Ed completes stunning year with trophy in Rotax World Final
After winning the British Open and Super 1 titles and finishing a close second in the European championship, Ed added third place in last Saturday’s World final (12 December) to his impressive haul of trophies in 2009 at the Ghibli Raceway, at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt.
All season long he has been in the form that World Formula One champion Jenson Button (a Junior karting star himself) would have been proud of - and at the desert circuit located near the shores of the Red Sea, it was no different.
Having started the event by recording the third fastest time in qualifying (out of 72 drivers), the HRS Motorsport ace then won each of his three heats to earn pole position for the pre-final. A canny second place finish in that race gave him the preferred outside line for the Grand Final itself.
“Unusually, the outside row of the grid gave you a better entry line into the first corner, provided that you got a decent start, which I managed to do.”
Ed led the thirty-four strong field across the start/finish line at the end of the first lap, and from there held the advantage for the next eighteen. However, the impressive Ukyo Sasahara from Japan had kept a close watching brief on Ed, waiting for a mistake.
When it came, the Japanese dived down Ed’s inside and edged him onto the dusty edge of the track, also allowing another driver through. From there, Sasahara was able to bring his kart home unchallenged, whilst Ed mounted a last, desperate bid for the runner-up spot.
“I’m disappointed not to have won,” he reflected back home in Hertfordshire. “But if I’d started at the back and driven through the pack to finish third, I’d be delighted. So on reflection, third place is a good result.”
Ed’s father Mark was equally philosophical, “The Japanese lad drove remarkably well. Ed made a slight mistake and Ukyo went for it. That’s racing, that’s life,” he shrugged. HRS boss, Tristram Oman agreed, saying “We got a top three and that’s no disgrace at all.”
With the paddock thronged with the Egyptian and international media, Ed’s performances throughout the week-long event turned him into something of a celebrity – “Everywhere I went there was a camera shoved in my face!” – and led to offers from race organisers to demonstrate his talents in America and Japan.
“I’ve been invited to compete in the Florida Winter Tour, which I’m considering. I’ve also been asked to go and race in Japan. It’s very exciting and I’m very honoured that my talent has been recognised in such a way. However, I’m stepping up to the senior category next year and my priority will be the British and European series. There are a few date clashes but we’ll just have to see. Never say never.”
Ed has to rely on private sponsorship to keep him racing at the highest level and he acknowledges the support he receives from his family’s firm of plumbers merchants and their suppliers, he says “I would like to thank Brands of Watford, radiator company, Vogel and Noot and Contact Electrical (Watford). Without their help, I would not be able to achieve anywhere near the sort of success I have enjoyed this year.”
He added, “I would also to say a big, big ‘thankyou’ to Tristram and Nigel (Horner) of HRS for their incredible hard work, help and support throughout the season. They’re a great team, have designed a monster kart in the CRG Dark Knight, and played a massive part in my most successful season yet.”
Ed’s third place also contributed to the strong British contingent winning the Nations’ Cup.
World Finals update
SATURDAY: Ed second in Pre-Final behind Matthew Parry, will start Final at 11.10am on front row
WORLD FINAL: Ed finished a creditable 3rd in the final, having led for 18 of the 20 laps, he had problems with mid and top end power and was overtaken by eventual winner Ukyo Sasahara from Japan and fellow Brit Matthew Parry.
Ed, number 16, leads away from the grid in Sharm El Sheikh
Brand claims pole position at Rotax World Finals
As we brace ourselves for a cold snap this weekend, Ed’s soaking up the sunshine and the challenge from his rivals at the Ghibli Raceway, Sharm El Sheikh near the Egyptian Red Sea.
He opened his account with a fine third-fastest lap (out of 72 competitors) in an extremely close qualifying session. His time was just two one-hundredths of a second off the pole-winning time, but was good enough to put him on the front row of the grid for each of his three heats.
In his first race, Ed started from pole position - but after contact on the opening lap, he dropped to fourth place. Unfazed, he worked his way back up to the front, although he was made to work hard for his eventual victory.
The second heat saw the reigning British Junior Max champion in dominant form. From the start, he bolted from the pack to win by over two seconds.
Ed made it a perfect score when he took his third straight win this morning (11/12/2009), to secure the P1 position on the grid for tomorrow’s first final (of two). Victory in that race will give him pole for the all-important Grand Final.
