Joh nso n b el ies la ck o f ex peri en ce for br ea kt hr ou gh Bri ti sh pod ium

Young Walsall karting star Roy Johnson might admit to having endured a tough learning year in the KF3 class in
2009 – but a maiden rostrum finish in the hotly-contested Super 1 Series at Larkhall in Scotland last time out
signalled a real breakthrough for one of the most promising young motor racing talents on the UK scene.

Last year Roy won everything there was to win in British karting – sealing title successes in Super 1, Kartmasters,
the coveted ‘O’ Plate and BRDC Stars of Tomorrow (now Formula Kart Stars), the latter being the same series that
first set none other than a certain Lewis Hamilton on the fast track to future Formula 1 glory, and one that now
benefits from the prestigious official backing of both the sport’s youngest-ever world champion and its highly
influential ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone.

Indeed, so great was Roy’s achievement that it was one even Hamilton failed to match during his own karting
career, and prompted a step-up in class to KF3 this season – but whilst he may have adapted to his new mount
with comparative ease, it has not all been plain sailing for the 14-year-old.

“It’s a lot harder in KF3,” he acknowledged, “particularly from the point-of-view of the competition and the calibre
of the drivers involved. It’s been really tough, with people like Alex Albon and Macaulay Walsh who have been
racing in KF3 for a year already. That’s quite a big disadvantage for me, because they have a lot more experience
in the class than I do – and whilst they are racing all over Europe too, we can only do Super 1.”

Nonetheless, in his latest Super 1 outing north of the border, Roy wasted little time in showing his rivals just how
much he has progressed of late. Although a frustrated sixth position in qualifying placed him fourth on the grid for
both of his heat races and on the unenviable outside line, where he knew if he was not careful he would likely get
hung out to dry around the first corner, the Pelsall ace barely gave his rivals the chance.

“I just wanted to have a good weekend and get a couple of good results,” he reflected, “because we haven’t done
very well in the last few rounds, mainly due to engine and chassis issues to be honest. We changed over to a
Tonykart for Kartmasters, though, and things seem to have improved from there.

“Larkhall is one of my favourite circuits; it’s a real drivers’ track and quite tight and twisty, and though I hadn’t
been there since I was in cadets I had a good previous record. We were generally inside the top two in practice, so
I was feeling quite confident and thought if I could just get good starts in the races we could hopefully finish inside
the top three. Unfortunately qualifying didn’t go too well, though, because every time I had someone in front of
me to chase they let me past, so I never got a really good lap in.

“In the first heat we got into the lead, but then the reed petal went – that meant we lost engine power and it cost
us a couple of tenths a lap. With it being such a short lap around Larkhall and all the KF3 drivers being so closely-
matched, that was enough to drop us to second, which I was still pretty pleased with in the circumstances. In the
second heat I got hit from behind at the start and fell back to 15th. It was quite tough to fight my way back after
that, but we were fast enough to come through to eighth at the end, just over a second away from fourth.”

Beginning the pre-final fifth, yet another knock at the start dropped Roy well outside the top ten in the 31-strong
field – composed of the very crème de la crème of young British driving talent – and paved the way for a stirring
recovery drive into a respectable seventh place at the chequered flag. And the all-important grand final would go
even better still.

“We knew we were fast enough to finish inside the top three,” remarked the Great Wyrley Performing Arts College
pupil, “and we managed to get quite a good start up into fifth. Then the yellow-and-black flags flew because there
were three karts off at the bottom corner which allowed me to catch right up to the leaders, and after the re-start I
just got my head down and picked them off one-by-one.

“It wasn’t easy trying to get past people, but I was pleased with my move on Macaulay for second; I waited on the
inside line heading down to the second hairpin until he pulled over to take his normal wider line for the corner, and
then I just went for it. Alex was a little way ahead in the lead after that, but I think if I’d had maybe three more
laps I could have caught him, because we were really quick. The chassis and engine both felt really good; thanks
to GFR, Stuart Wright of SWR and my mechanic Paul Munn for all their excellent preparation.”

None of that, though, would have counted for anything without a superb performance behind the wheel to-boot,
and the result was undeniably a confidence boost for the remainder of the campaign. What’s more, in three of his
four races the West Midlands speed demon ominously set the fastest lap time, and in the fourth missed out on it
by a scant hundredth of a second. With the aim of remaining in KF3 next season to put all that he has learned into
practice, Roy Johnson’s is a name that you would do well to remember indeed.

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