Summarize

Johannesburg karting lass Tiffany Napier may have experienced a weekend of highs and lows at the final round of the SA National Junior Max Karting Championship at Zwartkops, but the young lady also showed signs of brilliance on Sunday. Napier turned in the fastest lap in race 2 to claim pole position in the third race, before leading the way early on, among several other karting firsts in spite of a generally tough day at the races..

Tiffany’s weekend started well enough when she qualified a fine fourth on Saturday afternoon before going on to score an impressive fifth in Sunday’s tough first race that kept her tied up in furious action throughout, to see her only qualify 8th for the second heat. 

That race started with a bump that saw Tiffany losing several positions before a little more bumping and barging ended up with her sitting down in 10th by the time the chequered flag flew, but there was good news for the young lady at the post race weigh bridge: “I found out that I had set the fastest lap of the race which meant that I was on pole position for race 3!” British International School Grade 10 scholar Tiffany explained.

“I was absolutely delighted, but to be honest that quickly turned into being extremely nervous to be on pole for the first time and at a national too with all the fastest boys all eager to get past me! “I still made a clean start to hold the pack off and lead the way for three laps before Charl Visser found a way past and then Wayland Wyman decided to attack. “Our scrap allowed Visser to get away, while the pack closed in from behind and joined the party, but I had an excellent dice. “Sadly I made a little mistake that cost me dearly on the penultimate lap and had to settle for 7th in the end. 

“Heat 4 was looking good — I was running in a solid seventh when I was perhaps a little over ambitious to dive in on Cameron Dias into the tunnel corner and we collided — I couldn’t restart my kart and my race was run. “10th overall for the day and 10th overall for the Championship sums up a really tough season, but I am happy with my progress and I was delighted with my pole position and to lead my first few laps at national level.

“Special thanks must go to my sponsor Design Waterproofing Systems as well as to my BirelART team, so ably managed by Corrie Liebenberg, my most experienced new race engineer Shane De Beer who I worked with for the first time at Zwartkops and a huge word thanks must go to Mark Williams of GMP for my excellent engines. 

“We have two Regional races to go to finish what’s been a pretty tough season and then I’m looking forward to a fresh start in 2018 — bring it on!”