You can keep up to date on all the action at Ghibli Raceway by going to www.kart-data.com
World Finals update
FRIDAY: Ed wins his third qualifying race from Ukyo Sasahara of Japan and Finland's Miika Laiho, giving him Pole position in the Pre-Final at 8.10 Saturday morning, there is commentary and live timings by clicking here http://live.kart-data.com/LT09/RGF/
THURSDAY: Ed wins his first qualifying heat from Billy Albone in second after dropping down to 6th in the first lap.
Ed wins his second qualifying race from Aavo Talvor and Raoul Owens, pole man Edward Jones was 6th
WEDNESDAY: Ed was second fastest in his first qualifying heat and third fastest overall, so will be lining up on pole in Group C in Thursday's qualifying. he will be out in Race 2 which will start at 9am (GMT) and again in Race 7 at 11.50am.
Sharm offensive
Ed aims to win the Rotax World Finals in Egypt
Ed will attempt to lift the most important trophy of his career at the Ghibli Raceway, Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt next week (7/12 December).
He has qualified for the prestigious annual event after winning the British Super 1 title in October and is widely regarded as one of the hot favourites for overall glory. However, he will have to overcome over seventy of the world’s top junior drivers, from forty two different nations.
To further commemorate his participation in the event, helmet-spraying expert Jake Ball generously created a unique design for Ed, whilst the helmet itself was donated by the Helmet Company, based in Telford, Shropshire.
“The design is quite a departure from my usual one and features a map of the circuit on the top and features lots of gold. Do you think the guys are trying to tell me something!?”
Whilst Ed clearly can’t wait, his father and chief sponsor, Mark (who owns Brands of Watford) says with a hint of irony, “I’m too old to get excited. Ed is very fired up for the World Finals. He narrowly missed out on winning the European title and sees (winning in) Egypt as the perfect way to prove a point. We have the best team people around him – in terms of his team, Tristram and Nigel of HRS Motorsport – and he has the ability and the desire. All we now need is a little bit of luck and even though I say so, as his proud dad, he stands a good chance. Although, we’ll just have to see when the fat lady sings.”
The event’s promotional poster references the 1980s hit by the Bangles, stating “Walk like an Egyptian, drive like a Champion”, it might not quite turn out to be a Red Sea stroll for Ed - but he will be certainly hoping that he can lead his rivals a merry sand dance, all the way to the chequered flag.
CRG driver adds 0 to 1
Ed completed a rare double at Shenington, near Banbury last weekend (26/27 September), when he added the British Open title to his earlier Super 1 championship victory achieved just a week earlier.
The event, known simply as the ‘O’ Plate - after the number plate bearing the letter O that is awarded to the winner - is one of British karting's most prestigious and therefore fiercely contested titles.
"It was a dogfight all weekend," Ed explained. "I really had to work hard for the win, and I did think it would end in tears a few times - but that’s what makes it all the sweeter. To add the British Open to my Super 1 title is just fantastic”.
The weekend had begun well for Ed - who was competing with HRS Motorsport for the first time on home soil - when he carved his way from 21st on the grid up to 6th place at the finish, setting the fastest lap of the race. In the following encounter, he finished 2nd but suffered a small reversal of fortune in his next two races, when he crossed the finishing line in 9th and 15th positions. Albeit that he again recorded the quickest lap in the third heat and powered his way up the order from 21st place in his last encounter.
These results were good enough to give Ed fourth place on the grid for the winner-takes-all final.
A steady start saw him maintain his starting place for the first two laps, before he saw a gap and was able to move into 2nd. He trailed the leader for a further tour and briefly assumed the lead before dropping back a place. On lap 8, Ed launched his bid to put the victory beyond doubt.
With a furious scrap for the remaining podium places developing behind him, Brand was able to open a gap over his nearest rival and maintain it for the rest of the race, taking the chequered flag over a second clear of the runner-up.
The victory has further boosted Ed prior to his appearance at the Rotax World Finals at Sharm el-Sheik in December, where he is hoping to add the international season’s biggest victory to his domestic triumphs.
“I came second in the Euro Max championship and by doing so, earned my place at the World Finals. It will be the biggest race of my life so far but with the team I have behind me and the form I’m currently in, I’m going to Egypt with the aim of winning, not to make up the numbers.”
Ed is British Super 1 Champion
Second place was enough to give Ed his first British karting title at the PFi circuit in Lincolnshire, last Sunday (20 September).
