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Senior: Mark Kimber wins thrilling Final
As ever the Senior class didn’t fail to disappoint when it came to drama. A fantastic contest would eventually see Mark Kimber (GBR) come out on top but it was a race that took several twists and turns along the way. After the Prefinal, an exciting front row was formed in the shape of Ben Barnicoat (GBR) and Joey van Splunteren (NED) but they would be far from the only two drivers who would play a part in this race.
After escaping at the start, it looked like we were in for a two-horse race, Van Splunteren took the lead on lap three at the end of the back straight before Barnicoat fought back on lap nine aware of the threat from Rimmo Kadapik (EST), Kimber and Robin Sario (FIN) behind. There would be big drama on lap 12, going into the penultimate corner, Van Splunteren went down the inside of Barnicoat who stayed on the outside to try and give himself the inside for the left-hander. But there would be contact between the pair as Barnicoat hit the kerb tipping him into a spin.
It dropped him to 14th place with Kadapik taking up the reigns out front. Kimber now laid in second after quickly passing Sario dropping him to third. Van Splunteren still laid in fourth place at this stage and up ahead on lap sixteen Kimber hit the front. With five laps to go, Kadapik was eager to work with Kimber, but the Brit was taking no chances and began defending his lead almost immediately. Unsurprisingly, this expanded the lead group very quickly with Yann Bouvier (FRA), Siim Leedmaa (EST), Thomas Turner (GBR) and Romain Leroux (FRA) making it an eight-way scrap for the win. But that number would increase all the time and a congested field eventually led to Xavier Handsaeme (BEL) going up and over, thankfully walking away.
The incident split up the leaders with van Splunteren putting in some fast overtakes to get into second. With two laps to go, Van Splunteren appeared to make contact with Kimber at turn one seeing him inherit the lead. As the Dutch driver got on the defensive once again, the lead group grew in numbers, amongst them Barnicoat who had somehow got himself into fourth going onto the final lap.
Kimber retook the lead where he lost it managing to create a gap on the inside of the first corner. Just a few turns later and there was heartbreak for Kadapik who had to take to the grass ultimately ending his race. A shame for the Estonian who had put in a fantastic performance! Kadapik’s race had begun to end after he lost third to Barnicoat who now just had half a lap to try and gain two places.
The Brit would squeeze passed van Splunteren who ran wide after some contact and would eventually finish ninth. But out front, it was Kimber who took the victory in a hard-fought race! His tactics to defend early didn’t go down well with all the viewers but it was his move on the last lap which ultimately won him the race. Barnicoat reached second a lap too late but can be proud of his efforts having missed three days of practice and Leedmaa once again had an impressive run with another Top Ten-finish at the Finals, albeit on the podium this time around. A chaotic race to say the least but one that lived up to the high reputation that Senior has set for itself in recent years.
Junior: Oliver Bearman recovers to win in last lap drama
It was a last lap which showed the two completely emotions some may go through in this sport. Oliver Bearman (GBR) looked almost down and out at one stage as he fought to try and stay in the Top Ten but kept his head down and was rewarded for his efforts with a win on the final lap. As for Oliver Gray (GBR), he did everything right in the race and pretty much had it in the bag before a mechanical problem with his engine saw him slow up on the final lap coming out of the first corner and he was visibly devastated as he was left at the side of track whilst Bearman celebrated his IAME International Final win.
The aforementioned would be the two to start on the front row for the Final and were quickly joined by Oliver Greenall (GBR) who muscled his way passed James Wharton (AUS) on the opening lap. Josh Rowledge (GBR) was also included in a lead five that broke away from the rest of the field in the early stages despite swapping positions on several occasions. That battling eventually saw the lead group extend to seven with Robert de Haan (NED) and Ken Oskar Algre (EST) sensibly working together to reduce the gap.
By the halfway stage, the battling had become even more intense with everyone desperate to do the leading, it seemed it was now a case of pass or be passed which made for an exciting contest. Bearman felt the full force of the above, being passed by Gray and Rowledge into turn one which set off a chain reaction and eventually saw him drop down the top ten after a desperate attempt to pass Greenall at the banking ended with contact.
The incident gave Rowledge and Gray a gap with Rowledge now leading for the first time. Behind, De Haan led the chasing pack and was going to have a tough task convincing anyone to work with him. But Algre seemed happy to do so and it allowed them to escape from the pack behind with contact at the banking seeing Bearman promoted to a comfortable sixth.
