Kush Maini finishes second at the World Series Of Karting Champions Cup
Fourteen-year old Indian driver Kush Maini secured the second position in the recently concluded World Series Of Karting Champions Cup at La Conca in Italy. Kush finished the 16 lap race 0.067 seconds later than the winner while setting a best time of 48.9 seconds.
The weekend was a mixed bag for Kush Maini as he slipped to the 17th position overall at the end of the final heat, a broken bumper turning out to become the proverbial spanner in the works. The young racer, however, did not get bogged down as he drove a gritty race to finish third in the pre-finals. This strong finish also ensured that Kush started from P6 for the final race.
At the start of the final race, Kush Maini managed to overtake two karts and was in position three by lap five. As the race progressed, the heavens opened, resulting in the top two drivers losing control and going off. The race was hence red flagged on lap nine. The restart saw Maini start in third and hang on to his position as began chasing down the lead pair. A daring move on lap 15 saw him take the lead, but as he approached the finish line, Sargent Logan pipped him to P1.
Elated after the win and a P4 finish in the championship, Kush Maini said, "I'm very happy to finish second after a very difficult weekend. I was able to make some good moves today and I'm quite happy with the way that I've driven. The team has done a fantastic job with my kart, especially today for the pre-final and final. Considering I finished 17th in one of the races yesterday and had to start ninth for my pre-final today, it's definitely one of the better races I have driven."
The  Bangalore boy will now participate in the World Series of Karting which begins on February 26, 2015. The series will see 54 competitors from 27 countries battle it out for the champions crown, which has been a stepping stone for many racers including seven time Formula One world champion, Michael Schumacher.
| Kush Maini (14), who just missed out on a podium in Round 1 of the World Series Karting (WSK), Champions Cup, more than made up in Round 2 after a blistering drive to second in the final race of Round 2 on Sunday. The race took place once again at the La Conca Kart track in southern Italy and was the final round of the series' Champions Cup. Kush who bounced back from a difficult Saturday where he was 18th overall and in the heats could only manage two 7th places and fell to 17th in the final heat after his front bumper came off. A 5thfinish in the final heat meant he could only manage a 9th place start for his Pre-final race on Sunday. Undeterred the youngster, carved his way through the field to eventually manage a 3rd place finish in the Pre-final with a best time of 48.990 seconds. This meant he started 6th for the final, and after a brilliant start, the youngster from Bangalore was up to third in the first 5 laps. The final, which was a 16-lap affair, was red flagged on the 9th lap. Kush was actually leading at this point as it started to rain and both the front-runners went off. However when a race is red flagged, the positions as were at the end of the previous lap hold good. Kush who was 3rdat the time, managed to hold his position at the restart, while at the same time keep within touching distance of the leader. Kush made an extremely difficult maneuver on lap 15 and passed both the karts in front to take the lead. Sargent logan fought back and managed to pass Kush who finished the race in P2 with a best time of 48.935 seconds, which was 0.067 seconds slower than the leader's time. Kush was ecstatic with his win, "I'm very happy to finish second after a very difficult weekend. I was able to make some good moves today and I'm quite happy with the way that I've driven. The team has done a fantastic job with my kart, especially today for the pre-final and final. Considering I finished 17th in one the races yesterday and had to start 9th for my pre-final today, its definitely one of the better races I have driven." Said the youngster from Bangalore. Kush who finished 4th overall in the Champions Cup now look ahead to the World Series of Karting Gold Cup, which takes place on the 26th of February. The World Series of Karting has drivers from all over the world taking part with over 54 drivers and 27 nationalities being represented. The WSK has seen several Formula One drivers come through its system the most famous of which is of course, Michael Schumacher. | |