RICHARD WINS FIRST RISSINGTON MEETING

Castle Eaton’s Richard Hughes won the first race meeting of the season yesterday at Rissington Kart Club, near Stow-on-the-Wold.

The club attracted 137 entries for the event and, although very cold, was blessed with brilliant sunshine on Sunday.

Three qualifying heats were run for each class. In the ever-popular 125cc Rotax Max class, Hughes won the first and third heats and came eighth in the second one, having started at the back. This comfortably put him on Pole Position for the big race.

As the lights turned green for the rolling start of the Final, Richard timed it perfectly and shot away in the lead. Although he made a mistake at Bottom Bend, when the low sun was directly in his eyes, he was never seriously challenged.

“The kart was fantastic today!” said Richard at the Trophy Presentation. “I would like to thank Scott Allen for developing and building this new Jade Kart. It is so easy to drive. Also, my thanks to Adrian Beddall of BRT for building and providing the engine. I am sure there is more to come this season,” he concluded.

The Richard Hughes Racing team was also running 2 Junior drivers and 2 Cadet drivers, as part of their Driver Training Programme.

Oliver Chadwick (14), from Gloucestershire, had excellent heat results in the Minimax class and qualified on Pole Position. A bit of a coming together dropped him down the order a bit, but his pace was very encouraging!

Fifteen-year-old Alistair Senior, from Swindon, tried a new Jade kart on Saturday and has now placed an order. Sunday didn’t go quite so well in his older machine, with a couple of spins.

Cadet, Rueben Gray (11), had some good runs in practice, but also encountered some spins on Sunday.

Eight-year-old Edward Tansley, from Cricklade, survived his first ever race meeting in Cadets and had very good pace. We should be seeing a lot more of him in the future!

The Shenington meeting scheduled for 9/10 January has had to be cancelled, due to snow.

The team is looking at organising a test day when this bad weather has cleared.

RICHARD WINS LAST RACE OF THE SEASON

Castle Eaton’s Richard Hughes won the last race of the season yesterday at Shenington Kart Racing Club, near Banbury, in convincing style.

Due to daylight restrictions, only 2 qualifying heats were run for each class. In the ever-popular 125cc Rotax Max class, Hughes won the first heat by a huge margin, in the wet conditions. It had dried out for Heat 2 and, despite starting at the back of the grid, he finished second. This comfortably put him on Pole Position for the big race.

This was a remarkable achievement, as the Richard Hughes Racing Team had only taken delivery of a new British made kart on Saturday and spent the day putting it together and, in just 3 practice sessions, adjusting it to their requirements for both wet and dry conditions.

As the time approached for the last race of the season on Sunday afternoon, there was panic in the pit lane as it started to rain! What tyres should they use? Would the rain get heavier or stop? In the end everyone opted for dry ‘slick’ tyres and that turned out to be the right decision, as the rain stopped and the track soon dried.

As the lights turned green for the rolling start of the Final, Richard timed it perfectly and shot away in the lead. There was some bumping and boring in the pack behind, which held them up, so by lap 2, Hughes had a 40 metre lead. From that point onwards, he switched to ‘cruise mode’ and held the gap consistently for the remaining 12 laps. As he received the two waved chequered flags from Starter, George Pearson, Richard realised that he had secured a popular win, but also second place in the Annual Championship.

“The kart was fantastic in both the wet and the dry!” said Richard at the Trophy Presentation. “I would like to thank Scott Allen for developing and building this new Jade Kart and letting me use it. It was quick straight out of the box and I am sure there is more to come next season,” he concluded.

RICHARD JUST MISSES OUT ON REPEAT CHAMPIONSHIP

Castle Eaton’s Richard Hughes just missed out on retaining the Midland Championship at Rissington on Sunday by finishing second.

The Midland Championships are an annual two-day event at the Little Rissington circuit, which attracts top kart drivers from all over the country. In total, there were 250 entries last weekend, with 40 in the most popular 125 Rotax Max class, in which Richard competes. To cater for all the karting classes, there were 50 races, plus practice sessions, over the two days.

