Pressure, Patience & a National Title 🏆🏁
July was intense. Big races, big pressure, long journeys, and moments that tested both racing skill and mindset. From tight championship battles to a national title decider — and then straight back into qualification mode — this was a month that demanded everything.
6 July – Forest Edge
Southern Championship | Close Racing & a Tough Draw
The first weekend of July took us back to Forest Edge for the Southern Championship.
Between races, we even managed to catch some F1, cheered on by Great Nanny, who came along to watch the karting too — making it a proper family weekend.
The racing itself wasn’t straightforward. A very tough draw for the heats meant fighting from further back than we’d have liked:
- Heat 1: Started P8, finished P6
- Heat 2: Started P3, finished P2
- Heat 3: Started P8, finished P3
A lot happened across the heats, including some very careless racing from others, and at one point nearly being driven off the circuit. It resulted in a trip to the Clerk of the Course’s office, where everything was talked through — and Harvey was told there was no fault on his side.
Moments like that are part of racing, but they’re also part of growing up. Karting is great at teaching life lessons, including how to stay calm, explain your side clearly, and discuss things properly with those in charge.
Despite the challenges, Harvey qualified P4 for the final. After dropping to P5 on lap one, he quickly worked back up to P4, before making a last-lap move to finish P3 — just one tenth of a second behind second place.
11–13 July – NATSKA National Finals
Rowrah | National Champion 🏆
Mid-July was the big one — the NATSKA National Finals weekend at Rowrah Kart Circuit.
This was the culmination of the National School Karting Association Championship, with Harvey heading into the final round holding a healthy championship lead. The target was clear: a top-four finish would secure the National Title.
We left home on Thursday evening, driving over seven hours to reach Rowrah. Friday was a full test day, setting things up for the weekend ahead — six heats over two days, all counting towards the final championship result.
The conditions were tough. It was a very hot weekend, and we were extremely grateful that the van upgrades now included a fridge freezer… stocked with ice creams.
On track, Harvey was fastest all weekend.
He won two of the first four heats, but was also taken out twice, on separate occasions by different drivers. Despite that, he still drove back to second place on track in both races — showing real composure and determination.
Going into Heat 5 on Sunday, Harvey was drawn to start at the back, while his nearest championship rival started at the front. What followed was one of his strongest drives of the weekend — charging through the field to finish P2. One more lap and the win was on.
At that point, the maths was clear. With faster lap times, a race win in the final heat would secure the Sprint Title as well.
Heading into the final heat, Harvey had already guaranteed at least second place overall for the weekend (with one drop heat allowed). He got a great start, leading halfway around the first lap and pulling clear.
Then, suddenly, the kart wouldn’t pull more than 4,000 RPM. An engine issue dropped him right back, but Harvey kept going, determined to finish the race — his final ever NATSKA Cadet race.
While the engine issue cost him the Sprint Title, the main goal had already been achieved.
After 13 rounds, spanning tracks across the UK, Harvey finished the season as NATSKA National Champion 🏆
Late July – BIKC Qualification Begins
Back Indoors;With NATSKA complete, focus immediately shifted to the next challenge — BIKC qualification, which runs from June through August.
Harvey’s road to Warrington — home of the BIKC National Finals — began again in July with a visit to TeamSport Farnborough for the Cadet Race League with the main focus being on securing a good lap time in any session to count towards qualification.
It was good to be back indoors, where the best lap from three different qualifying days are required to create an average qualifying time, with the target a top 20 place locally to reach the local finals. (Over 60 drivers set times for Farnbough in the end).
The race league went really well, taking the top step, and it was also great to catch up with local driver Rupert, who finished third — a nice moment captured in a photo from the day.
July in Perspective
July delivered some of the biggest moments of the season:
- A national title secured after months of work
- Podiums under pressure
- Tough racing and character building moments
- A long journey and an even longer weekend
- And a fresh focus on the next big goal
From outdoor championships to indoor qualification, the momentum hasn’t slowed.
Next up: August — and the road to Warrington continues.
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Onwards 🏎️💨