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Strawberry storms to double Euro Max titles
Webster and Varley crowned in France
16th September 2009
Strawberry Racing is celebrating a unique double after lifting the
Junior and Senior Euro Max crowns at Salbris last weekend (12/13
September).
In the senior category, Joseph Reilly led team-mate Luke Varley across
the line in the final round of the Euro Max championship - but it was
the latter who triumphed overall. Josh Webster sealed the first major
title of his career with third place in the Junior Max grand final.
After the heats, the team was delighted to see that two of its stars had
qualified for the first of the day’s two Senior Max finals in third
[Joseph] and sixth [Luke] - with team-mates James Greenway and Barrie
Pullinger in fifth and fifty-seventh, respectively. Despite a quality
field, Varley and Reilly would turn both encounters into two-horse
races.
Luke took a crushing win the in the pre-final, taking the chequered flag
over two seconds ahead of Joseph and was almost assured of the title. In
the main final, Reilly reversed the order - although Varley ran him
close throughout the fourteen, nail-biting laps. Unfortunately, after a
crash had put him out of the running in the first final, Greenway was
left with the task of fighting his way back up the order in each final
and would eventually finish in eleventh place.
Whilst disappointed for Barrie and James, team manager Warwick Ringham
could not hide his delight at Luke and Joseph’s one-two in the
championship’s final positions, “It’s just fantastic!” he said. “To be
honest, I think it was the right result. We’ve won all bar one final [in
the series] and overall, did the best job. Everyone put in a huge amount
of effort and we’ve got our just rewards. I’m also proud to say that
James was able to take seventh in the championship, so we’ve got three
drivers in the top ten. That’s not bad. Barrie has learned a lot and
will be much stronger in next year’s championship.”
After Josh’s podium, his hugely-supportive family were, naturally,
delighted, “They were ecstatic!” says Warwick. “And who could blame
them? Do you know, when he won the title, it was just four days shy of
being exactly three years since he competed in his first ever race.
That’s quite an achievement. I’m over the moon for him and his family,
he deserved it.”
Ringham was also at pains to acknowledge the contribution of those who
made a key contribution to Strawberry’s run of success in 2009, “I would
particularly like to thank Steve, Tim, Heather and Richard at Ogden
Motorsport, Paul Chambers and Dave ‘Dodge’ Gregory. Plus all our
mechanics, who often work long hours in difficult conditions without
complaining.”
He added, “I don’t think any of us have had a chance to celebrate yet.
We loaded up the truck, drove back to Sheffield, prepped all the karts
and now we’re off to PFi [in Lincolnshire] this weekend [19/20
September].”
With the Euro Max and GP titles already won, the team has turned its
attentions to adding the British Super 1 Rotax senior title to its haul.
Luke represents Strawberry’s best chance of succeeding, whilst Joseph
and James will be keen to improve their own places in the final
standings.
Josh has an excellent chance of finishing in the junior top three,
although Warwick predicts a tough weekend for all his young charges, “I
think we’ll be fast at PF, but there’s a lot at stake. I suspect we’ll
see a lot of drama and action because you’ll have a mixture of people
with lots to lose, or nothing at all. If we survive the heats, qualify
near the front for the first final, I think we’ll be in good shape to go
from there.”
Opportunities to race with Strawberry’s KF and Rotax teams in 2010 are
now available. For more information, please call Warwick Ringham or Paul
Spencer on 0114 269 6215/0114 288 9933 or e-mail
info@strawberryracing.co.uk and to find out more
about the championship-winning Tony Kart EVR chassis, please click on
the ‘Tonykart’ button and go to ‘Chassis’.
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