|
|
|
Cooper takes double KF1 victory at Shenington
13 May 2009
Strawberry’s Ben Cooper scored sensational back-to-back victories at last Sunday’s (10 May) second round of the MSA British Super 1 Championship, whilst team-mate Luke Wright took his maiden KF1 podium.
In the KF2 class Chris Lock had a tougher time, but showed the character that made him European Rotax Max Champion last year - a consistent performance saw him maintain his title aspirations.
Having qualified on the first and second rows of the grid for the first KF1 final, Luke and Ben had clearly demonstrated that they are getting to grips with the premier class. Unfortunately, as the field cannoned into the first corner Wright was shepherded off the circuit and span. Able to continue he rejoined well down, but would start a spirited drive back up the order.
Surviving the opening lap dramas, Cooper initially slotted into third place but within rapid succession moved into second and then the lead.
Behind him, Luke was busily fighting his way from thirteenth and had broken back into the top ten. Meanwhile, Ben was coming under sustained pressure in a thrilling race that saw him battling with three other drivers. Having dropped to second, Ben he made his decisive move three laps from home and held the advantage to the chequered flag.
Luke finished in a creditable ninth position, but was to go six better in the following final.
Reigning World Rotax Champion, Ben led the quality-packed grid into the fast left/right/left complex just after the start and was hounded by a gaggle of thirteen chasing karts.
As in the first race, he briefly relinquished the lead to maintain a watching brief on his rival’s pace. Three other drivers took their turn at the head of the field with Cooper never far from their rear bumper.
A cracking start from Luke had seen him leapfrog his way from ninth to third by the race’s midpoint. It was also at this point, that Ben lay in second. Five tours later, he attacked for the lead. A titanic fight developed and on the last lap, the pair ran down the start/finish straight reminiscent of Mansell and Senna in the 1991 Spanish Grand Prix. They turned into the left-hander, neither willing to yield. But as the corner then began to loop right, Ben had the vital inside line and held his competitor wide in a firm, but fair, manoeuvre. At this moment, he sealed his successive victory, whilst Luke doggedly held onto his excellent third spot – all to the delight of the team.
In the KF2 class, the team’s soul representative Chris Lock was never out of the top seven throughout timed qualifying and the heats. In the first final, he fought hard for his seventh place, but all his efforts were undone in an incident-filled return encounter. An over-enthusiastic move by another driver saw Chris knocked off the circuit and forced into a recovery drive. Another coming together forced him further down the order and leaving him in a lonely thirteenth.
Ben, Luke and Chris will join with their Tony Kart Junior Race Team colleagues for next week’s CIK Asia-Pacific Championship (21-24 May), to be held at Suzuka, the former Grand Prix circuit in Japan.
|
|
