Not satisfied with having won his previous four British finals back-to-back, highly-rated South Wales karting hotshot Tom Harvey has now gone and made it a staggering six-from-six in the latest round of the 2010 Super 1 Series at Rowrah in Cumbria to eke out an advantage in the title standings that could prove significant indeed come season’s end.

Having triumphed at Rowrah two months earlier in fellow national championship Formula Kart Stars (FKS) – in which a certain Lewis Hamilton first shot to prominence just over a decade ago – Tom returned to the challenging Cumbrian circuit as Super 1 championship leader, and optimistic of maintaining his stellar run of form this year.

“We were aiming to remain consistent and keep on bagging the points – a couple of top five finishes was the target,” the Bonvilston-based speed demon revealed. “I was feeling confident, because we had established a good set-up for Rowrah in FKS and I was quick in practice. I enjoy the track; it’s really technical and undulating – just turn-after-turn-after-turn. That makes it really demanding, and definitely a drivers’ circuit.”

With consistency very much a hallmark of Tom’s campaign to-date – having superbly finished up on the podium in five of the six Super 1 finals prior to Rowrah, only missing out when a rival’s over-ambitious lunge from behind unceremoniously removed him from the lead on the last lap at Larkhall in Scotland – second place in qualifying was an excellent start.

Less than a tenth shy of pole position amongst the 30-strong MSA British Cadet class field – the very crème de la crème of young talent at that level – the session would mark the only time all weekend that Tom did not top the timesheets, and equalled the 12-year-old’s best qualifying spot of the year thus far.

That, too, is telling, going to demonstrate that success is about far more than just out-and-out raw speed. Whilst the Fusion Motorsports star is clearly quick, he is also in possession of a keen intelligence and the kind of flawless racecraft that marks the difference between a winner and a potential champion. Victory in both of his heat races only went to underline that point even further.

“They were both very close, but the first one was a bit more stressful, with seven karts all in a train and the order chopping-and-changing every lap,” he recounted. “I hit the front at the perfect time coming onto the last lap, and then just left the others squabbling behind me which allowed me to pull out a bit of a gap.”

That earned Tom pole for the first of the two all-important finals, and having reached the top step of the rostrum in recent outings at Nutts Corner and Whilton Mill from considerably further back – ‘all you can do is keep your head down...if you can see the front, you can win,’ he reasons – hopes were undoubtedly high.

“I was feeling quite nervous going into the finals,” confessed the Cowbridge High School pupil. “In the first one there was a three-kart breakaway with myself, my team-mate Nathan Aston and Ross Gunn. We fought for the lead all the way through, and on the last lap Nathan got me into the first hairpin. I got him back again at the second hairpin and then he and Ross started battling amongst themselves. That gave me a bit of breathing space and I was able to win, which felt really good.

“That left me even more optimistic for the second final, which developed into a two-horse race. I pulled out a little bit of a lead, but then coming onto the last lap I caught a backmarker right on the racing line. That slowed me down and let the driver behind catch me up, which meant I had to defend my heart out all the way to the chequered flag. I was always confident of being able to hold him off, though, because I know how to defend well at Rowrah...”

A magnificent double, the result has seen Tom extend his margin atop the chase for the coveted crown from eight points going into the weekend to 36 now. Undefeated on the national scene since late April, the Vale of Glamorgan ace palpably has momentum on his side – and he warns his pursuers that he is only going to get even stronger.

“It felt really, really good, like I’m right on top of my form,” he enthused in conclusion as he looked back on his Cumbrian charge. “Glan Y Gors is next in both Super 1 and FKS, and that’s another good drivers’ track so it should suit me really well. Let’s keep this winning run going!”