It’s been a busy start to the year for Formula Fast MK! January 19-21st saw the circuit host the British Rental Kart Championship (BRKC) for the fifth year running.
With all 100 entries selling out in less than 24 hours after opening way back in August, BRKC 2018 was set to be another hotly contested event.
The 2018 Line-up
With the inclusion of reigning Kart World Champion Ruben Boutens, a number of motorsport stars from all over Europe, and a large contingent of home-grown talent, the line-up for this year featured some of the toughest competition in BRKC history.
BRKC is the official UK qualifying series for the Kart World Championship (KWC), and with the top 3 places receiving a paid-for entry to the KWC, the rewards are big – and the racing fierce.
The huge £1000 cash prize awarded to the overall champion – and a film crew broadcasting the event live throughout the weekend – all adds to the drama and intensity of this unique and world-class competition.
The Heats
With his long-standing string of individual race victories ended by Polish star Matt Bartsch in Round 3, Boutens didn’t have it easy this year with his unflappable style and strategy put to the test.
Boutens eventually negotiated the Heats phase of the competition with three wins and a second place – no easy feat considering the class and experience of the drivers in this year’s competition.
Semi-Finals & Grand Final
A solid win in the Semi-Finals moved Boutens to the top of the points table ahead of the Finals – giving him the chance to run as the final driver in the Grand Final Super Pole qualifying.
Again, it wasn’t made easy for Boutens, with a shot at pole position being snatched from him by three-thousands of a second, thanks to BlueStar Racing colleague Yoan Medart setting a blistering pace on his own first attempt at the BRKC crown.
The final itself, however, saw Boutens able to excecute his trademark overtake on Medart at the end of the straight. With his customary textbook strategy and unbelievable consistency, thirty minutes and two pitstops later, it was Dutchman Ruben Boutens claiming his fifth BRKC victory at Formula Fast, adding this victory to an already impressive 4 years of dominance in the British Championships.
Always near the front but never quite reaching the BRKC podium until now, Thom Van Dijk excelled himself this year with a superb strategy allowing him to divide up the BlueStar duo of Bouten and Medart to take the runner up spot, relegating the polesitter Medart to a close third on his inaugural BRKC outing.
Awards
Boutens commented on his race win: “Winning BRKC is always a very big honor. I honestly feel like I’m just one of the 100 competitors every year again, but at the same time, I’m very proud of my 5th consecutive championship here as well, the trophy will certainly get a prominent place at home!”
BlueStar claimed the new-for-2018 Team Championship, with Craig McCallister winning his second BRKC Masters’ title, and Jonathan Elliott awarded the Genevieve Reason Memorial Trophy for the most gutsy drive.
Full results: BRKC 2018 Overall Results v3. For more details on BRKC, check out www.brkc.co.uk.
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