Senior MAX championship leader KC Ensor-Smith bounced back from a challenging opening two heats to record the day’s final class victory and maintain his championship lead as the penultimate round of the national championship concluded at Killarney Kart Circuit.
Despite the tricky conditions in which he went out to qualify on Friday afternoon, Ensor-Smith put his OTK kart in pole position ahead of Saturday’s three race heats. With a dry weather forecast, the Investchem Formula 1600 driver and reigning national Junior MAX champion was punted wide at the start losing three places before a later incident saw him drop down the order further to finish in seventh.
Heat 2 would see the Witbank teenager experience another disappointing race following another incident that saw him drop to the back of the field while running in third. From the back, the former national Mini ROK champion recorded the race’s quickest lap to see him start the final heat from the pole position where he would take a lights-to-flag victory.
“It’s been quite a challenging day, having been on the receiving end of some over-zealous driving. As a result, I lost the lead in Heat 1 and a potential podium in Heat 2. But I have no control over how others perform on track and must move on, and that is exactly what I did in the final heat. I just focused on my driving, and it paid off. Thank you to the team for everything again,” said Ensor Smith.
Ensor-Smith will enjoy a week off before preparations for Round 5 of the Northern Regions Rotax Kart Championships on 15 July.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
Picture Caption: KC Ensor-Smith
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