A stacked field of national level teams were ready for the final round of the ECKC as Daniel Demaras entered his first high-level karting race. It would be an eye opened.
The morning warm up showed some issues with the #12. Even after releasing the brake pedal, the pads continued to touch the rotor, killing Demaras’ speed.
Daniel remained composed and cool all afternoon, as team mechanics Kevin, James and even Chris tried to correct the issues with the kart.
After a poor showing in qualifying, Daniel made up several places in the pre-final, but the constant changes to air pressures and chassis set-up made each session a complete unknown for the young driver. A red flag brought out by a collision halted Daniel’s forward progress.
As the afternoon wore on, the high temperatures wore on the competitors, mechanics and track workers.
Getting ready for the finals, Daniel was relaxed, hoping that the changes made to the kart would help work around the mechanical gremlins he’d been battling all day.
After starting 21st, Daniel lost several positions to finish an uncharacteristic 24th.
Senior drivers in the VRS tent had a much better day. Both Jon and Tyler were in the Top 5 in all sessions, making plenty of progress as the day wore on.
A late race collision cost Tyler a podium position, but his fighting spirit won him plenty of admiration in the paddock. Jon, however, was flawless, as he swept both rounds of the ECKC double header.
