With race day sponsorship from UpBeat, the Barbados Karting Association’s 2020 Sectus Technologies Championship got under way on March 8 with more than 20 entries across the Cadets, Juniors, Lights and Masters classes. With practice, qualifying and then four races per group – the Cadets ran on their own, the other classes from combined grids – there was action aplenty as racers put down their first markers of the season.
Reigning Champion Driver Adam Mallalieu opened his title defence in fine style; he was fastest in qualifying, then clocked a perfect scorecard of four race wins, chased home each time by Calem Maloney, moving up to 125cc Lights having won last year’s 100cc Easykart Junior title and collected the BKA Fastest Laps Trophy at the recent Prizegiving. Benjamin Moore completed the podium finishers in all four races.
In the 125cc Masters, Mark Thompson started from pole position, also clocking up four wins, with Suleman Esuf second each time, with last year’s Masters Champion Kyle Catwell completing the podium in all but the third race, when Barry Mustor finished third. Only two drivers contested the Juniors, last year’s Most Improved Driver Aaron Blackett winning the first three races and Jayden Thompson the last, when Blackett retired early.
Daniel Ullyett, who was beaten to last year’s Champion Driver title by 27 points, started 2020 as he would like to continue, with four straight wins in the 60cc Cadets, which produced some class racing in Ullyett’s wake; Donche Blackman, Aeden Bruce and Blake Thompson (twice) all finished second, with some good battles between them, while Ryan Delair was also a podium finisher – in third place – in the day’s opening race.
