RYE HOUSE IKR ROUND 2

Harry’s IKR Round 2 update from last weekend goes like this:

The first test session arrived for the cadets, and Harry took to the track. Unfortunately, on his second lap, his rear bumper bolt snapped while going over the red and white curbs, leaving his bumper hanging off. He came into the pits after three laps, sparking a flurry of activity. A quick trip to the shop for a new bolt saw us just ready in time for session two, albeit a little late getting back out. As a novice, Harry started at the back of the grid but still managed to finish the session strong.

Next up was session three, where Harry stormed around the track and climbed up to 18th out of 30 drivers. Impressively, he was less than a second away from breaking into the top 10. Things were going well, and spirits were high.

Then came qualifying. With just five minutes to go before the cadets were due out, Harry suffered a severe nosebleed. Blood was everywhere, and we feared he’d miss qualifying. Thankfully, we managed to stop the bleeding just in time, and Harry made it out on track—late again, but determined. Despite the delay, he quickly found his rhythm and pushed his way up to 16th on the grid. The next lap, he shot up to 6th fastest.

My heart was pounding, but then disaster struck. Out of nowhere, Harry pulled into the pits, telling me his tyres were slipping all over the place. That’s when my heart sank. He didn’t realize that once you pull into the pits during qualifying, you can’t rejoin the session. As the remaining minutes ticked down, his grid position fell from 6th to 25th. Who knows what could have been, as he was still building pace before his early exit.

In Heat 1, Harry finished 25th. Heat 2 brought even more frustration; a driver spun in front of him, rolling backward and clipping Harry’s ignition switch, cutting his engine. Since marshals aren’t allowed to restart engines, Harry had to push his kart to the side during the formation lap, meaning he would start the final race at the very back of the 30-kart grid.

Despite starting last, Harry fought his way up to finish 25th with no penalties—a solid recovery under the circumstances. It was a fantastic yet stressful day, packed with pressure and challenges, but we couldn’t be prouder of Harry’s determination. We can’t wait for Round 3 of the IKR Championships next month!

GALLERY AND VIDEO

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