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Farnham-based karting starlet Jessica Hawkins is today celebrating after
becoming the Super 1 Dunlop Honda Cadet British Karting Championship runner-up
following the final round of the season at Shenington Kart Circuit in Oxon
yesterday, Sunday, 30th October.
Save for some bad luck earlier in the year, the 12-year-old sensation could
well have been crowned Honda Cadet Champion over the weekend but that takes
nothing away from her terrific achievement in finishing runner-up to title
winner Harrison Scott in her first season at British Championship level.
Jessica, who also has a base in Twickenham, South West London, has enjoyed
a superb year in Honda Cadet and also the Buckmore Park Club Championship and
Formula 6 series, the latter two categories both with races yet to run.
Honda Cadet though, with its British Championship status, is certainly the
most prestigious of the three and to have ended her first season in the category
in second position against some tough and experienced opposition is
superb.
Lining up fifth on the grid for Sunday’s Heat One at Shenington, Jessica
battled through to second position at the flag and then finished second again in
Heat Two having just lost out to Daniel Vaughan by a mere 0.09 seconds at the
chequered flag.
In Heat Three the young superstar started from the back of the grid but
came through impressively to finish in third place, just 0.56 seconds shy of
victory. Into the last lap Jessica was in second position and challenging for
the lead three turns from home, but contact at the hairpin from a rival pushed
her down to third.
Starting the Final from second on the grid, Jessica wasted no time in
hitting the front less than halfway through the opening lap and after being
knocked down the order and fighting back to the lead on more than one occasion
she had to settle for third in the end, nonetheless a good result and one which
confirms her as 2007 Honda Cadet runner-up.
“It’s good to end the year as runner-up”, said a very happy Jessica at the
end of the final round of the Honda Cadet season, “I wanted to be the champion
but I’m happy as we’ve done well in our first year. Hopefully next year we can
win the championship!”
With her Project One kart now looked after by the highly successful RPM
team, and  with Twickenham-based start-up business The Purejuice Company seeking
to become a fully-fledged sponsor for Jessica in 2008, things look very
promising indeed for Britain’s most exciting young female kart racer.
Although the 2007 Honda Cadet series has now reached its conclusion,
Jessica still has plenty of racing left this year with appearances in Formula 6
and the Buckmore Park Club series. Please visit www.jessicahawkins.co.uk for all the
latest news and results.
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