Cadet karters star as BKA returns to Bushy Park
The rising young stars of the Barbados Karting Association (BKA) brought their A game to Bushy Park on Sunday (September 20), as competition for supremacy between the club's youngest drivers in the Easykart 60cc Cadet class became the fight for the BKA's 2026 Sectus Technologies Champion Driver title.
For the second consecutive round, Edward Norris and Ava Mayers won two races each, Mayers climbing to second in the overall standings, 28 points behind Norris, who has led the title chase since round two. Despite four more race wins, Aaron Blackett has slipped to third, scoring reduced points as the 125cc class was not fully subscribed.
From morning practice, there was barely a second between them. Nine-year-old Norris was just nine-hundredths quicker, but 11-year-old Mayers improved to pip him to pole position for the first race by more than half a second. While Norris led briefly, Mayers passed him and pulled steadily away to claim her sixth win of the season by just over 5secs, with Finn Cox third.
Despite the reverse grid formation for the second race, Mayers was into the lead within a couple of laps, heading Norris by 3.9secs at the flag, with the podium completed this time by Shamir Eversley.
With his class lead reduced by eight points, Norris needed to fight back . . . and he did, winning the other two races, bringing his total for the year to 11. While he led race three all the way, Mayers claimed her third fastest lap of the day, crossing the line just inches behind, then there was an even closer battle in the final encounter.
Norris was the early leader, Mayers passing him on lap four, but he reasserted himself on the final lap. Just after she had crossed the line nine-tenths behind Norris, Mayers crashed into the pit wall; a little shaken up, she was checked out by the medical staff, who found no serious injuries.
Cox finished third in races three and four, snatching the final podium place from Eversley on the last lap of the day, further consolidating his third place in the Cadets class and moving to fourth in the overall standings in the absence of Jacob Mayers.
Blackett was one of only two in the Easykart 125cc class, which ran concurrently with the 100cc Juniors, also with just two runners. Blackett finished ahead of Hailey Brathwaite in the first three races, but Brathwaite failed to start the last race. In the Juniors, Brathwaite's brother Jaydn was the only scorer, finishing ahead of Jaylan Priddee, who ran underweight all day without points.
Pictures courtesy BKA/Image Vault - caption info:
Pic A: There were two 60cc Cadet wins each for Edward Norris (#99) and Ava Mayers (#3)
Pic B: Cadet karters Hunter Edwards (#92), Shamir Evesley (#78) and Toby Hawtin (#6) battle for the places
Championship points (after six rounds *):
Overall:
1st Edward Norris, 461 points
2nd Ava Mayers (F), 433pts
3rd Aaron Blackett, 429pts
4th Finn Cox, 365pts
5th Jacob Mayers, 346pts
6th Shamir Eversley, 317pts
etc
60cc Cadets: 1st, Norris, 461pts; 2nd A Mayers (F), 433pts; 3rd Cox, 365pts; etc 100cc Juniors: 1st, Jaydn Brathwaite, 308pts; 2nd Jordyn Hinkson, 199pts; 3rd Jaylan Priddee, 167pts; etc 125cc Lights: 1st, Blackett, 429pts; 2nd J Mayers, 346pts; 3rd Bruce, 279pts; etc
Remaining rounds: October 18, November 15 (spare date: December 6), all at Bushy Park Barbados, St Philip
* round 5 (July 19) was cancelled
For media information only. No regulatory value.
For further media information: e-mail –2015bka@gmail.com