Stirling celebrates fantastic win

<p>Carl Stirling celebrated a �fantastic� Stars of Tomorrow victory last Sunday (8 June), at Whilton Mill - a circuit he�d never even seen before Saturday morning.</p> <p> Exam commitments kept the Millennium Motorsport driver from testing at the Northamptonshire track on Friday, which hampered his qualifying performance.</p> <p> The 14-year old - who won the British Open Championship in March, the first driver from Northern Ireland to do so in 16 years - said: �Testing went well, although I was two tenths (of a second) off the pace and was still learning the circuit when we went out for timed qualifying.�</p> <p> Team boss, Dean Panrucker was a little less modest: �Carl did very well. He�d never been to the circuit before, let alone try to qualify on it. He was 8th out of 28 drivers and just three tenths off pole. That�s how close it was.�</p> <p> Starting from the fourth row of the grid, Carl opened his account with a fine 2nd place in the first heat. In the second race, he survived a �hairy moment� � taking to the grass at high speed to avoid a crash in front of him � to finish 5th. </p> <p> These two results gave Carl a front row start, alongside pole-sitter Macaulay Walsh.</p> <p> �I dropped to 3rd at the start and the two leaders quickly established a good lead. I managed to catch Alex Walker (in 2nd), passed him and then set about catching Macaulay, who was now about ten kart-lengths ahead.�</p> <p> In just one lap, Carl slashed Walsh�s lead from seven tenths of a second to three. But as he inched closer, new 3rd-place man Jake Dennis arrowed in.</p> <p> �After five laps I was on Macaulay�s bumper, but Jake had caught me and made a move. He got past -but I did him back on the following lap.�</p> <p> Under braking for Christmas corner, Carl scythed past Walsh to take the lead. Leaving Dennis, Walsh and the fast-approaching Lewis Hall scrapping over 2nd place, Carl eked out a small advantage over his pursuers and held it to the chequered flag.</p> <p> Afterwards, Carl couldn�t contain his delight. �This is a fantastic win for me. I�ve never raced or even tested here before, and so to win is just brilliant.�</p> <p> Having had a disastrous previous round at Rowrah in Cumbria, Carl wants to build on his Whilton performance.</p> <p> �I came here expecting to do a damage limitation exercise after Rowrah, but the win changes things. I�m fourth in the Championship now, and really believe I can challenge to win it overall now.�</p>