After much preparation and anticipation, the first race of the year finally arrived! Although the season started 2 weeks ago with the first Mosport Club Race, I couldn’t make it because of a school commitment (how could I pass up a chance to perform at Roy Thompson Hall?!).
For my first race, I qualified in 9th after I made a major mistake on my third flying lap, sending me into the dirt for the rest of the session. That meant I was more likely to be in the middle of the action early on in the pre-final because I was starting mid-pack. The expected happened, I locked up my brakes to avoid getting into the back of two karts that were battling with each other for an apex blocking the track and ended up sliding off the track. I managed to get back on track and pick up a couple of spots before the chequered flag, but that still meant I was starting the final down in 15th place. I performed much better in the final race. After two failed attempts at a start, which shortened my chase to the front, the final race finally got going. During the now shortened ten-lap race, I worked my way through the traffic and made it up to 7th place. Had the first two laps not been restarts, I think I could have gotten even further up the field since I was closing the gap to the karts in front of me!
You can watch footage of the final in the Video Section of my Gallery. It is the video entitled MIKA Rotax Junior Race - May 6, 2012, check it out and see the world how I see it!