Gunn is one of the top six in the Country voted by Motorsport News .
In January 2011, Motorsport News picked out 50 of the best young
talents to keep an eye on during the coming season.
{To see more details, click on Season, Cadet, Latest news
on www.rossgunnracing.co.uk}
All forms of disciplines were mentioned, such as circuit racers,
rally drivers, stock car racers, karters etc. In the bumper Christmas
issue of MSN, these 50 drivers were analysed to see how they fared
in the season
Gunn was in the top six rated by MSN. Not only was he the youngest
driver in the top six, but he was the only karter! A fantastic achievement
for this talented driver.
Gunn starts his Junior Rotax 'career' on a high ..
Gunn
attended Round 1 of the Trent Valley Kart Club's Winter series
at the Paul Fletcher International circuit near Grantham on December
4th. Although plans for 2012 have still not been finalised, Gunn
tried a Junior Rotax for the first and probably last time in 2011.
Saturday
{December 3rd} was the first time Gunn had driven a Junior Rotax,
in this case prepared by Tooley Motorsport. The main difference
between a MiniMax and a Junior Rotax is primarily the state of
engine 'tune'. By removing the exhaust restrictor, a Junior Rotax
has about 5 bhp more power than a MiniMax. Although the chassis
is the same, the minimum weight limit {kart plus driver} is 13
kg heavier than the MiniMax class, mainly to allow for older drivers.
Gunn soon took to the extra power and was timed as being the fastest
driver by the end of Saturday testing.
Sunday's
meeting was again along the lines of 'drawing the starting position
from the hat' for the two heats. Gunn was drawn 8th on the grid
{36 starters} for the first heat
in dry conditions, Gunn made a good start to lie in 3rd position
by the end of lap 2. This he maintained until the end of lap 5,
but slipped down to finish the 10 lap race in 6th position. Gun
felt that during the race there was an issue of reduced power
as the race progressed. Even so, Gunn had the second fastest time,
only 1/100 s off the fastest lap! Gunn started the second heat
in 28th position and climbed through the field to finish in 9th
position obtaining the fastest lap! His time was 0.33 s faster
than the next competitor ..
In
the final, Gunn started in 5th place as a result of his two heat
results. During the afternoon the sky was getting very dark with
rain clouds threatening. Just prior to Gunn's race, the last race
of the day, there was a slight shower which made the track very
slippery. On top of this, the light was reducing to the point
that it was difficult for the spectators to see the competitors
on the track! Gunn gained a position during lap 1 and held the
resulting 4th place for several laps. During lap 5 Gunn moved
into 3rd position and then on lap 8 took 2nd position. Gunn finally
crossed the line in 3rd position with the fastest lap. After the
race Gunn said that he had felt a vibration from lap 6 onwards,
which had made handling not as easy as he would have liked.
In
summary, an excellent showing in Gunn's first Junior Rotax race ..
Gunn wishes to thank Tooley Motorsport for all of their help during
this meeting.
NOTE:
In the December issue of Karting magazine .. Ross
Gunn still tops the Drivers rankings for all Rotax classes!
Waiting
for the first heat. A
busy start for Heat 1.
Lying
3rd during Heat 1.Finishing
6th in Heat 1.
Gunn ends his MiniMax season on a high.......
Gunn attended Round 6 of the Trent Valley Kart Club's Summer
Championship at the fabulous PFi circuit near Grantham on October
30th. The circuit had undergone major improvements since Gunn raced
at the circuit for Round 6 of the Super One National series. In
summary, at the end of the start/finish straight, the track now
sweeps left under a new flyover bridge, to then climb through a
circular banked section to return over the bridge. The track then
rejoins the old circuit down to the first hairpin. {See pictures
of the new section of track below}. This was to be Gunn's last MiniMax
race, before he decides on what route he will follow in 2012. Also
this was to be his only chance to run with number 1 on his kart,
as he will definitely be leaving Minimax at the end of this season.
The format of the meeting was along the lines of 'drawing the starting
position from the hat' for the three heats. Time qualifying was
not used at this TVKC Championship round. Gunn was drawn 21st on
the grid {32 starters} for the first heat
in very slippery conditions following earlier rain, Gunn had got
to 8th position by the end of lap 1!!! Driving masterfully, he won
the race with a fastest lap of 76.84 s. As a point of interest,
Gunn's time was 0.04 s faster than the fastest time
of the Junior Rotax race, which was held on a drier
track two races after the MiniMax race!