He had gone into the British Super 1 series’ Junior Max title-decider at the top of the points table, but knew that he could not afford any slip-ups at this crucial stage of the championship.
If he was calm beforehand, Ed’s nerves were jangling after timed qualifying. The circuit’s electronic timing failed to pick up the signal from the transponder on his kart and recorded no time, forcing him to start the two heats from the back of the grid.
A determined and gritty performance saw Ed start from 22nd place on the grid and carve his way up the order to cross the finishing line in 9th place - setting the fastest lap on the way. What made this drive special was the fact that he had started well, passing seven karts by the time he had exited the first corner, but then found a spun kart directly in front of him. With nowhere to go, Ed had to come to a stop and wait for the kart to move out of his way. Now in last place, he got going again and began his remarkable ascendancy into the top 10.
An even more impressive drive in the following heat saw him power his way from the back of the field, all the way to 2nd position. Many seasoned team owners put aside their rivalry and went to congratulate Ed’s father Mark on his son’s performance. Mark explained, “John Davis [of Force] came up to me and said, ‘In 10 years of racing, that was the best drive I have ever seen’.” The MSA’s Alan Bryant also commented, “That was very, very good. He didn’t touch anyone. It was perfect driving.”
Ed’s heat finishes earned him a 3rd row start for the first of Sunday’s two all-important finals - the points for which would go towards his championship score. From the start, he quickly passed two karts to assume 4th place. A lap later he was into 3rd and with 15 laps to go, moved into 2nd spot. He then caught the leader but knowing that his good friend, Lee Napolitano was not in the running for the championship, Ed maturely opted to settle for the runner-up position rather than risk a crash going for the lead and in doing so, clinched his first British Super 1 crown.
Afterwards he said, “To be honest, I’m more relieved than anything. Naturally, I’m delighted to have won and finally lose the ‘bridesmaid’ tag I seemed to have acquired [after finishing secondin the Junior TKM and Rotax categories in the previous two years]. This is the result of a lot of hard work and I’m hoping that we can now go onto this weekend’s [26/27 September] British Open Championship [AKA the ‘O’ Plate] at Shenington [in Oxfordshire] and add that trophy to my collection. It would be a fantastic way to finish off what has been an amazing year.”
He added, “I would like to thank Adrian and Mike at Coles Racing, Tristram and Nigel at HRS Motorsport, my sponsor, Chris at Vogel and Noot Radiators, plus of course mum, dad and my sister Lizzy. Oh, and John and William Priest, who got me into all this!”
In addition to becoming the 2009 British Super 1 Junior Rotax champion, Ed won the international Rotax Winter Cup in February and just two weeks ago became the Euro Junior Max vice-champion – all on the CRG Dark Knight chassis and with HRS-tuned engines.
Ed is European Junior Max vice-champion!
Ed Brand showed genuine star quality with a brilliant performance in the final round of the Euro Max kart championship in France last weekend (12/13 September)
The HRS Motorsport driver had headed to Salbris fifteen points off the championship lead, knowing that he needed to produce something special if he was to stand a chance of lifting the European Junior Max title.
The first glimpse he gave of what would be a dominant performance throughout the weekend, was his fastest lap in timed qualifying, when he was comfortably the quickest of the thirty-strong field. And a glimpse was all that most of his rivals would see of him for much of the event. Ed won all three of the heats to secure pole position for Sunday’s pre-final.
Shortly after the start of the first race, he was leading - but suddenly found a wasp had flown up the underside of his helmet and was now trapped. Unaware of what was happening, Ed’s team looked on, baffled by his desperate attempts to free the increasingly angry insect by “fiddling with his visor”, as his father Mark, somewhat prosaically put it. After three nerve-wracking laps, he managed to release it and suffered no further dramas as he recovered his composure, drove to the chequered flag and take his fourth win of the weekend.
Having successfully completed this first objective, the CRG driver had it all to do again in the following race. Another faultless drive saw Ed comfortably win by over two seconds - but it was just not enough for him to pip fellow Englishman Josh Webster to the title.
“I knew beforehand that I needed something of a miracle and had to win both finals, if I was to stand any chance of beating Josh in the points. I did everything that was asked of me, but it just wasn’t enough,” he said phlegmatically before adding, “But I’m very happy. We showed what we can do today and my other main objective was to qualify for the Rotax World Finals [at Sharm el-Sheik in December]. I’ve now done that, so we have a happy team, mechanic and driver.”
