22nd May 2009

Teenage karting star Jessica Hawkins is currently in the midst of her first ever season in the UK’s premier junior class, the KF3 Super 1 MSA British Junior Championship, and just two events into the 2009 campaign she is already making good progress.

After enjoying great success in the ranks of cadet karting, the highlight coming last year when Jessica became the ABkC ‘O’ Plate Honda Cadet Karting Champion, the 14-year-old has made a massive leap up the ladder this season by entering the UK’s biggest and most competitive junior-level championship.

Choosing to by-pass a number of classes including the likes of Mini Max, Junior Max and TKM karting, the Hampshire teenager wanted to pit herself against the very best junior karting talent in the country as soon as possible this year, hence the move into KF3.

Driving a Fusion-prepared Alonso kart throughout 2009, powered by a 125cc, two-stroke RPM Maxter engine, Jessica has gradually climbed up the order during the first two events of the year, racing against drivers up to the age of 16.

An impressive sixth fastest in practice ahead of the second round at Shenington, Oxon, the young race ace was unfortunately compromised in race conditions when a radiator problem arose ruing the first Final. In the second Final, Jessica gained half a dozen positions on the opening lap alone but a nasty barrel roll – from which she thankfully emerged relatively uninjured – ended her outing.

“It’s been a very difficult start to the season but we’re racing in the top junior championship in the country so we always knew it would be really hard”, said Jessica, “The accident I had at Shenington was quite a big one, it broke my crash helmet and gave me a sore shoulder, but everything is ok now and I can’t wait for the next race at Rowrah at the start of June.”

Round three of the 2009 KF3 Super 1 MSA British Junior Championship will take place on 6th/7th June at Rowrah in Cumbria with the subsequent round to be held at Whilton Mill, Northamptonshire, a month later over the weekend 4th/5th July. Following this there will be three more race meetings for the KF3 series, the season finale taking place at Fulbeck in Lincolnshire on 17th/18th October.

Aside from her commitments in the full KF3 Championship, Jessica will also compete in the highly prestigious British Kartmasters event at PF International, near Grantham, on 1st/2nd August.