At the front, with five to go, Gray began to defend from Rowledge despite the Brit not making any attempts to pass. This was all good news for De Haan and Algre who made it a four-way battle for the lead with just two laps to go with the Estonian third through the final corner with a hard move! He did similar down at the banking passing Rowledge which gave Gray a gap going onto the final lap. Half a second ahead, Gray looked to have it all to lose and in devastating circumstances, he would come to a halt at turn two after slowing up with a terminal engine problem on the exit of turn one. His sudden decrease of speed had caught Algre out and after a coming together between Rowledge and de Haan just a few corners earlier, it would be Beaman who drove through to take the lead.
As Gray pulled his kart off the circuit, it was hard to watch with Gray clearly emotional. He had one hand on the title only for it to be cruelly taken away from him through no fault of his own. Algre likewise had his podium taken away but their loss was Bearman’s gain and it seemed it was almost meant to be as he crossed the line to add the International Final to his Euro Series title. A brilliant recovery considering where he was at one stage and it was his never give up attitude that ultimately won him the race at the end. De Haan finished a deserved second with Greenall third after Rowledge would pick up a three-second penalty for leaving the corridor at the start of the race.
Master: Johan Renaux sends French crowd wild!
The home crowd in Le Mans were treated to a French winner with Johan Renaux (FRA) holding his nerve to win in the Master category! The race was far from an easy one after a bad Pre Final Sebastien Bielande (BEL) was on a charge through the field and closed the gap to just 0.3 seconds at the flag in a nail-biting finish.
Renaux started his weekend in brilliant fashion taking Pole position in a qualifying session which threw up mixed conditions. However, he would have far from a smooth run in the heats but won his last to put him in the Top Ten for the Prefinal going on to finish in third in an eventful race which saw big contenders fall down the order including Julien Poncelet (FRA).
Stephen Nuvolini (FRA) and Kenneth Hildebrand (EST) made up the front row with Nuvolini giving the home fans something to cheer about and Hildebrand impressive in just his second race back after a five-year absence. Both made brilliant starts to the race with an immediate gap over Renaux in third. Hildebrand’s failed attempts to pass Nuvolini only made Renaux’s task of closing the gap to the pair that bit easier and by lap four he was passed Hildebrand and into second. Sadly for Hildebrand, he would pick up damage to the rear hub putting him out of the race.
Soon after, Renaux was leading but, behind, Bielande was on a charge and got into second eight laps into the race with some brilliant moves. With over half the race remaining, he was now looking in a strong position to go and take the win and was reducing the gap with every lap. Once there, after what had been a tough race already, Bielande now had to find a way past the French driver racing for an International title on home soil. It’s no easy task and Bielande would quickly discover that as his opportunities came few and far between.
The final lap presented one last chance for Bielande who seemed to be running out of steam. He tried every which way to pass and force a mistake but Renaux was wise to the challenge and took the IAME International Final to the delight of the French fans! It was a brilliant result for those who had cheered him all the way and a result Renaux will remember for a lifetime after a hard-fought weekend. Joining the pair on the podium was Takeharu Nakamori (JPN), the IAME Asia Final winner from 2018. The veteran class was won by Kenneth Chung Siu Fan (HKG) with 17th on the road.
Pro: MacDonald wins in nail-biting finish
The Pro class was a new concept for 2019 and the Final alone proved it was a huge success. Featuring a huge number of some of the World’s best all in one grid meant one bad result in the heats didn’t put you completely out of contention. Dean MacDonald (GBR) is someone who can certainly vouch for that. Having started his first head facing the wrong way, he came back in style to take an impressive win.
It was a win that had been the result of a fantastic drive all weekend. He took Pole position in a close-run qualifying session and after a first heat he’d rather forget made only happy memories from there on in. Two heat wins on Thursday further consolidated him as a contender for the title and to qualify third overall was impressive considering the circumstances.
For someone more focused on racing in Cars these days, MacDonald looks like he’s never been away at all. His speed impressive, his racecraft intelligent and his attitude that of an International Champion. But this was no one-man show and with big names including the reigning World Champion Lorenzo Travisanutto (ITA), Danny Keirle (GBR), Taylor Barnard (GBR), Callum Bradshaw (GBR), Harry Thompson (GBR), Juho Valtanen (FIN), Franck Chappard (FRA) and many more was enough to have the crowds excited for the start.