Before he can pack for the superb Ghibli Race, located near the Red Sea, Ed is bidding for victory in the final round of the British Super 1 series at PFi in Lincolnshire, this weekend [19/20 September].
“I’m leading the championship, but it will be a very close thing. The nature of the circuit [two very tight hairpins in succession] means that you have to stay out of trouble during the opening lap. My job will be to keep the kart on the tarmac and shiny side up. But after Salbris, I feel like I’m in great form, so we’ll just have to see.”
Ed has Euro title in his sights
Ed is hoping that his rivals will be fair game in the deciding round of this year’s Euro Max karting championship, held in France this weekend (12/13 September)
The Brands of Watford-backed driver is currently lying third overall in the standings, just fifteen points off the lead.
“It’s almost too close to call, at the moment” he said. “We can’t afford any slip-ups but I’m confident that we’ll be there or thereabouts when it really matters.”
The event is taking place at the internationally renowned Salbris circuit, in the Sologne region of central France – an area renowned for its abundant game and large sporting estates. Aware of this, Ed sees obvious punning opportunities. “It’s the perfect place to hold the finals because I can say things like ‘I’m definitely in the hunt’ or ‘I’m gunning for the win’. It’s cheesy but I’ve been having a bit of fun with some of the local journalists,” he says with a grin.
Ed has been in fine form in the championship and in the previous three rounds has taken two third-places and a fifth.
“I started the international season with a victory, when I won the Rotax Winter Cup in Spain back in February. And it would be nice to finish it by climbing back onto the top step of the podium. That said, the most important thing is to finish ahead of my title-rivals and then we’ll worry about trophies and the title.”
The event gets underway with timed qualifying on Friday, followed by the eliminatory heats on Saturday and the all-important finals on Sunday.
Ed has a further incentive, should he finish in the championship’s top three overall, he will be automatically entered for the Rotax World Finals, taking place in December at the awesome Ghibli Raceway, located in the desert near Sharm El-sheik, Egypt.
Ed impresses on KF3 debute in CRG KT100
The end result won’t tell the full story. The post-race reports will simply show that Ed finished two laps down, in 24th place, in last Sunday’s Kart Masters Grand Final (2 August).
But it was what he had achieved beforehand that underlined his considerable talent.
He had been invited by HRS Motorsport to sample their CRG KT100 KF3 chassis, and he jumped at the chance. It was a further mark of their faith in his abilities that he had not been asked to make his KF debut at a club event, but in front of thousands of spectators at one of British karting’s biggest meetings. And nor did he test beforehand, Ed simply arrived at the Lincolnshire circuit on Friday morning and set up his kart from there.
Considering his lack of experience, he did remarkably well to qualify in 7th place overall in a close-fought session. In his two heats, Ed took 5th and 3rd-place finishes, putting him 3rd on the grid for Sunday’s first final.
Seconds into the opening lap, Ed’s was one four karts abreast going into the second hairpin - and something had to give. The inevitable collision bent his steering and although he limped on, he retired soon after.
More drama was to follow at the start of the Grand Final. A large crash left a large section of the field stranded on the track with damaged karts and produced red flags. Ed was far from happy. Having predicted that this might happen, he had moved to the outside line through the first corner, before cutting back to the inside, avoiding all the incidents, to move from 21st to 5th, by the time he exited the first hairpin.
With the Clerk of the Course deciding to allow the damaged karts to be repaired and the original grid order to stand, all his good work had been undone.
He got another superb getaway from the line in the re-run and was up to 12th place by lap seven - but a puncture forced him to dart into the pits. He found the nearest air-line, re-inflated the tyre and re-joined the race.
“It was typical, Ed” commented dad Mark, rather dryly. “He said, ‘I’ve paid for this race, so I’m going to finish it’ and he did.”
Ed remarked, “In Parc Ferme, and the paddock generally, a lot of people came up to me and congratulated me on my overall performance. I enjoyed the weekend, it was all just a bit of fun but what I was able to achieve was quite good.”
He added, “Tristram [Oman, boss of HRS Motorsport] was pleased with me and told me that I’ve proved that I can switch class and compete with the regular front-runners. I had a very short learning curve, but adapted quickly and delivered. I’m pleased to have re-paid him and the team for this opportunity. The KT100 chassis was fantastic too.”
