Finals day for the 2024 RMC Grand Festival, the last chance for 88 drivers across the two RMCGF categories; MicroMAX and MiniMax, and the two Motorsport UK E Plate categories; Junior MAX and Senior MAX to grab one of the five tickets to the RMC Grand Finals in Sarno, Italy later this autumn.
Sunday also saw the awarding of the top Privateer awards to the best independent performers in MicroMAX and MiniMAX – a prize Rotax engine on the line from JAG Rotax, the official UK distributor for all Rotax-related equipment. Also, a set of Mojo race tyres for one driver in each category drawn at random from the entries to this weekend’s RMC Grand Festival.
For the British drivers, the finals would decide who would win the Motorsport UK ‘E’ Plate for each category in 2024. Before reaching the highlights of the weekend, the drivers would need to negotiate their way through the warm-up in preparation for the crucial Super Heats.
The points from yesterday’s Qualifying Heats would carry over into the Super Heats, but with double points set for the 12-minute races, even those in strong positions after Saturday’s three rounds would be uncertain of holding their advantages to claim Pole Position for the Finals.
The weather had improved from Saturday. The fog of 24 hours before had cleared to leave the drivers with a dry track surface under overcast conditions. Cool air temperatures presented a recipe for strong pace in race trim. The only downside being the fair breeze making things a little chilly for the competitors during the traditional Driver’s Parade held on the pit straight.
MicroMAX
MicroMax’s Super Heat kicked things off for eight races on Sunday. From the overnight Intermediate Classification, Austin Oman (Sam Pollitt Racing) started on pole position alongside teammate Joss Huschka with Arthur Pharoah (Dan Holland Racing) alongside British Champion Luke Milward (KR-Sport) on the second row.
Huschka got the better of his team mate Oman off the start. Oman was able to return to the lead with a move down the inside into the Gas Works Bend to end lap 1 back in P1 ahead of Lucien Smith (KR-Sport) from Huschka.
Smith knew a strong Super Heat would put him in a good position as the highest ranked driver not already qualified for the RMC Grand Finals. Smith would battle for the lead with Austin Oman, the two of them trading first place back and forth several times over the course of numerous laps. Oman would make the key move at the start of Lap 6 to retake the lead from Smith, break away and be set for Pole in the Final.
Elsewhere in the pack, Dhian Pahal (RCE) had come through the field to battle with Smith, along with Maximilian Abrahart (Privateer), Husckha and Milward for 2nd place. With 5 minutes remaining, Abrahart showed another example of his growing race craft to take that spot and ran with it to the end. The winner of the last round of the British Kart Championships two weeks prior at Whilton Mill showing once again he was a force to be reckoned with in the Final.
Lucien Smith came home in 3rd ahead of Milward and Alfie Mair (Strawberry Racing). This result left Oman first in the FIC, Smith alongside on the front row for the Final. Milward and Huschka on the second row ahead of Abrahart and Arthur Pharoah (Dan Holland Racing)
The Final was set with Milward and Oman knowing their spots on Team UK at the Grand Finals were secure from the national championships. Smith and Huschka best positioned to pick up the ticket on offer, Abrahart with an early advantage in the Privateer stakes.
In the early stages, Oman led from Milward who utilized his inside of row two start to his advantage. Abrahart had also started well and soon found a route past Milward and into 2nd place. A move that provisionally put the privateer in a position that due to Oman’s prior qualification for the RMC Grand Finals gave him a path to Sarno.
Smith had also found a way past his teammate Milward and into 3rd. The two KR-Sport drivers sticking to their plan of returning the favour Smith had given Milward to assist in winning the national title two weeks prior. The question, would the plan be executed in a way to give the number 7 seed the last ticket to Italy?
Gas Works Bend provided the opportunity for Smith to find a way past Abrahart on Lap 6, a textbook move down the inside gave him the required position to qualify into Team UK’s RMCGF squad.
The trio of Smith, Abrahart and Sunday specialist Arthur Pharoah set about closing down the leader, Austin Oman clear by 0.75 seconds.
Four minute to go and Smith had caught the leader, but more importantly dropped Abrahart by a small but crucial margin. With contrasting weekend objectives; for Oman winning the ‘E’ Plate, for Smith the ticket to Sarno, the top two worked together to grow the gap back to Abrahart in 3rd.
