Bobby Thompsons brave fight back ends with championship top three

 Kart ace misses out on title in final round Disappointment short-lived as Bobby secures place on MSA Academy.

Kart racer Bobby Thompsons brave bid to win the 2012 Formula Kart Stars Junior Rotax Championship ended with a third place finish in the final two rounds of the same karting series that discovered current Formula One superstars Lewis Hamilton and Paul Di Resta but the Hornchurch based ace has plenty of reasons to smile after picking up a host of awards.

The 16 year-old driver arrived at the Whilton Mill circuit in Daventry with an outside chance of the title in his 75mph kart but despite a fast start to the weekend luck wasnt on his side and Hornchurchs fastest teenager couldnt overcome the points deficit to his two main championship rivals.

Im proud of what we achieved this year, commented Bobby, known throughout the karting paddock as Bobster. Im very happy for my team and happy for my family. We had our ups and downs this year and if I hadnt lost 100 points in Scotland then I would be champion but there is no use getting upset, you just have to move on.

Bobby, who raises awareness for the Caudwell Childrens charity through his racing activities, finished fifth in Saturdays final but retired from Sundays final when a rear bumper bolt sheared on his Vital Motorsport prepared kart.

I felt the kart getting looser and looser and I started hearing a scraping noise as the bumper hit the floor, recalled Bobby. I was trying to put the bumper back on while I was driving but at 70mph that is a bit dangerous so I had to retire and accept what had happened.

But although Bobbys karting season didnt end the way he had hoped, there is still plenty to look forward to in the coming weeks and months.

Having completed his GCSEs at Emerson Park School earlier this summer Bobby will now embark on a Motorsport Engineering course at Barking and Dagenham College but more significantly he has also been selected by the Motorsport Association (MSA) to join their Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence course at Loughborough University starting in October.

Im over the moon to be on the MSA Academy, beamed Bobby, whose place on the MSA course was dependant on a top three finish in the FKS Championship. There are only a handful of places available each year and I know that if I do well there is a chance I could make it onto Team UK and get the opportunity to meet some really influential figures in our sport.

On a weekend where there was a stunning display of Formula One cars on show driven by the likes of Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and the late Ayrton Senna, Bobby was asked to bring his Junior Ford Fiesta along to join the display. After racing the car successfully throughout 2012 Bobby was pleased with the amount of interest it generated and even got some of the weekends specially invited guests to put their signatures on it.

I was proud and surprised with the amount of people who were interested in my car, added Bobby. It was incredible to put it alongside the cars that have been driven by my heroes and Im really grateful to Nic Hamilton (Lewis brother), Tom Ingram and Dan Lloyd for taking the time to sign the car. I watch them race on TV and hopefully in the next year or two I can join them on the British Touring Car package.

Bobbys final year as a Junior kart racer may be coming to a close but he wont be out of the seat for long as Bobbys three overall FKS victories have earned him one on one tuition with the Silverstone Race Academy in a Ginetta G40 sportscar as well as a test session with leading Ginetta race team Hillspeed. Bobby also scooped a lucrative race outing at Brands Hatch in the Smart 4-Two Cup after winning the JC Motorhomes sponsored Best Average Qualifying position competition held throughout the 2012 FKS season.

Im really happy to have won the Smart Car prize, concluded Bobby. Ive tested a driven one of the cars before so I feel I've got an advantage. Ive tested Formula BMW car at Brands Hatch and although it is a much different car, I have some prior knowledge of the circuit as well.


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