Ed will now return to the Junior Rotax category and his bid to lift the British and Euro Max crowns.
Ed follows in Webber’s wheeltracks to take podium
As fellow local area resident, Australia’s Mark Webber celebrated his maiden Grand Prix victory last weekend (12 July), Ed was also having a g’day.
He was competing in the fourth round of the British Super 1 series, at the Larkhall circuit in Scotland, and delivered a mature performance to ensure that he returned home still holding the advantage.
Unlike Webber, who was already home and walking his dog at 8pm on the day of his breakthrough victory in Germany, Ed faced a long journey back from Lanarkshire in his family’s modest camper van. But the satisfaction of knowing that he’d done everything necessary surely made the 9 hour slog more than bearable.
“I’d gone there leading the championship, and Larkhall always produces close racing and a few upsets. It’s so far away that many of the English drivers only race there once a year, when Super 1 takes us up there. That meant that my game-plan was to avoid any silliness and come home with the maximum number of points I could take.”
From the outset, Ed was competitive – third-fastest in timed qualifying, he signaled his intent by winning the first of the two heats. In the second, he erred on the side of caution to finish fifth. This was good enough to earn him pole position for the first of Sunday’s all important finals.
In a feisty and somewhat controversial race, he had settled for third place and crossed the finishing line in third place - but was promoted to second, after post-race checks.
“I was kicking myself” he said somewhat surprisingly. “Not just for having to start the second race from the outside of the front row [had he stayed in third position, Ed would have started from that place on the grid for the main final and benefited from having the inside line behind the leader going into the first corner] but I made a schoolboy error at the start. I made an unforced mistake going into the first bend and overshot the corner. I ended up on the grass and that allowed several karts past me. I recovered and once I was up to third, opted to finish there and then go for the win in the following race.”
In the main final, Ed was hit from behind and he tumbled down the order. He fought his way back from the mid-pack and was up to fifth before the chequered flag prevented further progress.
“I was two seconds clear of the driver in sixth but didn’t quite have enough in hand to take fourth. But I knew that I was ahead of one of my nearest (title) rivals and two places behind another. I did the sums and worked out that fifth was good enough to leave Scotland in the lead and that was enough for me.”
Ed triumph is far from a walk in the Park
Ed produced two superb performances at the demanding Buckmore Park circuit in Kent last weekend (13/14 June) to win the latest round of the British Super 1 kart championship and put himself top of the leaderboard.
His brace of victories have propelled him from fifth position in the overall championship points to the lead, with three rounds remaining.
Timed qualifying went satisfactorily enough for the Coles Racing star, when he recorded the fifth fastest time – just nine hundredths of a second down on the pole-position setting time.
Buckmore Park is famed for being the circuit where Lewis Hamilton’s talent was first spotted, and its first lap crashes. From the start, the drivers hurtle into a sweeping right-hand bend before squirting their 125cc-engined karts down a short straight into a tight hairpin. And with nearly thirty karts vying for position on the same stretch of tarmac, at the same time, crashes are frequent.
In his first heat, Ed was the victim of one such coming together. Dropping from fourth to twenty fourth, he was forced to carve his way back up the order. Demonstrating his talent and over-taking skills that have won him sponsorship from a host of companies - including his latest backer, Contact Electrical of Watford - Ed fought his way back up to a creditable eighth place at the finish.
In the following encounter, he settled for second place to secure fourth place on the grid for the first of Sunday’s two points-scoring finals.
By the end of the first lap, he was up to second and pressing for the lead. Two laps later, he moved to the front and began to edge away from the chasing pack.
“I got up to the leader, passed him and away I went,” he commented, almost casually, afterwards. “It was hard work though. To lead for 21 laps, keep my concentration and not make any mistakes wasn’t easy.”
This approach saw him win by over seven seconds from his closest pursuer, team-mate Spencer Barrow - although Ed modestly acknowledged that he was helped when the drivers, then in second and third place, collided.
Leading the field from pole position for the main final, Ed benefited from having clear air ahead of him and got an excellent start.
“I got through the first few corners and then got my head down and chased my own shadow all the way to the chequered flag.” He added, “Winning is the best way I can thank all the people who support me and make my racing possible. To take two victories over a quality field and at such a tough circuit is always special and I’m pleased to have achieved them just when Contact Electrical’s Alan Manners put his faith in me.”
