Benjamin Classon returned to the Eastern Lions Kart Club over the weekend for the July round of the Championship. Classon has had a break out year in 2022 taking home a Golden Power Series round win and podium finish at the previous round. Ben was looking to put his best foot forward in the club championship where he is right in contention for the title.
In a field of ten drivers, Classon hit the track early Sunday morning for qualifying to try and get himself as far up the grid as possible. Ben was able to immediately put himself in the top few drivers and was chasing the back of his season long rival Grace Riddell. Classon was able to put himself up on the front row of the grid and was chasing the pole position. Ben did a brilliant job to land himself in second position overall meaning he was off the front row of the grid for the opening heats.
Heat one and Classon was sharing the front row of the grid with Riddell and slotted into second spot on the opening lap. Ben was able to take the lead on lap two of the race and was in a fierce battle at the front of the field to hold the lead positon. With multiple lead changes across the race, the final laps were building to an exciting finish. Classon crossed the line in an excellent second position only a tenth of a second behind race winner Riddell.
Classon was again off the front row in heat two and slotted into second spot stalking the back of Riddell the race leader. The Kosmic kart was showing good pace as Classon and Riddell traded fastest laps at the front of the field, showing how evenly matched the two drivers were. The race was building to another extremely close finish with Ben trying his hardest to get into the lead spot. Classon was able to cross the line in second spot once again just three tenths off race victory.
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Heat three was the final heat of the day and Ben slotted in behind the race leader. Classon was doing everything he could to go with Riddell at the front but didn’t quite have the pace of his earlier heat races. Ben tried as he might but couldn’t go with the race leader out at the front of the field. Ben crossed the line once again in second spot with work to do going into the final.
Classon was off the outside off the front row for the all-important final race. Ben slotted into second spot and was right on the back of the race leader and had found pace from the third heat. Classon was able to set the fastest lap of the race and was all over the back of the race leader with the final potentially going either way. In an epic finish with the top two only being separated by eight hundredths of a second, Classon crossed the line in second position overall!
Benjamin’s dad Paul spoke post weekend on his young drivers race results. “It was another great weekend of racing. Grace is a star driver and it was great to see both of them race so hard at the front. Ben has superb pace and we look forward to the rest of the seasons racing”.
Classon will be one to watch at the next round of the Eastern Lions Kart Club Championship.
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