Thompson dominated the Prefinal and would, therefore, start from Pole position. The Red Bull Junior driver knew how to win in Le Mans and did his best to make a break as he went in search of another. MacDonald and Valtanen kept him honest in the opening stages. Valtanen looked quick early on and passed MacDonald for second with Thompson seemingly struggling, we had six drivers for the lead with Chappard, Keirle, and Bradshaw involved. Lap five would see the start of a race that ended early for Thompson with Valtanen going through into the lead. After fighting his way back into second, MacDonald was soon fighting for the lead again and hit the front on lap six. Valtanen was then swallowed up by the pack behind starting with Keirle and Bradshaw.
Whilst MacDonald increased his lead out front, further back Travisanutto and Barnard were coming through the field fast! One by one, Barnard picked off the leaders starting Thompson before passing Chappard, Bradshaw, and Keirle. Now 1.6 seconds behind MacDonald, it seemed an almost impossible task to close him down. But Barnard quickly began turning heads bringing the gap down to under one second in just three laps! With two rounds to go, the chase had been completed but passing MacDonald would be no easy task. The latter didn’t give Barnard the attention or the sign he was particularly worried and was just able to hold on to clinch victory!
It was a fantastic win for MacDonald as he dealt with the pressure extremely well and would have won the race either way with Barnard receiving a front fairing penalty. That meant Keirle inherited third with Travisanutto ending a difficult weekend on the podium.
Super Shifter: Ash Sutton wins on debut!
When British Touring Car driver Ash Sutton (GBR) appeared on the entry list in the Super Shifter class, many were excited to see what he could do. A champion in the BTCC, Ash has gone on to some magnificent things since leaving Karting but this was supposed to be a fun experience having not raced a Kart for several years.
Ash hadn’t even driven a Super Shifter until just a few weeks ago and that was around Rye House in the UK, a big difference to Le Mans! Arriving at the event three days down on practice and taking to the track in the dry for the first time in Qualifying, his twelfth place shocked everyone but little did we know he was hardly getting started!
A chaotic Prefinal saw polesitter Sten Dorian Piirimägi (EST) not even take the start with Thierry Delre (BEL) disqualified from the race with drivers split on a slick or wet tire choice. Sutton was one who did make the right choice on slicks and quickly started moving through the field after finishing lap one in sixteenth. He would eventually finish third despite two penalties after an incident with Thomas Dam (DNK) early on.
But being third, he was in the mix for the Final which would see Rowan Grinwis (NED) and Jentsen Adrianessens (BEL) on the front row. As the race got underway, Christof Huibers (BEL) kept himself right in the mix in fourth and traded places with Sutton allowing the two leaders to escape. Grinwis looked settled in the lead but Adrianessens certainly didn’t and once Sutton cleared him he was able to chase Grinwis down.
Sutton’s first attempt to take the lead on lap eleven was unsuccessful and it would see the lead group extend in big numbers with Mickey Slotman (NED) third. However, Sutton executed his second move with conviction taking Slotman with him. As Grinwis was swallowed up the gathering pack behind and Slotman nervous of an attack from Quique Bordas (ESP), Sutton made a break and now had three laps to hold on.
With three to go, Bordas made his move on Slotman at turn one but the gap to Sutton was extensive in terms of how close this race had been. The Spaniard put up a valiant effort and would have had all Sutton fans nervous on the last lap but Sutton showed no signs of nerves and went on to take a popular victory on his IAME International Final debut!
It is a fantastic achievement when you put it into context. Adjusting to Super Shifter is often a lengthy process but Sutton seemed to take it all in his stride with ease. His approach was to enjoy the experience and he seemed to put no pressure on himself despite his credentials. It was perhaps that which helped him stay calm towards the end but more than anything, he proved why he has been able to make it right to the top of this sport.
Bordas was just two tenths away from a win in a deserved second place with Slotman a brilliant third. A mention must go to Piirimägi who drove through to fifth from dead last on the grid! Perhaps a weekend of what could have been for the Estonian, but a brilliant performance nevertheless.
