Kart Race of Champions 2024

I was invited to the 2024 edition of the Kart Race of Champions (KROC) - an annual event bringing together some of the best rental karters in the country. It's an all day event with the following format:
- A practice/qualifying session which sets the grid for the first sprint heat.
- Two other sprint heats with set grids - one front-half start, one back-half. Groups were mixed up to try and have you race as many people as possible.
- Based on points, get put into the C, B or A final - a longer race.
- For the A final, a one-shot qualifying (with karts chosen in order from the highest point scorer down the the lowest).
- Winner-takes-all final!
Practice/qualy got me to third on the grid for the first heat which was great, but a bit of a sloppy first lap settled me into fourth and out of contention with the front three. There was a long battle with another kart but I eventually got back past him to finish fourth again.
The second heat I started towards the back and got a bit stuck. I had some good moves and racing throughout the heat but the kart 6 in front drove very well to hold me off so 10th was the best I could manage.
The third heat I knew I needed to move forward quickly and managed to lead from a little into the second lap all the way to the end. I was pleased it ended when it did though as a faster kart was rapidly approaching!
This got me to eighth in the A final so I got to pick a decent kart and put it P5 for the final race. This was a fantastic race with the full 'KROC experience' i.e. some nose-to-tail racing. I loved it all and while it would have been nice to finish top five and get a trophy. I was more than happy with seventh!
Hopefully I'll get to go back next year and see if I can better that result.

[@CarsWithJB]

Great racing in that A final! (I was the kart ahead of you - it was so close!)

[@cbkarting]

Thanks! Yeah it was great racing with you, hopefully we can do it again!