Richard won the Midland Championships last year, after many years of trying, and looked set to retain his title as he led for the first 5 laps of the big race. However, Welshman and current Club Championship leader, Nathan Lawley, just had the extra speed when it mattered. He passed Hughes through Bottom Bend and kept in front for the win.

To cope with the numbers in Rotax Max, 4 qualifying heats were needed, with each driver taking part in 3. The aggregate scores decided the starting grid for the Finals.

On Saturday, Hughes had two heats, but got held up at the start of one of them. So, instead of being in pole position, he had to start in 3^rd for the big race.

As the lights turned green for the rolling start of the Championship race, Richard dived up the inside of Lawley and then took the pole-sitter, Jacques Jensen. Lawley was held up for a while, but he too squeezed through and was then catching Hughes. It was only a matter of time before he took the lead.

“We just were not quite fast enough today!” said Richard at the trophy presentation. “Nathan had been slightly quicker all weekend and I couldn’t have held him off for the remaining 6 laps. Still, we won it last year, we came second today, so It’s not a bad result!” he concluded.

The Kart Club ran a raffle over the weekend and raised over £750 for the Gloucestershire Air Ambulance. Unfortunately, their services were required on Sunday afternoon, as 15-year-old Alistair Senior, from Swindon, was injured in an accident on the track. The Paramedics at the scene feared a neck injury, so he was air-lifted to hospital. Thankfully, it turned out to be severe bruising only, so he was home by the evening.

Press Information 8 June 2009

RICHARD BEATS THEM ALL AT RISSINGTON

Castle Eaton’s Richard Hughes cemented his lead in the Championship at Rissington yesterday, by winning the meeting in fine style.

Rissington Kart Club welcomed over 170 drivers to the meeting, despite the poor weather forecast. In the ever-popular 125cc Rotax Max class, in which Richard races, there was again a maximum grid of 30 entrants, meaning that 4 heats would be run.

The dominant feature was the weather. The forecasts were right, for a change, and heavy rain on Friday evening, as the teams were setting up, continued incessantly until Sunday morning. This meant that Saturday practice was very wet and it was a tribute to the marshals and officials that everyone got a full 7 practice sessions.

Race Day on Sunday dawned to yet more heavy rain, but by the time the first qualifying heats started, it had just stopped. The track was very slippery and visibility was not good, but they ran without major incident.

Hughes started in 14^th place for the first heat on a wet track. His circuit knowledge and experience allowed him to carve through the field and finish 4^th. By his second one, there was a dry line and Richard gambled on ‘slick’ dry tyres, even though he started dead last, in 25^th place. It paid off! By the end of the first lap he was up to 15^th and he then picked them off two at a time to finish 5^th.

The third heat was a demonstration run! The track was fully dry, Richard started on pole position and vanished into the distance. This was enough to qualify on the front row for the big race.

As the lights turned green for the rolling start of the Final, third placed man - the UK number 3, Karl Haxton, dived up the inside of pole sitter, Nathan Lawley, and Richard followed him through. Hughes sat on Karl’s rear bumper for two laps and then timed a move into Paddock Bend to perfection, taking the lead. Richard was released and pulled out such a healthy gap by the end of 12 laps that he was able to wave to the crowd as he took the chequered flag to resounding cheers from the large crowd.

“I’m glad it dried out!” said Richard at the Trophy Presentation. “I was so disappointed when my axle broke at the last meeting, but we have been doing a lot of work with BRT on the kart since then, so I knew we’d be quick. It was wet yesterday, so nobody had a chance to practice in the dry and I think this played into my hands. We’re not yet half-way through the Annual Championship, but it’s good to be at the top of the table!” he concluded.

Press Information 6 April 2009

RICHARD WINS RISSINGTON

Castle Eaton’s Richard Hughes stormed through the huge field at Rissington yesterday, to qualify on pole position and win the meeting. He also scored just enough points to take the lead in the Annual Championship.