Gunn started the second heat at the back of the pack after a red
flag had brought the grid to a halt. Gunn had pulled in prior to
the red flag being shown to have a mechanical problem rectified
and was then allowed back onto the track. He was not allowed to
regain his grid position ~ no regulation confirming this official
decision could be given! After the restart, Gunn then proceeded
to 'carve' his way through the field to gain 5th position. In a
slight misunderstanding with another kart, Gunn had to go straight
on at the 1st hairpin {thus taking a shortcut} but then waited for
those who were in front of him at the time, to regain their position!
The normal accepted 'thing to do'! For some unknown reason, Gunn
was given a one lap penalty, so instead of crossing the line in
5th position, he was qualified in 25th position. Yet another unusual
decision by the Officials! Gunn still managed get the fastest lap
at 64.02s. In the third and final heat, Gunn won by a comfortable
4.49 s.
Gunn lined up in 5th place for the Final and took the lead during
lap four to win by a comfortable 5.58s with the fastest lap of 62.62
s. This was the fastest MiniMax time of the day. Gunn was pleased
to end his MiniMax season on a high "It's
been a fantastic season and I would like to thank everyone for making
me 2011 British Champion! What I do in 2012 depends on what financial
support I can obtain in the next few weeks!"
The
new bridge at PFi leading to .... the
circular banking and then......
back
over the bridge to the first hairpin. The
start to Gunn's last MiniMax Final.
Number
1......the Champ! The
last MiniMax scrutineering
Gunn
wins his last MiniMax Final It's
been a great season, thanks to all.
Gunn's
last MiniMax trophy.
Gunn gets 'two titles' in the November edition of Karting AND
voted Top Driver!!...
Following Gunn's success at the British Kart Grand Prix {Kartmasters}
and Round 6 of the National Super One Minimax series, both held
at the Paul Fletcher International circuit near Grantham ......
Gunn was given prominent coverage in the November edition of Karting
magazine.
British Kart Grand Prix Report:
Round 6 Super One Report:
Gunn voted Top Driver in November driver rankings:
Gunn receives coverage in newspapers........ is sponsorship around
the corner?
Gunn gets another mention in MotorSport News .......
Gunn received a mention in the October 19th edition of Motorsport
News. This also covered the sad death of 33 year old Dan Wheldon,
who was tragically killed at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Gunn
would like to send his condolences to the family of Dan Wheldon,
who he had followed for several years. Dan, like so many successful
racing drivers, had come up through the ranks of karting, having
won the British Cadet Championship three times. The report of Super
One Karting is shown below.....
Gunn interviewed on BBC Three Counties radio ........
On September 17th, Gunn was interviewed on BBC Three Counties
radio {http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/programmes}
following his success at becoming the British Super One Minimax
Champion. Roberto Perrone, presenter of the Drive program {16:00-18:00hr.}
interviewed Gunn initially mentioning the sad loss of Dan Wheldon,
who came from Olney in Bedfordshire. BBC Three Counties covers
the Counties of Beds, Herts and Bucks........Bucks being Gunn's
home County. We would like to thank BBC Three Counties for the
interview and also for allowing us to use the interview recording
for others to listen to ................
To hear the interview, click here
Gunn
appears again in the Bucks Free Press and is voted Gold Star.........
Gunn wins the GP plate at the Kartmasters British Kart Grand Prix ..
On August 8th and 9th, Gunn attended, along with 235 other
drivers, the prestigious Kartmasters British Kart Grand Prix at
the Paul Fletcher International circuit near Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Eleven different Formulae covering WTP, Honda Cadet, Comer Cadet,
MiniMax, Junior Max etc. were competing for the highly acclaimed
GP plate for each of the Formulae. 2011 sees the 16th anniversary
of this legendry kart race meeting. Over the event's history,
many 'GP' plate winners have been crowned. Names such as Lewis
Hamilton, Gary Catt, Jonathan Davies, Ben Hanley, Craig Dolby,
Alexander Sims, Oliver Oakes, Euan Hankey, Oliver Rowland, James
Gornall, Jack Hawksworth and Alex Albon all appear in the Kartmasters
roll of honour! The event, being the arguably the most important
event in the karting calendar, was televised for Motors TV.