He added, “I’d also like to thank Mike and Adrian at Coles and Tristram and Nigel at HRS Motorsport for their fantastic help and efforts throughout the weekend.”
Ed takes British Championship lead
Any suspicions that a trophy-less race in Spain might have dented Ed’s confidence prior to the first round of the British Super 1 Championship were dismissed with a superb performance at Whilton Mill.
In fact, he was in sparkling form at the Northamptonshire circuit. Quickly getting to grips with the new, F1-inspired format of timed qualifying, followed by a heat prior to two finals, Ed recorded the pole-setting time - before winning the first heat by over two seconds.
Again leading the 30-strong field into the first corner, he got a perfect start for the first final. Whilst his pursuers fought hard behind him, Ed quickly began to open a gap of several kart lengths. However, his pursuers kept him focused by pressing him hard all the way to the chequered flag – even reducing his lead - although not sufficiently enough to mount a serious challenge for the front spot.
A quick glance over his shoulder confirmed this to Ed, who brought his CRG kart home without any further dramas to score first blood in the title chase.
He again got the holeshot in the following race - followed by his Coles Racing team-mate Spencer Barrow.
The distinctive black and yellow racesuits of the Coles duo began to break away, and it soon became evident that victory would solely be fought out between Ed and Spencer.
Four minutes from the end, Barrow took up the running with Brand sitting just inches off his rear bumper. As the official prepared the chequered flag, Ed upped the pressure and began to push hard for a way past. The pair ran side by side through the first half of the lap, banging wheels and rubbing sidepods as they slugged it out. With only three corners left, Ed realised that, rather than risk a crash, settling for second would give him the early championship lead and so he dropped back to secure the points.
He said rather sagely, “I was tempted to go for my second win of the day but decided to play it safe. There’s a long way to go - the title is won over a season not in a day.”
The next round of the Super 1 Championship is at the dramatic Rowrah circuit, located in a former quarry in the heart of the Lake District on 25/26 April.
Brand shows his value with gritty performance
International karting star, Ed Brand showed his mettle with a fighting fifth place in the opening round of the Euro Max tour in Spain (28 / 29 March).
The teenager’s race weekend didn’t get off to the best of starts after a tyre came off the rim of one of his rear wheels during timed qualifying, forcing him out of the session. It also meant that he would have to start each of his three heats from the back of the grid.
Knowing that he would have to fight hard to come through a quality field, the Ed demonstarted the grit and determination that has earned him an excellent reputation in karting circles and took a brace of 5th place finishes, followed by a 6th.
This put him 9th overall in the intermediate rankings and would determine his starting position for the first of Sunday’s two finals.
In a dramatic - and often feisty - first final, Ed clawed his way up the order to take the chequered flag in a fine 4th place.
Feeling that the team still hadn’t quite found the optimum settings for his chassis or engine, Ed asked for some fine adjustments to be made prior to the main final.
“I was ballistic at the end of the long main straight, but my kart wouldn’t accelerate out of the corners. We’d only got it right in one of the races but the track conditions were constantly changing, forcing us to tweak the set-up in response,” he explained.
Initially, the new set-up seemed to work and Ed was quickly up to 3rd place - but the Spanish circuit’s long straights allowed the Hertfordshire aces’ rivals to slip-stream and then out-drag him.
“I did everything right for the continental style of racing. I let the driver past and then tucked in behind them, hoping to try and re-pass them later in the lap but they would just pull away. This happened twice and in the end, I was just hanging on to protect fifth spot.”
He succeeded and crossed the line in a creditable fifth place to get his European title bid underway.
“To be fair, fifth was the result we were always going to get with what we had,” Ed said philosophically afterwards. “I’m confident that we can go forward from here. It’s not like fifth was a disaster by any means. In fact, it inspires you to work harder for next time.”
Ed returns to domestic racing duties this weekend (4/5 April), in the opening round of the British Super 1 Championship at Whilton Mill in Northamptonshire.
“On my last outing there I won and I’m fully focused on repeating that this Sunday.””
Ed wins first ever Rotax Winter Cup!
Ed scored his first international victory in last Sunday’s (15 February) Rotax Winter Cup after a nail-biting Junior final in Spain.
Created as a curtain-raiser to the 2009 Rotax Euro Challenge series, the event had attracted twenty five of Europe’s top junior drivers (from thirteen different countries) and from the outset Ed faced a stern challenge.
