Barlow on track for title glory

The Pett driver produced another impressive performance at the PFi circuit in Lincolnshire to stake his claim as the principal contender for the highly-prized national crown.

With the 49-strong field split into two groups for timed qualifying, Barlow emerged on top with the fastest time overall at a track where he won the prestigious British Kart Grand Prix last month.

Starting at the front in his two heats, Barlow was pipped to the chequered flag by his new Strawberry Racing team-mate Rob Holland in the first, but he won the second convincingly to take pole position for the first of Sunday’s two points-scoring finals.

In the first final, Barlow began to ease away before one by one his rivals launched attempts to snatch the lead from him. A peerless last lap, however, saw him shade the contest.

After a restart in the second final due to an enormous crash, Barlow briefly lost the lead, but soon got it back and quickly established a commanding cushion en route to victory.

Barlow now tops the standings with just one round to go at Britain’s fastest track, Three Sisters, near Wigan on October 16.

The full article will appear in tomorrow’s Hastings and Rye Observers.