Mini: Kean Nakamura-Berta victorious
After being crowned Vice-Champion last year, Freddie Slater (GBR) was out for a win and nothing else in 2019. Starting from Pole position in the Final, he gave himself the best possible chance at doing just that but would have tough competition around him including Brandon Carr (GBR) who would start from second after gaining 20 places in the Prefinal.
Slater’s time in the lead would be short-lived with a fast-starting Harry Burgoyne (GBR) quickly up to second before taking the lead at the end of the back straight on lap two. Slater seemed happy to sit in behind Burgoyne but would soon have a decision to make with Carr closing in on the pair of them. Eventually, Slater’s decision was to repass Burgoyne which he would do on lap four with Burgoyne repaying the favor a lap later. His intention to get back passed was understandable with six drivers now queuing up to make it an eight-way fight for the lead of the race.
Included were Kean Nakamura-Berta (JPN), Sebastiano Pavan (ITA), Leo Robinson (GBR), Christian Miles (USA) and Miguel Costa (ITA). To avoid having to deal with the drivers behind, Slater pulled off a great move at turn four to put himself back at the front of the field with changes happening further down in the lead group.
With four laps to go, Slater was now forced to get on the defensive from Carr, who had passed Burgoyne, and Nakamura-Berta was able to read the situation and went for a dive around the outside and turns four and five. Whilst this was happening to their inside, Carr and Slater went wheel to wheel which saw Slater run over the grass and Carr get passed by the freight train behind. Nakamura-Berta emerged in the lead and with an immediate gap and was now in the driving seat with just over three laps to go. Pavan was second with Burgoyne third, but the gap to Nakamura-Berta was almost two seconds which was enough to convince Burgoyne to go into second.
For any Nakamura-Berta supporters, that was an encouraging sign with the race for second now starting to get very exciting. The Minis raced as hard for second as they would have done for the win and it was fantastic to watch with passing at almost every corner. In a frantic seventh lap, Miles appeared in second with Slater third. He soon slipped passed Miles taking teammate Robinson with him as the last lap board was being prepared for Nakamura-Berta out front. It would have felt like a long lap for the Japanese driver and even longer for the supporters but he had grabbed an opportunity in this race with both hands and turned it into a convincing win! A brilliant drive having come from seventh on the grid and he would be joined on the podium by teammates Slater and Robinson.
Minime FFSA / Cadet MUK: Alex O’Grady hangs on to win in new class
This year saw the inception of two new classes at the IAME International Final with Minime (FFSA) / Cadet (MUK) one of them. The youngest of our warriors was made up of a 28 kart-field for the Final. Like all the final races, it treated us with plenty of excitement and a tense last lap which would see Alex O’Grady (IRL) just hold on to take the win for Alfie Slater (GBR).
Neither would start on the front row though, that would be formed by Lewis Wherrel (GBR) and Zach Knight (GBR) who battled for the win in a close-ran Prefinal with O’Grady also fighting for the win in third. The start of the race would see Wherrel get the better of the starts leading Knight across the line at the end of the first lap. Into turn one Slater appeared to get caught out by Knight through turn one and made contact which saw Knight drop back and O’Grady inherit second.
O’Grady continued his charge as he took the lead from Wherrel with Slater going into second. However, this was going to be far from a three-horse race with more drivers coming into the mix including the likes of Knight, Bishop Macaulay (GBR), Jack Buckley (IRL), Andrei Dabja (IRL) and Lisa Billard (FRA). Lap six was where the race really started to heat up! With Knight setting fastest laps and quickly recovering to third, Slater felt it was time to go for the lead. His first attempt to pass was unsuccessful and his second led him to lose a position to Knight and it gave O’Grady a gap 0.7 seconds.
The start of lap seven saw Macaulay pull off one of the moves of the event going from fourth to second in one clean pass! But as Knight desperately tried to get back passed, the two went side by side through the chicane with Macaulay eventually having to run over the grass. Out of the drama, Slater emerged in second with Knight third and Slater now had two laps to try and close a half-second gap. It had everyone on the edge of their seats as Slater drove out of his skin to close the gap. But on the last lap, despite being such a young age O’Grady showed no signs of nerves and did no unnecessary defending all helping him go on to become a deserved champion!
The end of the race alone was enough to prove the inception of this class had been a success. From the start, O’Grady looked hard to beat and made no mistakes to crown himself the International Final champion ahead of Slater and Wherrel.