In perfect conditions for racing, with very little wind, Rissington Kart Club hosted over 150 drivers to their second meeting of the year. In the popular 125cc Rotax Max class, in Richard races, there was a maximum grid of 30 entrants.

After being delayed at the start, Hughes made no mistakes in the first qualifying heat and won it at a canter. The second one was more difficult, as he had to start from 26^th on the grid! Nevertheless, he was soon down to business, avoided the mid-field pile-up and, overtaking two or three at a time, in the 9 laps worked his way up to 9^th place.

In the middle of the pack for the third heat, it was always going to be difficult. Having survived a first corner incident, he again stormed through the field to 6^th place. This was enough to qualify on pole position for the big race.

As the lights turned green for the rolling start of the Final, Richard timed it to perfection and completely caught out the second place man and reigning Champion, Scott Hutchins. Scott was down to fourth and Richard was away. Some quick laps followed and a bit of a gap had formed, but Scott came through to second, with 4 laps to go. This was by no means a cruise to the chequered flag! Scott was quicker at this stage of the race and he closed the gap slightly each lap. He tried a lunge on the final lap, but Hughes was ready for it and closed the door. The margin may have been small, but Hughes had won.

“That was a difficult race!” said Richard at the Trophy Presentation. “I knew Scott was a bit quicker today, so I had to get away and it worked. My new BRT engine was superb and it had had the power in all the right places”, he concluded.

RICHARD WINS LAST RACE OF SEASON

Castle Eaton’s Richard Hughes put on a tremendous display of driving to win the last kart meeting of the season at Shenington yesterday. He also scored just enough points to take third place in the Annual Championship.

The weather nearly stopped the racing completely, with a very heavy frost overnight, meaning that the circuit was totally frozen over at the usual start time. After driving several cars around, the officials called for volunteers and every broom and brush in the area was put to use in order to sweep the track clear. After this tremendous effort, the circuit was declared fit to race on at 11 o’clock. Races were shortened, the lunch break abandoned and all races were completed before dark. It was a fantastic achievement by all concerned.

For the popular 125 Rotax Max class, in which Richard races, the first qualifying heat was a close call between wet and dry tyres. Richard was one of the few that opted for wets and it proved to be the right choice, as he shot through from 10^th to second in just 2 laps. Unfortunately for him, there was an incident in the pack that caused a red flag, so the race was stopped. Because only a quarter of the distance had been completed, it meant a full re-start; so he was moved back to tenth! What made matters worse was that the track was quickly drying and, by the time the race was re-started, it was almost completely dry! The wet tyres over-heated and he did well to maintain his place.

The second heat was difficult, as a tangle after the start took him off the track. Despite scoring the fastest laps of the race and making up ground, he could only finish 11^th.

It was not looking good, as Hughes had to start in 12^th for the big race and he needed to win it to get third in the Championship. Nevertheless, as the lights turned green for the rolling start, Richard positioned his kart perfectly and took several places into the first corner. By lap 2 he was up to 5^th and chasing down the leading pack. Some phenomenal lap times followed as he closed up and by half-distance he was there! How he did it, we do not know, but there was a huge cheer from the crowd as he took all four of them in one corner! It was then a cruise to the chequered flag and victory.

“That was some race!”, said Richard after he had squirted the champagne. “We tried a new set-up on the kart and the slick tyres came on quicker than some of the others in the cold conditions. My new BRT engine was superb and it had the legs on all of them”, he concluded.

So, it has been a difficult season, but persistence has paid off. Richard won the Midland Championships, came second in the Rissington Championship and now third in the Shenington Championship. Not bad for a 34 year-old!

RICHARD IS THE NEW MIDLAND CHAMPION

Castle Eaton’s Richard Hughes beat the best of them to become Midland Champion at Rissington yesterday.

