with stunning charge through the field in national warm-up

The opening round of the 2011 Super 1 Series will be held at Whilton Mill in Northants, and if Luke Whitworth’s staggering charge through the field there in a club meeting warm-up is any yardstick, then you can expect the fast-improving young Rotherham karting star to be amongst the pace-setters this year right from the word ‘go’.

Luke headed to Whilton – one of the country’s most punishing and demanding circuits – bullish about his chances off the back of a positive test session and some good work on set-up and tyre pressures, and preparing to measure himself against some 51 Junior Max class rivals of national calibre. With plenty of Super 1 front-runners in attendance, he was well aware that it would represent a stern test of just how much progress he has made over the past 12 months.

“We knew it would be a good challenge, and also a good way of gauging how we might get on in Super 1 this year,” the Wickersley-based speed demon acknowledged. “We’ve done a lot of testing at Whilton, so I know my way round there pretty well now. The main thing I’ve tended to struggle with at Whilton has been the starts, so I’ve been working hard at improving them. It’s a fun circuit to drive, but it’s also very bumpy through the fast corners which makes it quite physical and keeps you working hard right the way through the lap.”

To say that Luke was unfortunate during his heats would be something of an understatement. Whilst duelling over third place in the opening encounter, he found himself unceremoniously shunted off the track and sent flying down the order to the very rear of the field, from where he fought his way grittily back to 18th at the chequered flag, with the second-fastest lap of the race proving that he indubitably had the pace.

Maturely putting the disappointment behind him to focus his efforts on heat two, following a bright start, another driver spun directly in front of the Wickersley School and Sports College pupil, leaving him with nowhere to go and with a bent track rod. Heat three at least yielded ninth place from 16th on the grid, courtesy of some feisty overtaking moves – but still, he was consigned to having to battle his way through the dreaded ‘B’ final, not where he had expected to be by a long straw, having been one of the quickest competitors all day.

“I hadn’t been in a ‘B’ final for quite some time,” he admitted. “That knocked my confidence a little bit, but there were quite a few strong drivers in it who’d had bad luck in the heats like me, so there was a lot of pressure and I had to just get on with it.”

With only four ‘A’ final spots available and nobody holding back, Luke had to throw caution to the wind, but in a real pressure-cooker situation, he snatched the lead halfway through and never looked back, managing his nerves like a seasoned pro to comfortably prevail and progress on to the all-important showdown, which he would begin 29th.

“I got a fantastic start and was able to go exactly where I wanted to and really push my way through,” he recounted of the ‘A’ final. “I got up to the mid-pack pretty much straightaway, and we were really quick – every time I came up behind another driver, I was able to get past immediately. I had lots of confidence, because my kart had plenty of grip and the engine was really on-form. I got up as far as fifth, but then got into a tussle with another driver who put me onto the grass on the last lap, dropping me to ninth.”

Confessing to mixed emotions at the outcome, the late drama should nonetheless not overshadow what was a magnificent 24-place gain up against some esteemed opposition, and a timely boost for the Yorkshire ace just a day after his 16th birthday. Having shown the way to many of the pre-season favourites, the contrast between the assured and assertive Luke Whitworth of 2011 and the tentative and palpably nervous and inexperienced rookie of 2010 is astonishing. There is no hesitation now.

“I know my limits and I feel far more in control,” he concluded, “which makes me more confident in the kart and means I can push it a lot more. Physically I feel a lot stronger, too – that was a big area for improvement before, but I spend time at the gym running and on the weights, and more time in the seat has obviously helped in that respect as well. Now I don’t think twice about making a move when I catch another driver – I just go for it every time!”