One of the few things you can count on at the racetrack is seeing friends and having a good time.
“I’m really glad that my friend Mattie won today. He had a terrible weekend last time out, finishing dead last. It’s good to see him bounce back like this.” said Daniel Demaras.
Daniel felt confident during the practice sessions. His times were solid, and he managed to keep his competitors behind him. Driver #12 was able to make quick passes on the track, as the reverse configuration lends itself to Daniel’s driving style. Daniel qualified an uncharacteristic 5th place.
In the video below, 2 drivers can clearly be seen weaving back and forth across the track, scrubbing their tires, trying to generate heat. This action is forbidden at Goodwood, as it poses a safety risk to other drivers. Daniel can be seen waving his hands in frustration, but to no avail. The track marshall did not penalize either driver. Very disappointing.
Onboard video.
Daniel made good gains during the race, catching drivers in front. Unfortunately, an overzealous competitor ran Daniel off the track at the exit of Turn 6. Daniel’s kart was airborne for a moment, and came crashing back onto the track. This unsportsmanlike act cost Daniel all the time he worked to hard to claw back from the start of the race, and got his competitor a black flag (demoted position).
At the finish line, Daniel was 5th. Further penalties may be brought against drivers, so there is hope for an improvement in final position. But Daniel is not satisfied.
“I just want to race fair and clean. I wish the track officials were more active, penalizing drivers dangerous actions. They miss too much stuff. It’s bad enough that I have such a disadvantage against these featherweights. This is why I like racing at Mosport. Kids like Joshua and Trent are my age and my size. It’s fair racing against them. If I do well, great. If I do poorly, it isn’t because someone elbowed their way to the second a lap quicker Kart 5 or because they’re half my size.”.
After leaving the track, Daniel explained his plans, “This is why I want to move up to Briggs and Straton next year in the TRAK or MIKA series. At that level of competition, the weight of the karts are equalized, and the person with the best driving skill wins, not just the lightest kid who lucked into Kart 5.”.