ahead of 2011 British karting campaign

CRG roars into 2011 in style with string of seamless successes

It has been a good start to 2011 for CRG UK, beyond a doubt, with a string of successes around the country that give every indication that the Italian chassis will be the benchmark in British karting over the forthcoming campaign – the Dark Knight cometh.

There have already been countless highlights for the marque over just the first six weeks of the year, but the efforts of Shaun Slavin merit particular attention. The young Scot has a mere two seasons of national competition under his belt, having been a novice in the sport as recently as 2006, but despite his comparative lack of experience in relation to his rivals, he claimed a superb fourth place in the Senior Rotax class of the fiercely-fought Super 1 Series in 2010, collecting six consecutive podium finishes along the way.

Heading into his second year in Senior Rotax, the 17-year-old produced a peerless performance under pressure to snare the ‘O’ Plate at a wet Rowrah, and recovered from an error at Whilton Mill to charge his way back up to the front and snatch victory going into the very last corner. A timely confidence boost ahead of his assault on glory in Super 1 and the eagerly-contested Rotax Max Euro Challenge with Coles Racing, to say that Shaun is fired-up for what lies ahead would be quite the understatement.

“Unfortunately, after taking the lead at Whilton I then went off the track, which dropped me to sixth,” reflected the Dumfries-born ace, who has raced on a CRG for his entire career and praises it as simple to set up, adaptable to a variety of different driving styles and most importantly of all, ‘very, very fast’. “It was only a 12-lap race, but I knew I could still win, so I just got my head down and fought my way back up to second going onto the last lap.

“I thought the leader had it pretty much wrapped up at that point to be honest, but I was looking for any mistakes and he over-defended into the last corner, which allowed me to dive up the inside on the exit. It was brilliant to win like that, just awesome, especially having made it so hard for myself along the way! I love winning – I always have done.

“The goal is definitely to win Super 1 now, and I would be happy with a top three championship finish in Euro Max. We went over there to do the last round last year and I won my first heat, so I know I’ve got the ability to challenge right up at the front, but having the experience in Europe is another matter. Both championships are going to be really tough – I would say Senior Max is probably the most competitive class in Britain, and all the top British drivers go over to race in Europe, too...”

Similarly making waves for CRG of late has been Mini Max star Jack Bartholomew. At just 11 this time last year, the Lewes-based hotshot was the lone primary school pupil in a field of competitors aged up to 17, and yet at Three Sisters near Wigan, he twice outpaced and outraced the driver who would go on to be crowned double British Champion. He also triumphed in the London Cup, and having progressed quite literally in leaps-and-bounds over the past 12 months, a move to CRG in December has only served to bring him on even further.

Heading into his second campaign in Mini Max and benefitting from strong engines from Ricky Grice and the expert tutelage of GW Motorsport team manager Gary Ward – a man who represented Britain during his own karting heyday, before going on to do battle against the likes of Mika Hakkinen and Eddie Irvine further up the motorsport ladder – Jack’s tail is up and his confidence in both himself and the equipment underneath him sky-high.

Since the beginning of 2011, the Sussex speed demon has dominated with CRG at Kimbolton, finished a close second against some stern opposition indeed at Whilton Mill – where a bent axle and track rod following a first corner clash arguably robbed him of another triumph – and set a searing pace at both Shenington and PF International. Things are looking good.

“It was quite hard last year going up against so many drivers who had so much more experience in karting than me,” Jack mused. “They were physically bigger, too, some almost like fully-grown men, but I feel I improved a lot over the year.

“The CRG is fantastic, and I’ve never been able to produce such consistently good results as I’ve had over the past few weeks. The brakes and handling are excellent, and I just seemed to click with it immediately. I’m aiming to get near to the front in Super 1 and Formula Kart Stars this year. I know it will be tough – some of the top Mini Max drivers from last year are staying on in the class, and some others like me have really come on – but the top three in both has to be the target.”

It is not just Slavin and Bartholomew who have done CRG proud over the past month, either, with Andy King clinching the runner-up spoils in Senior Rotax at PF International, fourth place at Shenington and fifth at Whilton Mill, P2 for Ryan Singleton at Shenington and promising showings, also, from class newcomers Josh Collings and Charlie Turner. CRG’s UK sales and marketing director Mark Collings acknowledges that for the chassis referred to in karting circles as the Dark Knight, it is all shaping up nicely.

“We are delighted with the way the CRG is handling on the new Mojo tyres, and all the drivers seem to be extremely happy with the combination,” he reported. “That has been proven particularly by the excellent results of Shaun Slavin, Andy King, Ryan Singleton and Matthew Mason in Senior Rotax, and Jack Bartholomew in Mini Max.

“Josh Collings and Charlie Turner – our two young drivers who have just come up to Seniors from Juniors – finished 11th and 17th on their first outing with CRG at Whilton, and they were both on the pace and within a tenth of the quickest times. That’s all very encouraging, so we’re now looking forward to a successful national season in Super 1 and FKS – and to many more drivers jumping ship to come over to ‘the dark side’ with us...”