Karting success for Barry team (From Barry And District News)

Karting success for Barry team

LAST Sunday's Welsh Karting Championships at Llandow proved to be highly successful for Barry's only Senior Pro-Kart team.

OSB Motorsport, who hope to become the town's only kart preparation and maintenance company, saw their three entries finish second, third and sixth in class.

Michael Hamilton, who recently returned from representing Wales in the Karting Inter-Nations Challenge, finished a strong second to 2003 Llandow Kart Club Senior Pro-Kart Champion Paul Saunders in the final despite suffering an engine failure earlier in the day. "I'm thrilled with second," beamed Llandough-based Hamilton. "Considering that I failed to finish one heat and raced with a bent valve in one engine for most of the day, this is the best I could have hoped for."

Team co-principal Craig Camilleri crossed the line in a brilliant third place, driving a chassis that the team only collected on Wednesday. Making Camilleri's achievement even more commendable was the fact that he was racing in just his third MSA recognised event and had to start from the back of the grid in each heat.

"I really have to thank our sponsors for making this possible," quoted Camilleri. "They help us and it's days like this where we can say, 'thank you.' I'm going to be putting their colours on top of the podium very soon."

Ex-Barry Comprehensive pupil Henry Beaudette finished sixth in the final despite a mid-race spin.

"My finish aside, I couldn't be happier with the results," stated Beaudette. "The work 'Cam' had put in over the last two weeks getting our karts ready had been incredible. To collect a kart on Wednesday, test it on Thursday and finish on the podium on Sunday is a true credit to him."

The team wish to extend thanks to sponsors Phoenix Light Haulage, Bar Cubanas (formerly Horatios), Selective Mini Spares and Ask Frank Safety Sign Specialists.

Next season OSB Motorsport plan to introduce several other Barry-based drivers into the Pro-Kart Championship, including former Channel 5 Exchange & Mart Formula One Driver Search contestant Tom Davenport. Senior Pro-Karts are powered by two Honda GX160 engines producing a total of 11hp and are capable of speeds upwards of 70mph.