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Napier’s spirit shines through

Johannesburg lass Tiffany Napier may have endured a tough weekend’s Junior Max kart racing at the second round of the SA National Karting Championship at Cape Town’s Killarney Kart track, but the British International grade 10 student still came out smiling and happy with the positives of an otherwise trying day at the races.

“Phew — that was a tough weekend!” Tiffany smiled. “I laid it all on the line in qualifying and I was delighted to put it eighth on the grid despite still struggling with the two lap national qualifying format and I had a really tough time in practice. “I was a bit nervous starting on the outside, but my fears were unfounded — I got an excellent start and was up to fifth and making a pass to take fourth when I was unfortunately taken out of the race from behind.” 

The second heat turned out to be a two part affair after a cable fell across the track four laps into the race and was immediately red flagged and only restarted almost an hour later. “That was a crazy race — I had a good start and worked my way from stone last in the grid to run as high as seventh during a good scrap and I eventually ended up ninth on track, but tenth on the time sheets when the times of the two race parts were added together. 

“The third race was quite a challenge,” Tiffany confessed.  “The inside starting position never worked as well as I’d have liked  and I lost two places on the start and then I got mugged in the 180’s and again in Golf Club so I lost four more places and  and then my teammate managed to drive over me too, so I ended up last. “I was not happy and I lost my rhythm through all that, but I thought to hell with it and decided to fight back with everything I had and I made up a few places despite my kart being crooked and handling terribly. “I was quite happy with that."

“Cape Town was a tough weekend and despite two days of practice as well as pre testing three weeks ago in addition to Neil Basilio, Corrie Liebenberg and Peter Kalmen out from Europe to assist our BirelArt team, I was unable to properly deliver on the pace we found.

“There are however a lot of positives that came out of the weekend and hopefully the racing gods will soon decide to show me a little favour. “We can turn it all around at the Vereeniging regional event in in two weeks time — now I’m more determined than ever to make a strong comeback!

ENDS

Issued on behalf of Tiffany Napier

What:SA Karting Nationals Round 2 Report
Where:Killarney Kart Track
When:29 April 2017
Community:Tiffany Napier

For further information please contact craig@designwaterproofing.co.za

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