An effort from Abrahart a few laps from the end gave a glimmer of hope the number 3 driver could give the final one last twist. But Oman and Smith responded, digging deep themselves to hold off any late charge and take their positions to the chequered flag.
Oman becomes the new MicroMAX ‘E’ Plate holder to go with his #2 plate from the national championship and for Smith the fourth and final spot in the MicroMAX contingent of Team UK’s RMC Grand Finals lineup. Abrahart would complete the podium with the prize of Top Privateer his. A magnificent effort to hold out ahead of Pharoah, Pahal, Husckha, Milward, Mair, Benediktas Masiokas and Sebastian Crawford in the top 10.
MiniMAX
MiniMAX would show that nothing is every certain in karting on a dramatic finals’ day. Starting with the Super Heat, Albie Friend started on pole position for Strawberry Racing after his perfect run through Saturday’s heats alongside Emerson MacAndrew-Uren (DHR) on the front row. Jenson Chalk (Strawberry Racing) and Alex Goodson (MLC Motorsport) were nicely placed on the second row ahead of Oliver Spencer and Max Gilman on row three.
The opening third of the race seemed to be a resumption of Saturday’s service, Friend ahead of the fast-starting Spencer and his teammate Chalk. Spencer’s race speed was clear to see. Having charged from the back in each of the heats the day before, he took his chance to wrestle the lead from Friend on Lap 7.
So began the first cracks of the weekend for Friend who within a few laps found himself down to 5th behind MacAndrew-Uren, Edward Haynes (MLC Motorsport) and Riley Murro (Sam Pollitt Racing). Now under threat and at risk of losing pole for the final he would fightback up to 2nd before a clash with Spencer on the last lap opened the door again for his DHR rival. Dropping down to 14th, Friend would now be set for the outside of row in the final.
In the events of the final lap, Spencer would lose the lead to Riley Murro and Edward Haynes. A post-race penalty would drop Murro to 13th meaning Haynes inherited the Super Heat win ahead of Spencer and MacAndrew-Uren.
MacAndrew-Uren had done enough across the four races so far at the RMC Grand Festival to secure pole for the final. Friend alongside on the front row. Jenson Chalk and Oliver Spencer would form up row two ahead of Edward Haynes and Max Gilman on row three.
Early stages, a slow start for Friend saw the favourite for the E-Plate in trouble and down to 5th place. MacAndrew-Uren held the lead from Chalk and Spencer at the end of the first lap. Second lap and Jenson Chalk made the move into the Senna ‘S’ for the lead successfully, soon opening the door for Riley Murro and his teammate Friend to work their way back up to 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Murro was on the move with a proven record in finals at Warden Law with a 3rd place finish back in June at the national championship round at the same circuit.
Lap 9 would be a critical lap in the story of the MicroMAX Grand Festival final for 2024. Murro firstly attacking Chalk for the lead unsuccessfully at Bryan’s Bend would open the door for Friend to retake 2nd. Friend would immediately attack for the lead into St. Johns. An unexpected move from the viewpoint of Chalk who saw Spencer go back through. The solace for Chalk was that whilst 3rd, he was still the highest ranked driver who could be a new qualifier for Team UK.
Two corners later Spencer would go for the lead himself, side by side with Friend through the Senna ‘S’, before the two of them would clash through the chicane. Both quickly rejoined outside of the top three positions. Friend’s disastrous Sunday ended early with an off at the last corner on Lap 10. The British Champion will still be a favourite for the RMC Grand Finals in October, but a testing day saw his streak of results on UK circuits end in abrupt fashion.
With Chalk now back in the lead and best placed to win the ticket to Sarno. The battle would rage between Chalk and Murro, neither driver had qualified through previous events for this year’s RMC Grand Finals. They both knew 2nd place would not be enough for either of them.
Under increasing pressure, Chalk would continue to lead, using all his experience gained from his victorious run in MicroMAX last year. He’d hold off allcomers and take his first home soil win of the season, clinch his spot once again on Team UK and secure the ‘E’ plate for any future MiniMax races in the UK.