Over the four days, the format for this very 'busy' meeting
was....... testing on Thursday and practice and timed qualifying
on Friday, two heats on Saturday and two Finals on Sunday. The
result of the Grand Final would decide who 'claimed'' the coveted
GP plate. Gunn felt that the testing went well on the circuit
which Gunn has always felt isn't 'his best' as far as performance
is concerned. In timed qualifying on Friday, Gunn was 5th fastest,
not his normal pole position......... the man on pole position
was Josh White with a time of 47.58 s. Gunn' s time was 47.80
s. The track was dry for TQ and stayed this way for the whole
weekend.
On Saturday, the Heats commenced with Gunn being disqualified
in Heat 1 due to an alleged driving incident on the opening lap.
The whole incident was regarded by impartial spectators to be
'somewhat debatable', as the incident occurred as a result of
Gunn being 'hit from' behind'....... something that was not taken
account of by the Officials. The use of onboard cameras at this
important meeting, could have helped to resolve the incident!
This was not a good start to Gunn's attempt to win the GP plate..........
but not arguing with authority is always the best policy. In Heat
two, Gunn finished second behind Jack Mitchell by 0.17 s after
the 14 lap race. Gunn had the second fastest time of 47.65 s,
only 8/100 s off the fastest lap. Things were beginning to come
together, but it would mean that Gunn would start the first Final
on Sunday in 16th position!
In Final one, Gunn made excellent positional gains during the
opening lap to end up in 12th position at the end of lap 1. By
the end of lap 4, Gunn had moved through the field to take 6th
place! More positions were gained up to lap 9 when Gunn moved
into second place behind Jack Mitchell. In summary, 14 places
gained in 9 laps; a fantastic achievement. Gunn stayed behind
Mitchell for several laps and took the lead on the final lap,
but lost it again by going 'too deep' into one of the final corners.
"The only mistake in the race...", Gunn admitted afterwards.
Gunn crossed the line 0.36 s behind the winner Mitchell.
In the Grand Final, Gunn started on the outside of the front row,
not the best place to start! On the rush to the first corner problems
occurred for several drivers with Gunn being run wide onto the
grass, only just avoiding being caught up in the catch fencing!
This to most would be the end of any chance to win............BUT........
the talent of Gunn showed its true form. Having dropped to 20th
position as a result of this incident, Gunn recovered to lie in
8th position by the end of lap 1! By the end of lap 3 Gunn was
in fourth place and eventually took the lead by the end of lap
6. This was very impressive............ Gunn started to increase
the gap and crossed the line as GP winner, an even more impressive
6 seconds in front of the next driver. The applause and praise
that Gunn received after the race was considerable. A well deserved
victory after such an 'unfortunate' start to the race!
Gunn won £300 as a cash prize and a £500 voucher
from Strawberry Racing........... most importantly, the GP plate
for 2011.
Gunn thanked Tooley Motorsport for all of their help over the
weekend and to his Website Manager for attending the meeting.
Finally Gunn gave his congratulations to his teammate Harry Howes
for a great drive in the Honda Cadet Grand Final. After only ten
months of racing, to finish 6th at this level of competition is
no mean feat!
Prestwood teenager becomes GP champ 9:52am
Wednesday 10th August 2011
"
By Alan Feldberg "
PRESTWOOD
teenager Ross Gunn achieved a life's ambition at the weekend when
he ended four gruelling days of practice, qualifying and racing
as the British Kart Grand Prix Champion.
He won a dramatic final by six seconds after a collision at the
start saw Gunn slide from the front row to 16th.
Gunn said: "The pole man got tagged from the rear, hit the
start cone and came across the front of me, so I took to the grass
to avoid him."
However, by the end of the first lap Gunn had retaken eight of
those places and by the sixth lap was back in front.
With no more scares, the 14-year-old Misbourne pupil kept his
cool to take the flag.
He will now compete around the country with GP as his number,
just like Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton did when he won the same
title.
Meanwhile, Gunn is also leading the British Super 1 Karting Championship
with only two rounds remaining, despite operating on a next-to-nothing
budget.
Copied
from THIS IS LOCAL LONDON ~ 40 local Newspapers ~ one online voice http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/sport/9187065.Rivals_shot_down_by_the_Gunn_show/
Gunn
invited to the Big Weekend at Thruxton race circuit .
