Corporate Karting League underway

(CNS): Over 200 drivers are taking part in the AI Group Summer Corporate Karting League being held at the Cayman Karting track off Sparky’s Drive. In a very competitive season Cayman Airways took the initial lead before Deloitte seized control. Now at the halfway point of the ten race season the table is topped by two law firms: Harneys hold the lead, whilst Maples sit two points behind them. The first five weeks of the league have seen some very competitive racing with record lap times, a variety of pit-stop strategies, controversial manoeuvres and a couple of disqualifications. (Left: Daron Mclean and George Manderson – seated)

This league has also involved racing on the reverse track for the first time which has presented a whole new challenge for drivers. The change of track has, however, only reinforced the reputation of the fastest karters on island with the lap record being swapped around the same individuals it was on the regular track: Daron Mclean, George Manderson and Alexander Conolly. George Manderson is the current holder and the only person to have driven the reverse track in under 31 seconds.

Last week’s fifth round of races saw the top two teams, Harneys and Maples, face off on the track. After a particularly feisty battle including each team spinning the other off the track in the early stages the pace of Kieron O’Rourke and Jenny Deacon saw Harneys emerge victorious and steal the league lead from Maples. Team Valvoline sit menacingly in third place and after a shaky start are looking increasingly confident in their quest to depose the lawyers from the top of the table. They combine the out and out speed of Ajoni Ambersley with the local racing pedigree of Keith Tibbetts and consistency throughout the rest of the team. (Above: KX Sky Riders: Cayman Airways were the early league leaders.)

Team Parker’s and Automotive Art sit in fourth and fifth positions and are littered with more of the island’s racing veterans including Bobby Hulse, Michael Weatherford, Andy Bodden, the Kirkconnell brothers as well as three representatives from the Huggins family

In sixth place Deloitte sit first amongst accountancy rivals. The pace of Michael Pearson and Andy Childe helped secured a couple of early wins for the team. KPMG occupy twelth and fifteenth spots with their two teams and Ernst and Young sit just behind them in sixteenth.

The format of the league is a series of 50 lap races with each team having to use three pitstops to change over their four drivers. A minimum of one female must drive for each team each week although Harneys have shown their strength in depth by winning races with two females in their team.

League racing continues on Monday and Tuesday nights. A Premier League will run from September to November and a Winter Corporate League will start in December. For those who haven’t made it down to the track yet Saturday 21 August is the perfect opportunity. For one evening only you can have the chance to try karting for $9.99. You can drive 10 laps and take part in a time trial. There will be music and food as well as two Cayman Airways tickets to any of their destinations up for grabs. More details are available at www.caymankarting.com.