A tremendous run for Riley Murro would see him on the podium whilst Edward Haynes would finish in 3rd place. A mighty close race, the top seven would be covered by less than two seconds. Not for the first time in Rotax events held in the UK in 2024, MiniMax had delivered a classic final.
JuniorMAX
A new day for Junior MAX offered the chance for many drivers to turn the page after a difficult day in the heats. A mixed-up grid for Super Heat saw Scott Marsh start on pole position with wildcard Jared Fox-Whiteley alongside on the front row. Jacob Woods and Kai Clarke formed up the second row knowing they stood in a good position with two tickets to Sarno on offer and Fox-Whiteley not eligible to go to Sarno in the category. Lewis Goff, already qualified through the British Kart Championships, started on row three alongside Kai Veitch.
From the start, Fox-Whiteley’s lap one issues from Saturday continued, unfortunately falling down to 12th place. Those starting on the inside benefitted with Woods up to 2nd and Goff up to 3rd. Marsh quickly got into a comfortable rhythm as the leader, a straightforward run to claiming pole for the Final was on the cards.
Elsewhere in the top 10, the DHR pair of Cole Denholm and Noah Barham were moving up the order gaining three and five places respectively to improve their Final Intermediate Classification positions. The KR-Sport duo of Kai Clarke and Kai Veitch kept themselves in contention with a battling run into the top six.
Marsh took the chequered flag and pole for the final after 16 laps. Woods’ P3 meant he would start from the outside of the first row. A recovery for Fox-Whiteley back to 7th in the Super Heat resulted in a start from the inside of the second row, joined by a resurgent Lewis Goff. Kai Clarke and Cole Denholm would start the final from row three.
The Final started in a fractious manner. A lightning start for Fox-Whiteley caught out Woods who immediately saw his grasp of 2nd slip away through Bryan’s Bend. The resultant concertina effect caught out both Goff and Denholm, the latter spat out to driver’s left on the entry to the second turn.
Scott Marsh led at the end of the first lap with Kai Clarke repeating the feat of earlier heats in the meeting to step forward as the early holder of the second RMC Grand Finals ticket spot. Fox-Whiteley held in third, a useful buffer kart for the top two, a hurdle for the likes of Kai Veitch and Noah Barham. They both knew they’d have to break past the JAXX Motorsport #23 if they were to either win the ‘E’ Plate or secure their path to Sarno.
Clear communication with the team on the sidelines was crucial for Clarke. The message received by the driver of kart #77, that firm defensive moves weren’t required ahead of the wildcard and ineligible for RMCGF Fox-Whiteley, allowed him to work a gap ahead of Noah Barham who by Lap 6 had got up to 4th place.
Marsh grew his lead gradually and calmly, performing under the pressure of being the favourite. Any concerns of having a target on his back were fading away, the ‘E’ Plate and ticket back into Team UK looming well into view.
Lap 14 saw a chance for Barham to clear the hurdle of Fox-Whiteley for 3rd place and be one position on the road away from qualification to the RMC Grand Finals. With two minutes remaining, Clarke’s defensive skills would inevitably be put to the test and with Marsh clear by several seconds it was clear, the last space in the Junior contingent of Team UK would be a 1v1 battle between Clarke and Barham.
Shrewd work by Clarke to tempt Barham into going off the racing line allowed Fox-Whiteley down the inside coming out of the Senna ‘S’ on the penultimate lap. With Fox-Whiteley back up to 3rd, the immediate pressure was off.
A spin for Barham heading into the Dog Leg on the final lap sealed the deal and as the chequered flag waved, Scott Marsh took the ‘E’ Plate title, booked his space on the grid for his last attempt at the Junior MAX RMC Grand Finals title alongside Kai Clarke. A deserved 2nd place and place alongside his compatriots to finish a challenging UK season on a high. Jared Fox-Whiteley completed the podium, another positive result for JAXX Motorsport.
SeniorMAX
Arguably the most open question on Finals Day at Warden Law was who would take the DD2 ticket for highest placed British driver from the Senior class. Kai Hunter would start the Super Heat from pole alongside his Hunter Motorsport teammate Ewan Charman. The second row would be filled with a wealth of experience, driver-team manager Guy Cunnington in 3rd with Louie Westover in 4th. A revitalized Archie Walker started 5th with Brandon Klein Nagelvoort shooting from 6th.
