KMS at PFI – Pace, Pressure and Proper Progress
Round 4 of the Kart Championship took KMS to PF International – a track that never holds back. It’s fast, technical and full of drama, and this weekend served up all of that and more.
From Friday morning, Jack Robinson made it clear he was on the hunt. Topping his qualifying group with serious speed, he set the tone early. But as the heats rolled on, it wasn’t all plain sailing – a bit of a wrestle with racecraft saw him caught in the midfield hustle. Still, when it mattered most, Jack dialled it in, climbing back towards the front with sharp decisions and rock-solid pace in the final.
Meanwhile, Marcel Popakul was another driver flying in practice, looking quick and confident – until a crash in the heats shoved him into the Super Heat. It wasn’t over though. In true KMS spirit, he fought back, even after another collision in the final bent his steering column. Somehow, he still finished just outside the top ten. Tough. Determined. Classic Marcel.
Then there was Braith Murdock – our usual front-runner, giving the older boys a proper headache. No drama, no fuss, just 110% commitment and clever racecraft. He kept his nose clean all weekend, pulled in solid heat results, and bagged sixth in the final. A well-earned result for a driver who just gets on with it.
Bella Stanmore-Wilson arrived late to the party, missing Friday due to a school trip, but was straight into the groove on Saturday. Sadly, she was unwell through the night, but you’d never have known – her start in the final was electric. That was, until another driver made contact and pushed her off. Gutting, but the pace and bravery? Unquestionable.
For Luke Sawyers, it was his first ever PFI weekend – and no Friday running either. Still, he soaked it all in, gained ground in the heats and showed pace that put him within tenths of the top drivers. Collected in a lap one incident in the final, but a performance to build on.
Oskar was on it all weekend. Sector purples, clean overtakes, the lot. A DSQ in one heat made the final harder than it needed to be, then a bent kart made it harder still, but he still crossed the line P6. Not bad, considering.
Jack Mellon had a stop-start weekend. Away with school on Friday, he picked things up quickly despite limited PFI experience. Engine issues cut his final short – unlucky, but lessons banked.
The Bhatt brothers, Adam and Hkheem, were both showing real pace. Hkheem fought back to P16 after an off in the final, while Adam’s kart took a knock after a strong set of heats, dropping him down the order. Still, both are improving fast and snapping at each other’s heels.
All in all, a weekend full of stories, with the kind of highs, lows and fightbacks that karting at this level always brings. A few tweaks to make, some setups to refine, but the pace is there – and the progress is undeniable.
Next stop: back to the workshop, then back to the track.