NKC Round 2 Rowrah – race Report

After a positive opening round, we headed north to the incredible Rowrah Circuit for Round 2 of the National Karting Cup. Rowrah is one of the fastest and most challenging tracks on the calendar, so I was excited to see what we could do.

It turned out to be a weekend full of highs, some great racing, and a frustrating end that showed just how quickly things can change in motorsport.

Heat 1

Starting from P2, I got away well and quickly found myself leading the race.

I managed to pull out a small gap and looked in a strong position, but as the race went on another driver began to close in. With only a few laps remaining, I switched into defensive mode to protect the lead.

Unfortunately, on the penultimate lap I was spun around, costing me the win and dropping me down the order. Despite the setback, I managed to recover and finish P2.

While it wasn’t the result I wanted, it was encouraging to have shown the pace to lead the race.

Heat 2

I started P7 and knew I had work to do.

After a strong start and some good overtaking, I quickly worked my way through the field and up into P2. The leader and I had very similar pace throughout the race, making it difficult to close the gap.

To make things even more interesting, I spent much of the race with another kart right on my bumper. I had to go super defensive to keep hold of second place and crossed the line in P2.

A tough race, but one I was really pleased with.

Heat 3

Starting from P17, this was always going to be a challenge.

I made good progress through the field and was steadily moving forward when a battenberg flag interrupted the race. Unfortunately, the stoppage cost me valuable momentum and track position.

Later in the race I was involved in contact that dropped me out of the top ten. After fighting hard until the chequered flag, I finished P13.

I was a little disappointed with the result as I felt there was much more on offer, but that’s racing sometimes.

Grand Final

The final started brilliantly.

Starting from P3, I made a fantastic launch and quickly moved up to P2. The pace felt strong and I was ready to challenge for the win.

Unfortunately, a red flag brought proceedings to a halt and the race had to be restarted.

At the restart, disaster struck. I was involved in contact that resulted in damage to the kart, leaving me unable to continue as planned.

It was a hugely frustrating way to end what had otherwise been a very competitive weekend. I felt we had genuine podium pace and possibly even more, so it was hard to walk away knowing what might have been.

Looking Ahead

Although the final result wasn’t what we hoped for, there were plenty of positives to take from the weekend.

✅ Led a race
✅ Two podium finishes in the heats
✅ Strong pace throughout the weekend
✅ More valuable championship experience

A massive thank you to everyone who supports me, follows my journey, and helps make these race weekends possible.

Next stop: Whilton Mill