An unconventional start for the Hunter Motorsport duo saw both Hunter and Charman fighting for grip through Turn 1. They survived, Charman taking the lead ahead of Westover, Cunnington and Charman. Archie Walker and Jamie Perilly would not be so lucky, both off in the first sector and hoping they wouldn’t fall too far down the Final Intermediate Classification.
Behind the front pack there would be positive Super Heats for the graduating pair from the top of the Junior Rotax standings in this year’s British Kart Championships. Champion Harry Bartle would rise to 4th, including an entertaining introductory scrap with the former Senior Rotax British Champion Hunter. Whilst Runner-Up William Antrobus would finish 6th on the road but be demoted for a front fairing penalty post-race.
Back at the front it was a calm run for Ewan Charman after the scary, sliding start who took the Super Heat win from Cunnington and Westover, the two of them swapping positions a number of times throughout. With Hunter finishing the Super Heat 5th, he would drop behind Charman in the Final Intermediate Classification.
A development made academic as Hunter, already qualified for the Grand Finals virtue of finishing 3rd in the British Kart Championships, elected to save himself for Sarno, take no risks and sit the final out and allow those who hadn’t yet found their paths to Italy to fight out it alone. Harry Bartle took the same decision as Hunter, happy with progress made across his first Senior weekend.
The Final grid started with Charman alone on row one, Cunnington and Westover next on row two, Walker and Klein Nagelvoort again on row three as they were for the Super Heat. With only one ticket to represent Team UK in DD2 and one ‘E’ Plate to fight for, the start was always going to be a fast one. The driver to lose most, Guy Cunnington. A matter of seconds is all it took for the #52 to fall down to the bottom of the order.
Charman would lead from the DHR duo of Westover and Klein Nagelvoort. All drivers at the front end of the field needed to keep an eye on a fast-starting Austin Lee. It had been a quiet weekend for the Strawberry Racing driver up to this point, but strong race pace quickly saw him up to 3rd.
The second half of the race saw the DHR’s fade back into the pack. Going in the opposite direction was British Kart Championships round winner from earlier in the year, Joshua Graham. Momentum appeared to be on the side of Lee and Graham who by Lap 12 found themselves Charman’s closest challengers.
Charman held his own at the front of the field, his team ready to cheer him over the line on the twentieth and final lap at their home circuit. The elation would quickly turn to agony as Austin Lee’s robust, last-ditch attempt to take the race lead resulted in Charman being forced wide on the last corner.
Lee would see the chequered flag but unsurprisingly receive a post-race penalty. The demotion would not however hand the victory back to Hunter Motorsport and Charman. The run to the line has seen Joshua Graham cut to the inside and outsprint the #42 kart to the chequered flag, beating Charman to the line and inherited victory by 0.09 seconds.
The final result gave Graham his 2nd Senior Rotax victory in a Motorsport UK Final in 2024. The ‘E’ Plate goes into the hands of Graham and KR-Sport for the next twelve months and as top Brit in the final, the all-important DD2 ticket for the RMC Grand Finals. Ewan Charman had to settle for 2nd place on the podium which was completed by Sam Pollitt Racing’s William Antrobus who impressed on his first Senior outing.
After 8 races on a thrilling Finals Day, the 2024 RMC Grand Festival and Motorsport UK ‘E’ Plate came to a close. Thanks must go to Karting North East and the whole team at Warden Law for a thoroughly professional first hosting of the RMC Grand Festival, Motorsport UK for their promotion and officiating of the event as part of a busy calendar of events in September and JAG Rotax for their impeccable technical and logistical support of the whole paddock.
With the last 5 tickets handed out its time to fix our eyes on the next stop, Sarno in Italy. In four weeks, drivers from all around the globe will descend on Circuito Internazionale di Napoli to celebrate 25 years of the Rotax Grand Finals and see who can claim the crowns of 2024 Grand Finals Champions.
Brighter and better than ever, the biggest party of world karting’s calendar can be followed in its entirety with live broadcasting from Alpha Live for every key moment, along with being able to watch back all the coverage of this weekend’s Rotax Grand Festival races. Head over to the Alpha Live and Karting UK YouTube Channels to catch-up on a thrilling weekend at Karting North East.