The
Civil Service Motoring Association {CSMA} held their annual 'Big
Weekend' at the Thruxton Motor racing circuit, near Andover, Hampshire
on August 13/14th. This 2.356 miles circuit is rated as one of
the fastest circuits in the Country and often hosts one of the
British Touring Car Championship rounds. Whilst the action was
taking place on the circuit Trucks, Intersteps, Classic
Saloons, Mini Se7ens and Mini Miglias etc. the adjacent Kart circuit
was providing an excellent introduction to anyone who wanted to
try their hand at karting. Ross Gunn was asked to be 'on hand'
with his MiniMax kart to give advice on the sport of karting.
In the evening, the CSMA held another round of their Championship
and Gunn won the first heat from 10th on the grid.
Gunn would like to thank the CSMA for their assistance in giving
him coverage in the CSMA karting newsletter and would like to
give special thanks to Allan Goddard and Drew Goodspeed of the
CSMA karting group.
Gunn's
MiniMax on display at Thruxton Thruxton
Karting Circuit as night approaches
Gunn
experienced 'night racing' at Thruxton Gunn
won the first race
Gunn
attends the Silverstone Grand Prix as a Bernie Ecclestone award
winner .
Gunn
meets Sir Jackie Stewart at the Silverstone Grand Prix.
At
Autosport International, at the beginning of 2011, Gunn, along
with eleven other boys, was awarded the Formula Kart Stars Bernie
Ecclestone Driver of the Day award. This was reported on www.rossgunnracing.co.uk
under 'VIP Trip to British GP for FKS award winners'. {See under
news section}. Gunn not only visited the new Wing pit complex,
but had special VIP treatment in the Pit Paddock. The weekend
covered the Friday practice, Saturday timed qualifying and of
course the Grand Prix on Sunday, along with supporting races.
Tours were arranged to the Hispania Racing Team {HRT} garage and
the Red Bull garage. Gunn especially enjoyed the tour of the HRT
garage, which was given by the first Indian F1 driver, Narain
Karthikeyan. {See image below}
Gunn
is given a tour of the HRT Formula 1 garage.
During the weekend Gunn met many F1 drivers {present and past}
and also F1 designers and Team managers/principals .
the list of names is impressive to say the least!
Sir
Jackie Stewart {F1 World Champion '69, '71, '73} Niki Lauda {F1 World Champion '75, '77, '84} Damon Hill {Current President of the BRDC and F1 World
Champion '96} Sebastian Vettel {F1 World Champion 2010} Michael Schumacher {F1 World Champion '94, '95, 2000-2004
inc} Lewis Hamilton {F1 World Champion 2008} Jenson Button {F1 World Champion 2009)
Felipe Massa, Rubens Barrichello, Nico Rosberg, Adrian Sutil,
Timo Glock, Jamie Alguersuari, Bruno Senna, Vitantonio Liuzzi,
David Coulthard {Two times winner of the British G.P.}, Eddie
Jordan, Norbert Haug {President of Mercedes Motorsport}, Christian
Horner {Team Principal of Red Bull F1} and Tony Fernandes {Team
Principal of Lotus F1}.
On
Sunday, the FKS award winners were taken to the 'Holy of Holies',
namely the British Racing Drivers Centre. Gunn met several British
Touring car drivers. The F1 race and supporting races {Porsche
Carrera Supercup, GP2 and GP3} were watched from the new Grandstand
opposite the new Pit complex. Gunn said .
"It was a weekend to remember. To meet these F1 personalities
was a great privilege". He wished to thank Carolynn Hoy,
Chief Executive of Formula Kart Stars, for her hospitality and
arranging the weekend.
As an aside .. Gunn had two laps on the
F1 simulator in the F1 paddock. This was not for normal public
use, but for Racing Drivers and personalities. Gunn obtained the
3rd fastest time with very limited testing, One of the personalities
that he beat was the STIG!!!
Unforgettable British GP weekend for FKS prize winners.
Nine
lucky Formula Kart Stars drivers spent the British Grand Prix weekend
rubbing shoulders with their Formula One heroes at Silverstone as
part of their prize for winning the Bernie Ecclestone Driver of
the Day award in 2010.
Prize winners Josh Smith, Ross Gunn, Charlie Barlow, Philip Rawson,
Lemuel Pay, Bobby Thompson, Adam Glear, Darius Karbaley and Luke
Whitworth enjoyed an unforgettable weekend at the 'Home of British
Motorsport,' meeting the drivers and teams, touring the garages
and then watching the dramatic race unfold from the start/finish
line grandstand, courtesy of Formula One Management.
