Bradley scores breakthrough victory
Teenage star takes debut win in premier category

On Sunday (8 July), against the backdrop of champagne, prawn sandwiches and celebrities, whilst Lewis Hamilton went for victory in the British Grand Prix just a few miles away, Richard Bradley took an unexpected but no less deserved first place in a dramatic round of the British Super 1 kart championships, at Shenington, Oxfordshire.

In the first heat, Richard - the lead driver for the Wright team - powered his way from last to 6th place but slower drivers in his 2nd heat, prevented him from finishing higher than 9th. The reward for his efforts was a 2nd row starting slot for the first final.

Surviving the hurly-burly of the opening corners after the start, Richard found himself in 5th place and started working his way through the field. As 3-time British champion Mark Litchfield went for the lead, Richard made his move for 5th and succeeded. In one of the bravest overtaking manoeuvres of the season, Bradley found a gap where there wasn’t one – he clipped a kerb and was momentarily up on two wheels. Steering his kart alongside Morpeth’s Lee Bell, the two were side by side but as Bradley’s kart sat down with all four wheels on the track, he’d now got the racing line and Bell was forced to yield. “Who needs Grand Prix racing, when you’ve got this?!” said one of the spectators.    

At the start of the second final, Richard was forced wide going into the first three corners and found himself back in 7th place. In a PFi-team 1-2, Mark Litchfield and Chris Rogers led the way – but sudden engine seizures forced the pair out, one after the other.

In a set of finely judged moves, Bradley scythed past Bell, the wily Danny Cruttenden - and as he did so, the new leader - Jonathan Walker’s motor expired too. This was Richard’s chance and he wasn’t going to lose out. Crouching down in the seat to reduce wind resistance, Bradley used every trick in the book to make sure that he broke the two of Cruttenden and Bell. On the last lap, a nervous glance over his shoulder told him that they couldn’t match his pace and the Londoner crossed the line with both hands punching the air.

“It’s my first Formula A win and to come at this level, it’s quite emotional for me. It feels very good. I wasn’t really expecting it but a win’s a win”.

With the European championship qualifying race at Essay in France on 15 July, Sunday’s win is a big boost -. “This is my first year of Formula A, I’m only 15 and I’m racing against some people who have done it for 11 years, so I’m very happy with this win and sure that there are a lot more victories to come.”   

Richard’s team were equally delighted. Wright Kart’s Nick Chantler (who has mechaniced for Jenson Button and David Coulthard in karts) said, “We’re very happy. Richard works very hard at his racing, so it’s a well-deserved win”.