R5 held their annual karting event on the 11th September at the Three Sisters Circuit, Wigan.
The nineteen participants gathered for a 7:00pm briefing and safety equipment fitting. It was a pleasant and dry evening but the briefing highlighted one corner of the track where some water was still running across from higher ground.
All drivers were given a few laps of familiarisation and, even at this early stage, it was apparent that some were more familiar with the track and the karts than others. Those less experienced may have been taken aback by the 70mph top speed and the ground rush from sitting so low. This was not for the faint hearted and slick tyres and heavy steering added to the excitement, particularly on the wet corner.
During qualification, three drivers had agricultural experiences that took them into the tyre wall and, on each occasion, they chose the option of drying out ahead of further racing. After two sessions of grid starts in conventional and reverse positions, the final race was held with the fastest in pole position.
The 10 minutes of racing were closely contested by the top three drivers, initially Matt Ryder holding off Sean Kelly in a very close second. However, as the race came to its conclusion, Paul Couper stole second from Sean, leaving Matt as the undisputed champion.
The short presentation saw medals awarded to the top three and thanks given to the Circuit staff and marshals who made the event safe and enjoyable. In return the circuit manager thanked the drivers for their safety compliance and good natured competition.