Despite some traditional Silverstone weather, which did its best
to soak the winning drivers on Friday, meeting Lewis Hamilton, Jenson
Button, Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Michael Schumacher and many
more in the highly exclusive Formula One paddock area made up for
any damp clothes.
The prize winners were also given guided tours around a working
Formula One garage courtesy of Mercedes GP, McLaren, Red Bull Racing
and Hispania F1 and even caught a glimpse of life inside the incredible
Red Bull and Mercedes hospitality units.
Dodging around frenzied mechanics working to prep the cars for practice
and qualifying, highlights included getting to hold Michael Schumacher's
steering wheel just minutes after the seven times World Champion
had got out of the car, playing catch with some slick tyres in the
Hispania garage, watching final prep work on Jenson Button's McLaren
prior to Saturday practice and standing six feet away from Sebastian
Vettel's Red Bull with no ear plugs as the mechanics started the
engine.
"It has been an incredible weekend to say the least,"
commented Championship Director Carolynn Hoy. "Bernie Ecclestone
and Formula One Management have given these young drivers an insight
into the world of Formula One that nobody else in the world could
have organised.
"Our drivers were given the sort of access to the teams' garages
that you just cannot buy and they now have a huge appreciation for
the kind of work that goes on just to get the cars to drive out
of the pits. I owe huge thanks to Bernie Ecclestone, FOM, Mercedes,
Red Bull, McLaren and Hispania F1."
Gunn gets 'two titles' in the August edition of Karting ..
Following
Gunn's success at Round 3 and Round 4 of the National Super One
Minimax series, held at the Cumbria Kart Racing Club at Rowrah
and the West of Scotland Kart Club at Larkhall
Gunn was given prominent coverage in the August edition of KARTING
magazine.
Gunn
helps to 'Get Karter' for the CSMA at the Goodwood Speed Festival ..
Gunn
has been asked by the Civil Service Motoring Association {CSMA
~ see links page} to attend various events in 2011. This is to
assist the CSMA in encouraging young karters to join the karting
group. {See link to leaflet as distributed at Goodwood and other
events}.
The first event was at the prestigious Goodwood Speed Festival,
a 'mecca' for total petrol heads and celebrities alike. Gunn helped
on the CSMA stand by answering any questions relating to karting,
especially for those who were considering starting the sport.
Gunn's TonyKart MiniMax was present, along with some of his trophies.
During periods of 'relaxation', Gunn watched the activities on
the track, meeting Adrian Newey {Red Bull F1 Chief Designer},
Rob Collard {BTCC driver}, Sam Bird {GP2 driver} and also participating
on the two Formula 1 simulators that were at the show. Gunn obtained
the fastest time on both simulators over the four days, winning
BTCC jackets, hold-all bag and two tickets to a BTTC round. {Gunn
was quickest on the Toyo Tyres simulator by 0.1s and 1 second
quicker on the other simulator}.
Gunn would like to thank the CSMA for inviting him onto the stand
and looks forward to the next event at Thruxton Circuit, near
Andover on 13/14th August.
Not
bad after a seven week layoff and no testing! . Rowrah
O plate report.
Gunn took part at the Association of British Kart Clubs {ABkC}
O plate extravaganza meeting at the Cumbria Kart Racing Club, Rowrah
on 28/29/30th May 2011. The event is for various formulae and is
primarily to decide who will carry the O plate on their kart for
the rest of the season. A prestigious award, which every driver
would love to win ..
Gunn was well aware that he had not participated in any competition
for seven weeks; in fact, the last time he was in the seat was at
the last Super One Round at Shenington on April 9/10th! On top of
this, Gunn had not participated in any testing at Rowrah before
he arrived at the circuit on Friday evening
a challenge was in store. Yet again, limited budgets were the reason
for this lack of driving
On Saturday, testing went very well, with wet and dry sessions.
In the first session which was wet, Gunn was clearly the fastest
and in the 2nd and 3rd session, with a drying track, Gunn was 2nd/
3rd fastest. In the final sessions, which again reverted to wet
conditions, Gunn was quickest for the rest of the day!
