🏎️ A New Challenge at PFI
Round 4 of The Kart Championship saw the second new venue of the year — PF International. This is a track we’ve only visited once before, during a very wet winter test, which didn’t exactly go to plan. This time, the sun was out, and with a large junior grid, the format once again featured split groups and an A/B/C heat structure.
Following on from round 3 which was held at GYG, we made significant changes to our equipment. A huge thank you goes to Next Karting and Paul from Joe Weaver Racing for helping us curate and supply one of our biggest orders to date — including new wheels, spare parts, pit gear, and bodywork. Another shoutout to Red Graphix, who managed to get the new graphics shipped to us at PFI just in time for qualifying.
The picture below is from a shakedown test day at Rye House a week before we headed to PFI. How many new things can you spot?
🔧 Friday – Dry Track, Fresh Setup
Friday’s practice was all about learning the circuit in dry conditions and shaking down the kart after a full rebuild. We focused on checking weights and fine-tuning the new seat fit. The day ran smoothly with minimal changes needed — a solid foundation heading into the weekend.
🏁 Saturday – Qualifying & Heats
Riley was in Group 2 for Saturday’s warm-up and steadily built pace throughout the session. He set his best time of 58.98, placing 17th out of 24.
⏱️ Qualifying
In qualifying, Riley improved slightly with a 58.84, placing 19th in his group and 37th overall out of 49. This result placed him in Group A for the heats.
🔥 Heat 1 – Grit and Recovery
- Start: 25th out of 33
- Finish: 28th → Promoted to 24th after penalties
- Best Lap: 58.86 (Lap 9)
A tough opening lap saw Riley drop to 26th, and by lap 6 he was down to 29th. But he kept pushing, climbing back to 28th by the flag. Post-race penalties moved him up to 24th — a solid recovery in a chaotic race.
🔥 Heat 2 – A Measured Climb
- Start: 25th out of 33
- Finish: 25th → Promoted to 20th after penalties
- Best Lap: 59.26 (Lap 10)
A cautious start dropped Riley to the back of the pack, but he steadily worked his way forward, reaching as high as 24th before a late shuffle dropped him to 27th. He crossed the line in 25th, and penalties ahead bumped him up to 20th — his best result of the day.
After both heats, Riley was 35th overall out of 49, placing him in Group B for Sunday’s Superheats.
☀️ Sunday – Superheats & Final
🔥 Superheat 1 – Steady Progress
- Start: 23rd out of 32
- Finish: 28th → Promoted to 27th
- Best Lap: 58.98 (Lap 7)
A tricky start saw Riley drop to 31st, but he fought back to finish 28th, later promoted to 27th after penalties. His pace improved throughout, with his best lap coming late in the race.
🔥 Superheat 2 – Building Momentum
- Start: 24th out of 33
- Finish: 26th → Promoted to 24th
- Best Lap: 58.98 (Lap 6)
Another steady drive saw Riley climb from 29th to 26th, and post-race penalties moved him up to 24th. His lap times were consistent, again matching his best from Superheat 1.
After the Superheats, Riley was 40th overall out of 49, placing him in the B Final, where only the top 4 would progress to the A Final.
🏁 B Final – Fighting to the End
- Start: 8th out of 17
- Finish: 10th → Promoted to 6th
- Best Lap: 59.31 (Lap 5)
- Gap to P1: 4.11 seconds
Riley got shuffled back to 11th on the opening lap but fought back to 8th by lap 4. A few late-race battles saw him drop to 12th, but he recovered to finish 10th. Post-race penalties bumped him up to 6th — just two spots shy of the A Final. It was a close one, with only 4.11 seconds separating him from the race winner.
🧠 Weekend Summary
Round 4 at PF International was a weekend of learning, rebuilding, and steady progress. With a freshly rebuilt kart and new equipment, Riley showed resilience across every session. From a cautious start in the heats to consistent pace in the superheats and a determined drive in the B Final, the team came away with valuable data and a clear direction for future improvements.
While the A Final remained just out of reach, the pace was there — and with continued support from Ambition Motorsport and Joe Weaver Racing, the team is well-positioned to push forward in the next at Rowrah in July, lets hope this goes better than last time.
We’ve just purchased the one image for this round which is below
