Untouchable Hand leaves rivals trailing – and says: Catch me...if you can!
Ash Hand was never threatened in the second meeting of 2010 in Formula Kart Stars (FKS) at Whilton Mill in Northamptonshire – and indeed, so crushing was the young Nuneaton star’s superiority, that he has now raced clear of the field in the chase to follow in Lewis Hamilton’s wheeltracks and lift the British Championship crown.
FKS is the same series as first set Hamilton on the fast track towards global superstardom, and what’s more boasts the prestigious official backing of both the youngest-ever F1 World Champion and its hugely-influential ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone.
Ash headed to the Northants track off the back of a superb double victory in the Rowrah FKS curtain-raiser the previous month – having had to battle his way brilliantly through from plum last to triumph in the second of the two finals around the undulating Cumbrian circuit – and in the knowledge that he had the pace, after proving to be rapid indeed but out-of-luck at Whilton the weekend before in fellow national championship Super 1.
Moreover, it was the same venue as had witnessed arguably the 16-year-old’s greatest success to-date, with a stunning triumph over newly-crowned British Champion and arch-rival Matt Parry in the last round of FKS in 2009, as the duo duelled tooth-and-nail throughout what was widely-rated as one of the races of the season. All-told, plenty of reasons to be confident.
“We knew we could do well, and I went there with the attitude that I wanted to win both finals again,” he asserted. “Whilton is my home circuit and one of my favourites as well; it has a lot of fast, flowing corners and is extremely bumpy, which means you have to be really quick with your reactions and physically strong too – but it’s very rewarding to drive. I’ve been testing there that many times with my mechanic, putting in lap after lap after lap after lap to just see how consistent we can be – and I think that showed in FKS.
“After Rowrah, I knew I was going to be strong against the rest of the field and I knew I was quick enough to win, and having raced Matt there last year and come out on top I know I can beat anybody at Whilton. In Super 1 we had been amongst the very quickest too, so it was just a question of keeping it consistent. We’d had bad luck and two DNFs at Super 1, though, so I also had a bit of a point to prove – and that made me even more determined.”
Up against 26 Junior Max class rivals, Ash eased comfortably to pole position on both days by more than two tenths of a second, and following a brace of comprehensive heat victories on Saturday, the Maple Park hotshot went on to prevail in the all-important final by the staggering margin of more than five seconds – a veritable eternity in karting terms. And worryingly for his adversaries, he wasn’t, he confessed, even on top of his form that day.
“On the Friday night it was my sister’s 18th birthday party and I didn’t get to bed until 1:30am,” he explained, “so when I got to the track the next morning I was already drained – and being such a physical circuit as well, that really took it out of me. I felt a lot better on Sunday.”
Coming out of the blocks fighting, on day two Ash won both heats at a canter by some five seconds and the final by more than seven, effortlessly clearing off into the distance without even breaking into a sweat. In a truly peerless and imperious performance, the George Eliot School pupil didn’t miss so much as a single apex all weekend, and a clean sweep of fastest laps completed his utter domination of proceedings – rare indeed in a competition of national calibre. The only time he was not in front, indeed, was when his P1 Racing team-mate Fraser O’Brien nipped ahead at the start of Sunday’s second heat – and even that would not be for long...
“I knew at which parts of the circuit I was quicker than him because he is my team-mate,” Ash reasoned. “I know his strengths and his weaknesses, so I knew where my best chances to overtake him would be. I just waited for that opportunity. I expected to be the favourite over the weekend, but I didn’t expect to be quite as far ahead as I was. Without wanting to sound big-headed, I didn’t ever really feel challenged. I imagine it looked boring from the outside, but I wasn’t complaining!”
Having now achieved a ‘double-double’ and remaining unbeaten in FKS in 2010, the Warwickshire speed demon has increased his advantage atop the title standings from 11 points to a commanding 74, as he prepares next to travel to Glan Y Gors in North Wales – where he endured a torrid time of things last year.
“It felt brilliant to be up on the top step of the podium again,” he enthused in conclusion. “I was proud of myself, and I felt I had driven really well. I actually think my consistency was the best it has ever been. I’m really confident now, having come from the back to the front to win at Rowrah and having led nearly all the way at Whilton.
“We didn’t go too well at GYG last year – we had electrical problems, and pretty much everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong! I know the track quite well, though, having done a lot of testing laps there, and I think it should be a good circuit for me again. The aim has to be to keep on winning!”
The last word, however, goes to Ash’s dad, who quipped at the end of the weekend that ‘I like boring races!’ On the evidence thus far, Mr. Hand is in for an extremely boring season....
