Ash revealed “In the first test session it felt good, though, even though initially I found the brakes so sharp that each time I used them the kart was getting out-of-shape. They were the main thing to get used to, because the chassis itself felt really planted – almost like it was stuck to the track – and had loads of mechanical grip.
Once I started to get used to it all, the back end wasn’t stepping out so much – and I like the fact that I could go into corners really late because the brakes are just that good. On the Kosmic I had tended to out-brake myself sometimes into the first two hairpins at PF, but this time I was a tenth quicker than reigning FKS Junior Max Champion just under braking – he couldn’t stay with me there. You do need to drive the CRG more forcefully and hold onto it a bit more – you need to be strong and it requires a more physical type of driving – but that isn’t a problem for me. Within just three sessions we were the quickest. I didn’t think we would be that fast; I’d thought it would be a bit more difficult to figure out and find a decent set-up.
As he looks forward now to a sustained period of development work with CRG, Ash’s first competitive outing on his new mount is looming when Super 1 visits Buckmore Park for round four of seven this coming weekend. Despite not having raced around the demanding Kent circuit for a year, he is aiming high.
“It’s a difficult, physical track – very tight-and-twisty, and you really need to work at it to be fast round there – but I enjoy the challenge,” he revealed. “I think I can achieve a lot with CRG – and do even better on it than I have done with the Kosmic. I want to win a few races towards the end of the season in Super 1, and to keep my winning streak going in FKS.”
Ash’s enthusiasm for what lies ahead is matched by that of CRG’s UK sales and marketing director Mark Collings, who is effusive about his new charge’s potential and what he can bring to the team, and confident that the George Eliot School pupil will prove to be a superb brand ambassador.
“We’re just delighted to have a top-class junior driver on-board a CRG kart,” he underlined. “With only very limited testing, Ash was quickly on the pace at PF and said the CRG was proving superior to the previous chassis he had been on, with a particular improvement under braking. That was very gratifying to hear, as we’ve done a lot of R&D with the CRG over the last 12 months – and our new kart appears to be a real winner.
“CRG is already a leading brand in Europe, but in the UK it’s never been as popular. It’s a world-beating kart, but we haven’t been able to demonstrate that adequately in this country. Now we’ve got a really top-class driver on-board, we are showing that you don’t need to be on an OTK (TonyKart) to be competitive – and hopefully the results are going to reinforce that.
“Ash is a very focused and knowledgeable lad, and it was great to have him go out and say ‘I like this’ within just a few sessions. Even though he has been driving for only three years – far less than most of the other leading Junior Max runners, who have been karting for eight years or so – he brings an awful lot of experience to the team
Ash will also benefit from the expertise of former European Karting Champion Tristram Oman, and Ricky Grice on the engine development front.
Images : Gary Kimber