
6 Jonathan Walker 390