On Sunday, a five minute practice was followed by timed qualifying
at 10.30 hr . Gunn finished the session in 2nd place,
with a time of 56.53s, only 0.01s behind Josh White. Gunn actually
obtained the fastest theoretical lap {when the best three sector
times are summed together} of 56.38s. An impressive result, bearing
in mind the lack of 'seat time'. Gunn started the first heat in
2nd place and finished in this position, 1.37s behind White after
13 laps. The weather at this stage was still overcast. In the second
heat, Gunn maintained 2nd place up to lap 9 when the 'working together',
Rawson and Mitchell, took Gunn. Gunn finished 4th, 1.27s behind
the winner.
As a result of Gunn's heat results, he started in second place for
the first final .. he took the lead on the opening
lap and held the lead to the finish line in atrocious conditions
{see image in gallery}. This was Gunn's first National win at this
level; a brilliant achievement after only such a short time in this
new formula. The time to the second place man, Oram-Jones, was a
'healthy' 4.69 s!
Gunn started the main Final, to decide the O plate Champion, in
pole position 'not bad' for no intense practicing
during the week prior to the O plate and a lack of driving for 7
weeks! Gunn held the lead up to lap 6 and was taken by a hard pressing
White. Gunn held 2nd place up to lap eleven and was taken by Campey.
During lap 17, both Campey and Gunn took White to finish the hard
19 lap race in this order. The time difference across the line was
0.23s!!!! Although Gunn was disappointed, he felt that he had performed
very well at this high level. Gunn received a trophy and a set of
tyres!!
The
CSMA asks Gunn to encourage young drivers into karting .
Gunn has been asked by the Civil Service Motoring Association
{CSMA} to encourage young people into the world of karting. Motorsport
is an important part of the CSMA's many activities and the Karting
group is hoping to encourage a younger element into karting. It
was thought that if a young driver of Gunn's ability is seen to
be leading the way, then young people would be more interested
in joining and listening to his advice on driving techniques,
race preparation, kart maintenance ..
The CSMA, having started in 1923, is the largest private home,
motoring and leisure organisation in the UK. The Membership stands
at 300,000. The association is eligible to those who work or have
worked for the Civil Service or organisations with its roots in
the Civil Service. Families and relations of these eligible groups
can also join. For more information, see the links page.
On Monday May 23rd, Gunn was invited by Drew Goodspeed of the
CSMA Karting Group to the Daytona Motorsport outdoor karting centre
at Milton Keynes. {see links page} to be interviewed for the CSMA
magazine and to have a photo shoot.
This will not only bring young people into the CSMA karting group,
but it is hoped that this will also give Gunn more publicity for
the future.
Gunn mentioned in local newspaper; is sponsorship around the corner?
Excellent showing at Shenington and lessons
learnt ..
Gunn attended the 3rd Winter Round at Shenington Kart Club on
March 20th as a trial prior to Round 2 of the Super One series
on April 9th/10th. All of the Super One competitors were there,
with the exception of Ben Hingleley who won the Grand Final at
Whilton Mill. The weather was fine and sunny for the whole day
and Gunn was drawn 7th for his first heat. Gunn made an excellent
start to take the lead by lap 3 and maintained this position to
the chequered flag. His Tooley teammate, Leon Hilleard, crossed
the line in 2nd place. In Gunn's 2nd heat, he started in 18th
position. By the end of lap 1, Gunn had amazingly climbed through
the field to take 6th position ~ 12 places gained in one lap!
By the end of lap 5, Gunn had got to 3rd and eventually crossed
the line as the winner, 0.11 s ahead of Harry Webb, who was runner
up to the Mini Max Champion in 2010. A gain of 17 places in a
9 lap race, can only be described as 'brilliant'. Just to put
the 'icing on the cake', Gunn obtained the fastest lap of 43.92s,
which was 0.08 s faster than the lap record! With two wins from
two heats, Gunn lined up in pole position for the final ~ see
image. Gunn maintained the lead for 8 of the 12 laps, but was
taken by Piers Hickin. In an attempt to regain the lead, by carrying
out a 'double-bluff manoeuvre', Gunn went too wide to allow Harry
Webb to take second position. Gunn finished 3rd , 0.27s behind
the winner! A lesson had been learnt and this will be remembered
when the Super One series meets at Shenington in 3 weeks time.
Gunn
lying second in the Grand Final
VIP Trip to British GP for FKS award winners
Twelve lucky Formula Kart Stars drivers will
be special guests at the 'Home of British Motorsport' in July as
Bernie Ecclestone invites the 2010 'Driver of the Day' winners to
take front row seats for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on
July 9th-10th.