The Midland Championships are an annual two-day event, which attracts top kart drivers from all over the country. Many famous names from motor sport were there, including Mr Nigel Mansell, who was racing in the 177 class. In total, there were a record 278 entries this weekend, with 36 in the most popular 125 Rotax Max class, in which Richard races.

Richard has been entering the Midland Championships since 1993, but has never won it before. Something has always gone wrong in the past, but he did manage to come second last year. This time, just about everything went right and he also recorded fastest laps both in the wet and the dry.

The weather played its part, with monsoon conditions on Friday night, as teams were setting up, and again all day on Saturday. It finally dried out on Sunday afternoon. Some of the qualifying heats were held on Saturday, in appalling conditions. To cope with the numbers in Rotax Max, a total of 5 heats were needed, with each driver taking part in 3. The aggregate scores decided the starting grid for the Finals.

On Saturday, Hughes used his local knowledge of wet conditions to good advantage to post fastest time in practice and then shot away to win his first race. Starting at the back of the field in the second one on Sunday morning, he fought his way up to 5^th. Although he got held up at the start of the third heat, Richard still battled back to third. But, instead of being in pole position, he had to start in 3^rd for the big race.

As the lights turned green for the rolling start of the Championship race, Richard held third place and entertained the huge crowd with a wheel-to-wheel battle with multiple Champion, Scott Allen, for three laps. They caught the leaders and Hughes squeezed through, but Allen got held up. Hughes then pulled away and went quicker and quicker, setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 11. He took the chequered flag to resounding cheers with a victory punch in the air.

“We finally did it!”, said Richard after he had squirted the champagne. “It took a while for the slick tyres to come on, as we hadn’t used them all weekend, but when they did, I knew I had the legs on the rest of them. The BRT engine was superb and I would like to thank all the team for their hard work and the set-up of my kart. This is the Championship I have dreamed about for 15 years and it proves that there is life in the old dog, yet!”, he concluded.

See the Race Programme in the Race Team section.

Our arrive and drive packages are as popular as ever and we have some more karts available, including Rotax 177.

For the time being, we are not able to do the Whilton Mill club meetings, due to work commitments, but we are able to do certain Test Days there.

FREE TEST DAY!

Richard Hughes Racing offers a FREE TEST DAY with every new or used kart sold.

The FREE TEST DAY includes driver coaching, kart set-up, technical training and assistance to get you going quickly on your new kart. It is available at any of the circuits that we attend, on an agreed date to suit you.

The FREE TEST DAY is currently worth £85 and the only extra you have to pay is the Practice Fee to the appropriate club that runs the circuit. Normally, you do not need an MSA Licence for this.

Alternatively, if you wish to hire a kart for a day from Richard Hughes Racing before buying, then the hire element of the fee will be deducted from the price of the kart you decide to buy from us.

Either way, Richard Hughes Racing wants you to enjoy your purchase and be satisfied with the kart you have bought. Add this to the renowned after-sales service provided by Richard Hughes Racing and it is an unbeaten package for customer satisfaction.

Give Team Manager, Bill Hughes, a call and discuss the details or visit the Used karts section of our web site.

WANT TO START KARTING?

Richard Hughes Racing is working in association with Rissington Kart Club and Shenington Kart Racing Club to help people to start in the exciting sport of Karting.

It can be quite bewildering to choose the right class, get a licence, buy a kart and check that you have got all the right equipment and tools to set-up and maintain it. On top of all that, you need to learn how to drive it! Most importantly, you need to know what NOT to do and what you don’t need to buy.

To help to guide you through that minefield, Richard Hughes Racing will talk you through it all with no obligation and completely FREE OF CHARGE! With 15 years experience in karting and a strong track record for training juniors and novices, Richard Hughes Racing are ideally placed to help you.

Various special offers are available on test drives, race clothing, driver and mechanic training, as well as making arrangements for the all-important ARKS test.

Give Team Manager, Bill Hughes, a call and discuss the details or visit us at any of the meetings we are attending. Our Race Programme is on the web site, together with links to the kart clubs for directions, etc.