Ast Signs' Aston takes lead
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Cumbrian karter Nathan Aston has moved into the lead of the Formula Kart Stars British Championship after an excellent weekend in Wales saw him clinch two second places in some of the most closest racing the series has seen so far this year - with the winners being decided by just fractions of seconds.
Aston headed to the Glan-y-gors circuit in North Wales for rounds five and six of the FKS series - which is backed by the Formula One Management and is widely regarded as the proving ground for young racers aspiring to follow in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
Aston had scored his debut FKS win at his home track in Rowrah on round one, but mechanical problems at Whilton Mill meant he was searching for renewed form and some podium finishes to get his championship battle back on track.
The determined 12-year-old started strongly on Saturday in his Fusion run Zip kart - he was fastest in qualifying and secured pole in race one. He continued to push hard and came away with a second place in race one and a third in race two which put him sixth on the grid for the A Final. But, in just four laps, he had moved up to second and was immersed in a battle which saw the top four racers all finish within the same second. In one of the closest finishes he’d experienced, Aston claimed second spot - a mere 0.06 seconds behind the leader.
This is only Aston’s second season of racing at this level and the young Appleby Grammar School pupil defied his lack of experience by setting the timesheets alight again on round six on Sunday.
He claimed fourth in race one and came out first in race two which put him third on the grid for the A Final. With a renewed level of confidence, he moved into the lead on the opening lap and led for most of the race. But a concerted effort by his team mate Darius Karbaley on the last corner of the race saw Aston slip back to second as Karbaley slid past to take the race win by 0.09 seconds.
But Aston had done enough and, with two second places, he came back to Cumbria as championship leader at the halfway point in the season.
The result has given the youngster a major confidence boost heading into the second half of the season and the next championship round at Genk in Belgium on 12-15 August.
AstSigns karter Nathan Aston said:
“It’s a great feeling to be leading the championship and the results here will really help for the second part of the year. I had some great battles over the two days and I enjoyed every minute of it. It just shows how closely-fought the competition is – everyone is driving as fast as they can to just stay ahead of the other guys. I need to stay focused now and concentrate for the next rounds, I think the competition will get even closer.”
Aston headed to the Glan-y-gors circuit in North Wales for rounds five and six of the FKS series - which is backed by the Formula One Management and is widely regarded as the proving ground for young racers aspiring to follow in the footsteps of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.
Aston had scored his debut FKS win at his home track in Rowrah on round one, but mechanical problems at Whilton Mill meant he was searching for renewed form and some podium finishes to get his championship battle back on track.
The determined 12-year-old started strongly on Saturday in his Fusion run Zip kart - he was fastest in qualifying and secured pole in race one. He continued to push hard and came away with a second place in race one and a third in race two which put him sixth on the grid for the A Final. But, in just four laps, he had moved up to second and was immersed in a battle which saw the top four racers all finish within the same second. In one of the closest finishes he’d experienced, Aston claimed second spot - a mere 0.06 seconds behind the leader.
This is only Aston’s second season of racing at this level and the young Appleby Grammar School pupil defied his lack of experience by setting the timesheets alight again on round six on Sunday.
He claimed fourth in race one and came out first in race two which put him third on the grid for the A Final. With a renewed level of confidence, he moved into the lead on the opening lap and led for most of the race. But a concerted effort by his team mate Darius Karbaley on the last corner of the race saw Aston slip back to second as Karbaley slid past to take the race win by 0.09 seconds.
But Aston had done enough and, with two second places, he came back to Cumbria as championship leader at the halfway point in the season.
The result has given the youngster a major confidence boost heading into the second half of the season and the next championship round at Genk in Belgium on 12-15 August.
AstSigns karter Nathan Aston said:
“It’s a great feeling to be leading the championship and the results here will really help for the second part of the year. I had some great battles over the two days and I enjoyed every minute of it. It just shows how closely-fought the competition is – everyone is driving as fast as they can to just stay ahead of the other guys. I need to stay focused now and concentrate for the next rounds, I think the competition will get even closer.”
