By James Townley:
This Sunday, Herefordshire Raceway hosts the penultimate rounds of its Arrive and Drive Winter Championships, with title battles tightening up across the cadet, junior and senior categories.
Located just outside Weobley, the circuit runs its in-house championships for drivers aged 8–12 in cadets, 13–16 in juniors and 16+ in the senior class, alongside a novice category in each championship for less experienced drivers.
The junior categories take to the track in the morning, beginning with two 10-minute qualifying sessions before a 10-minute pre-final and the 10-minute main final. The finishing order of the pre-final will set the grid for the deciding race.
In the cadet class, Zach Smith and Freddie Powell head into the weekend tied on dropped points, each with two victories, setting up a decisive showdown in the remaining two rounds.
The junior class remains just as tight, with Joey Bates holding a narrow two-point advantage over Jack Rouch. Ben Mason, Leo Belimenko and Zak Melrose also remain in contention as the title race reaches its climax.
Meanwhile, the senior winter championship features a 15-minute practice and qualifying session followed by a one-hour enduro with three mandatory pit stops, with teams made up of up to three drivers. Team Inbetweeners arrive with a one-point lead, while TJF and Thunder Racing remain close enough to challenge for the lead.
In the junior categories, points are awarded based on final results, with the best four scores from six rounds counting towards their championship standings. As for the seniors, they follow a similar format, receiving points at the end of each one-hour race with their best four results ultimately deciding the championship.
The current forecast looks dry for the karting action, but any rain would add another challenge, leaving drivers to battle tricky conditions on slick tyres.
Keep an eye out for updates and results to see how the weekend unfolds.