The prize not only includes grandstand tickets for the weekend but
also includes VIP Paddock passes that allow the young drivers a
rare chance to get up close and personal with the Formula 1 teams
and drivers during the biggest event in the British Motorsport calendar.
Not only will the drivers be able to watch the all the on-track
action they will be able to explore first hand Silverstone's brand
new pit and paddock complex, known as 'The Wing,' which is to be
used by the Formula 1 teams for the first time in 2011.
This is the second year the Formula One Management backed series
has offered the 'Drivers of the Day' a once in a lifetime experience
thanks to prize sponsor Bernie Ecclestone and the lucky few who
experienced the prize in 2010 all agreed that the chance to watch
and speak to the Formula 1 teams and those in the support races
during a Formula 1 weekend was one they will never forget.
"Silverstone is where it all began with the very first Formula
One World Championship Grand Prix in 1950," says Formula Kart
Stars series director Carolynn Hoy. "It always carries a special
buzz about it and our drivers will get a real taste of that. As
the drivers who went to Monza with us last year will tell you, this
won't be any normal weekend at the races.
"I have to thank Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One Management
for their continued support of our series and the Driver of the
Day prize," continued Hoy. "I know that he has had to
work very hard to find a suitable date that will allow all our drivers
to attend without causing disruption to their racing and school
schedules and I know that he will give our drivers a really special
weekend.
The 2010 Bernie Ecclestone Driver of the Day winners were:
Callum Pointon, Philip Rawson, Darius Karbaley, Matthew Graham,
Josh Smith, Adam Glear, Charlie Barlow
Bobby Thompson, Chad Ryan, Lemuel Pay, Luke Whitworth, Ross Gunn
Acknowledgement - Source article published Thursday, 03 March
2011 18:33 on www.formulakartstars.com
Great results at Whilton Mill.
Ross Gunn competed at Whilton Mill Kart Club, on Sunday 27th February
2011. This was Gunn's first race against drivers that would be in
the forthcoming Super One Series. This gave any excellent insight
into the level of competition that Gunn would meet at the first
Round of Super One on March 12/13th. As Heat 1 approached, the heavens
opened, requiring a quick tyre change seconds before the race by
the team and mechanics. Despite complaining of poor grip levels,
Gunn managed to finish 2nd from 4th on the grid and obtain the fastest
lap over number 2 seed Harry Webb by 0.07s. In Heat 2, a great drive
by Gunn saw him finish 7th from 26th on the grid, making up many
places on the first lap. In his final heat, he finished 4th from
20th on the grid, climbing through the pack and again showing great
speed. In the Final, Gunn started in 2nd position and kept experienced
Jack Mitchell very close for the whole race. In the end, Gunn to
play second fiddle, with another fastest lap of 59.79s, this being
0.12 s faster than Mitchell.
"I made far too many mistakes at the start, that allowed him
to have a gap. I managed to reel him in, but ran out of laps. This
weekend, I think I have shown everyone what I am capable of speed
and race craft and should be a real thorn in the backside for all
the big drivers and teams. Bring on Super 1!"
A
great experience was obtained when Ross Gunn was recently invited
to attend the Izone Driving Performance simulator {see links page
for more information} at Silverstone on 25th February 2011. This simulator
is aimed at improving driving skills and is often used by Formula
1 drivers. Along with state of the art facilities, the simulator uses
eye trackers, heart rate monitors along with other Bio feedback. The
five axis simulator replicates handling, balance and ride. Other features
are fly by wire throttle, sequential gear lever and paddle-shift,
along with the wrap around screen using HD projectors. Within 25 laps,
Gunn achieved a lap time only 0.7s off the FBMW lap record for the
Silverstone Nation circuit. Neil Riddiford, of the Izone coaching
team, said that this was an excellent result after so few laps.
To
see two laps of Ross Gunn driving the Silverstone National go to
Ross Gunn started his racing career in Rotax Mini Max when he tested
his new Tony Kart Mini Max for the first time at the Hunts Kart
Racing Club {see links page for more information} on January 8th
2011. Even in the damp conditions Gunn was only 1/10s off the lap
record. Much is to be learned such a gearing, suspension set-up,
carburation etc. but this was an excellent start for his first time
in the kart. Power of these Mini Max karts is nearly a factor of
three times that of a Comer Cadet, so the performance alone is a
mark difference. Gunn said that he was pleased with the testing
session and was looking forward to racing with Tooley Motorsport
in the Super One series.