New year, new faces, new season. 2019 is GO GO GO!

The starting lights go green for the 2019 PKC!

There was a great turnout at Round 1 with 30 drivers eager to be let loose on the track. Competitors and spectators alike were among the first people to use the new facilities at West Wales Karting with several onlookers making use of the heated viewing area and upstairs balcony!

In the lightweight class, there were a wave of new drivers to challenge the old guard. Out of the blocks, reigning lightweight Champion, Sam Joseph (Swansea) consistently set the fastest lap times each race ensuring he was on pole for the following races. From there, he was able to control the races and stay ahead of the competition to sail through to the top step of the podium. Behind him, Aled Davies (St Clears) and Mac Carrier (Narberth) turned heads as they traded quick times and had the occasional on track battle on their way to second and third overall respectively. Mike Holder was back in action and was keen to make his mark on the young guns and was always in the mix. Elsewhere there were very solid performances from the other lightweights with Cameron Williams (Hendy), Leanne Holder (Llanycefn), Alistair Neil (Llandovery). Kieran George (Haverfordwest) and Jenna Wilson all showing good pace and it will be certainly interesting to see how they get on as the season progresses.

Over in the intermediates, the competition amongst the drivers was impressive from the off. Reigning Champion James Williams (Swansea) couldn't build an advantage as several other drivers were keen to stake a claim on his title. Having just lost out on the 2018 crown, Ashley Hutchings (Milford Haven) was first to draw blood with a blistering qualifying time giving him pole for race 1 where he was able to keep a charging Williams behind him. Race 2 saw a returning Jack Jay Allen (Kidwelly) take the win with Joshua Partis (Milford Haven), who steps up from the lightweights this year, claiming a dominant win in race 4. But it was reigning heavyweight Champion Michael Lloyd Davies (Carmarthen) who eventually came out on top with two strong finishes and a win in race 4. Michael hopes to be the first person to win back to back titles in different weight classes.

In total there were 17 new faces racing with Aled Davies taking home the best rookie accolade, Mike Holder the best masters driver, Kris Fellows (Port Talbot) the best heavyweight and Leanne Holder the best female racer.

A big thank you to everyone who raced and to the spectators who came to support their drivers. Another thank you to West Wales Karting and their staff for putting on a great event for us and looking after everyone.

Round 2 takes place Saturday May 11.
Results, standings and photos will be available shortly on our website and social media.

If you missed round 1, you can still race with only your best 6 out of 7 rounds counting! Visit www.pembrokeshirekarting.co.uk to sign up.