PATRICK Pearce drove himself back into contention in the British Kart Championships with a fine performance at Buckmore Kart Circuit, Kent. The talented St Albans racer had to make up ground in the championship after an accident in the previous round

PATRICK Pearce drove himself back into contention in the British Kart Championships with a fine performance at Buckmore Kart Circuit, Kent.

The talented St Albans racer had to make up ground in the championship after an accident in the previous round in Oxfordshire.

Patrick, aged 19, qualified second in timed qualifying, losing out on pole position by just 0.01 of a second on the Saturday. In the first final on Sunday, Patrick hit the front, only to lose the lead on the last lap when he agonisingly slipped back to second.

For the grand final 18-lap race, Patrick started second but quickly took the lead and went on to take the victory, two seconds ahead of the pack.

The jubilant racer said: "This has been an amazing victory for me and my team. So much work has gone in from my Dad and my mechanic Leroy who work endless hours through the night getting the kart all prepped. I had a lot of support here this weekend from my closest friends and family and that definitely helped drive me on to take this victory. As well as having a winning combination at the track, I would also like to thank my sponsors Bennetts, Paper Planet and my personal trainer Laurence Osbourne."

The victory leaves Patrick second in the championship just two points behind first.

The win for Patrick had been followed up by a sixth in the European Championship in Germany where he lies ninth in the standings.

The next British Championship race will be held at Paul Fletcher International in Lincolnshire where Patrick will be looking to take the lead in the Championship then fly out to the Czech Republic for the third round of the Euros. See the website of the rising star at www.patrick-pearce.co.uk for more news.