“I was second fastest after timed qualifying with just two one-hundredths between me and pole position. The rest of the field was separated by little more than two tenths of a second.”
Despite his front row starting position for the three heats, Ed was in a potentially vulnerable position for his three heats. He explains, “The first corner at Campillos is a tight right-hander followed by a short straight and then a series of tricky bends. At the start they’re pretty densely packed with karts. There was quite a bit of wheel-banging.”
Two 3rd-places and an 8th gave the 14-year old fifth place on the grid for the pre-final. He was up to 3rd place but, as the chequered flag was readied, the driver ahead – Aavo Talvar - suddenly slowed.
“Talvar knew if he finished in second place that would be his starting position for the main final. He didn’t want to do that, so slowed right down, hoping that I would pass him. I was thinking the same thing, so I tucked up onto his rear bumper. He was zig-zagging and brake-testing me as we approached the finishing line, but I was so close behind him that I had nowhere to go clouted him across.”
Further drama followed. During the final’s rolling-up lap the pole-sitter, Mark Megens’ coil failed, leaving Ed having to maintain his third spot but with an open gap ahead of him. This played into the hands of Talvar, who needed no prompting and swept across from the left to lead the pack into the first corner. “We’d put brand new tyres on for the final and they had virtually no grip at the start. It took me a lap to put enough temperature into them before I could challenge for the lead. I managed to get through and then tried to pull away.”
He succeeded but a slight mistake midway through the fourteen-lap encounter saw his pursuers close in on the CRG pilot, “The chasing group caught me but fortunately a scrap broke out for second place. This handed the advantage back to me, although my winning margin was just half a second at the end.”
Greeted in Parc Ferme by rapturous applause from his Coles Racing team, Ed was equally delighted, “I’m on a high right now. This (victory) means a lot. I’ve won something before the main season has begun (both at home and internationally). I hope that we can build on this and challenge for the British and European titles.”
He added, “The KT1 chassis felt fantastic and was perfectly suited to the track and conditions. I’ll be getting the Dark Knight for this weekend’s club race at Whilton. I expect it to be perfect there and when we go to the other Super 1 circuits. I must thank Tristram (Oman) at HRS for giving me a great kart, everyone at Coles Racing and of course, Neil McKernan, my mechanic.”
Can Ed reign in Spain?
Ed is heading to Andalucia for the opening race of the international season with a new kart and a new team.
As a curtain-raiser to the European season, the inaugural Rotax Winter Cup will take place at the dramatic Campillos circuit, near Malaga (9 -15 February 2009) and Ed clearly can’t wait.
“Although I’ve never raced there before, I’ve heard it’s an incredible track. (F1 commentator) Martin Brundle has described it as a smaller version of a Grand Prix circuit and it’s one of the biggest kart tracks in the world.”
He added, “It’s also nice to be heading somewhere warm. Normally at this time of year I’m racing in absolutely freezing conditions – like we have at home now!”
The Rotax Winter Cup is appropriately being billed as an ‘ice-breaker’ for the new season, and Ed says that underneath the fiesta atmosphere will be a very competitive tone.
“The Spanish race will be interesting. It’ll be my first opportunity to see what the standard of competition is like and who will be setting the pace. Whoever wins on Sunday could well gain the psychological upper hand. So I’m hoping it’ll be me!”
And Ed – who recently signed for Coles Racing - can also draw confidence from his last race. Using a club meeting at Whilton Mill in Northamptonshire as practice, Ed delivered another performance that had his new team purring.
“In karting you have three heats and then a final. In the heats you are given random grid placings but they’re essentially front, middle and back. In my second race, I started from the very back of the grid and within seven laps, I was in 2nd place. That meant I had to pass thirty other karts.”
Ed won his third heat and secured pole position for the final. Unfortunately, disaster struck.
“I lasted just half a lap before the chain detached itself and wrapped itself round the rear axle. Dad hadn’t tightened the sprocket that holds the chain properly. He won’t be doing that again.”
After changing to CRG chassis, he was also keen to praise his new kart. “Despite the problem with the chain, I have to say that it was absolutely fantastic. It handled superbly in all conditions. I love it!”
Ed will be on track from Monday morning for free practice, with timed qualifying on Friday before the heats take place on Saturday. The two finals will run on Sunday.
2009
News