Jamaican places third at Int'l World Finals in Italy

KINGSTON:

FOLLOWING on the heels of his stunning championship run at the 2012 Rotax Pan American Championship Finals in the USA a month ago, Red Bull's Collin Daley of Jamaica extendeded his impressive motor racing form on the international circuit with a third-place finish in the BMB Kart grand prix class, at the 11th Easykart International World Finals.

The accomplished 15-year-old junior go-kart driver, showed incredible class against a field of more than 250 drivers from 15 countries who competed at the event that was held from October 17-21 in Castelletto di Branduzzo, Italy.

Daley easily dominated the free practice on Thursday, October 18. However, he encountered some troubles with the go-kart on the next two days and could only manage to start at position number seven in the finals on Sunday.

He came back fighting and did the fastest lap time and was actually challenging for first place when a part in his seat broke, causing him to lose ground and fall back into third place.

Daley is the youngest champion in the history of Jamaican go-karting. To date he has won more than eight first-place Go-Kart championship trophies in his six-year driving career, and holds the record for the fastest lap at the Homestead Karting Raceway in Florida, accomplishments which led to his being granted a waiver to move into the higher driving class.

Daley's manager, Peter Moodie Sr, who has guided his career since he was just eight years old, pointed to the significance of the teen's accomplishment by highlighting the level of competition.

"The standard of racing in Europe is superior, very high, but CJ proved that our standards are very much on par with that," he said.

"Everyone was impressed with him and it was such an amazing thing to hear the Jamaican national anthem being played because of his endeavours on the track," Moodie observed.

"He raced against a crop of much older, much more seasoned drivers who were familiar with racing in Europe. But he did so well that no one could believe he had never raced in Europe before.

"He was the most aggressive driver and the others only escaped because of the technical mishap. But we'll get them next time," Moodie promised, as he now looks forward to Daley's next challenge, the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals - the so-called 'Olympics of Karting' - to be held in Portugal from November 28 to December 1.