SODI Vitesse set their sights on Whilton Mill for Round 2 of the club championship. Contesting the Inter-Max category were 3 SODI Vitesse challengers in the form of Warwick Mylum, Nathan Rond and George Fountain.

After a month out of the seat due to an injury from Round 1 of the championship, Rond was back in action. Coming in strong on Saturday practice and showing little sign of being out of the seat, he was consistently in the top 15 contenders. Putting in a steady performance, Saturday’s qualifying session saw him cross the line just on the brink of a top-ten finish, eleventh. Mylum returned after a challenging round 1 with something to prove. He too was impressive all through practice, where he was fastest in the wet sessions. A drying circuit in qualifying saw him put the kart in twelfth on the grid. Fountain, who was in Vitesse colours for the first time, immediately impressed. The young novice, taking part in what was his fourth meeting, was consistent through practice and keeping with Mylum and Rond. Qualifying proved tricky as Fountain found himself in the wrong position on track and being held up, costing his best lap time and resulting in a twenty-third-place finish, something that soon proved to be no obstacle for him.

The first of two heats had the whole Vitesse team wishing for more. Mylum had a strong start but a small mistake sent him off the circuit and pushing for a recovery drive, finishing the session in eleventh. In a similar situation, Rond was involved in an incident on circuit and forced to leave the tarmac, dropping down from fifth to sixteenth on the road, and with one lap to go, finished out the race there. Fountain had a stellar start going from twenty-third to twelfth in the first lap and staying there until a spin in the wet weather saw him drop to fifteenth. Pushing forward and closing the gap, he crossed the line in fourteenth. Heat two was a better showing for the Vitesse trio with all three karts in the top eleven. Mylum was hit hard and left the tarmac, hindering any progress already made. Putting in a hard stint and securing the fastest lap, he crossed the line in ninth. Rond struggled with the changing conditions, but stayed in a consistent rhythm and crossed the line in eleventh. Fountain showed how impressive he can be, becoming highest mover on track and gaining fifteen positions to take eighth across the line. 

A drying track on slick tyres faced the drivers as they headed out for the final. The combined qualifying heats saw Mylum start in ninth, Fountain in eleventh and Rond in fourteenth. Mylum had a steady start gaining two positions into seventh, when an unfortunate spin after clipping a wet patch, sent him back down the order and rejoining the circuit in sixteenth, gaining another three places before the clock hit zero to take thirteenth. Rond was the best finisher of the three challengers, managing the conditions well and placing consistent lap times, greeting the chequered flag in eighth. Fountain also took a trip off the circuit after an early spin, but this didn’t stop his progress and he crossed the line in eleventh claiming the Top Novice trophy too. 

All drivers showed strong speed in wet weather conditions across the weekend and leaves the team feeling optimistic for Round 3 of the championship. Next up for the team is Forest Edge Kart Club for Round 3 of the championship.