The 2018 season was a mixture of highs and lows for Callum who was once again racing for the CRG Factory around the World. Competing at the highest level of sport Callum raced in the CIK-FIA and WSK Championships along with SKUSA Pro Series in the United States. Along with that Callum took part in all major European and World events as well as keeping his presence in the UK alive via the LGM Series. At the end of the season it is hard to pick a top five list of races Callum enjoyed most, but here’s the moments that stood out…
5 – Strong finish to WSK Super Master Series
We start back at the turn of April with the WSK Super Master Series reaching it’s final stages. A championship which often sees the favourites for the FIA Karting European Championship decided and Callum had lots of heads turning in the paddock after his fantastic performance at Sarno saw him finish 4th. Given that was where the European Championship would start it left Callum in fantastic shape especially given the fact he had beat the likes of Lorenzo Travisanutto and Tom Joyner to the flag. Callum would eventually go on to finish 8th at the European Championship opening round despite problems throughout the weekend.
4 – IAME International Final Podium
For anyone watching the IAME International Final they will know the heart-breaking story which led Callum to only pick up a podium rather than a win, but it nevertheless stands as a memorable experience from 2018. Callum was quite simply untouchable at Le Mans, racing in the Super X30 against the likes of Nicklas Nielsen, Danny Keirle, Yannick De Brabander and Adrien Renaudin. Callum qualified pole before winning all four heats and the Pre-Final. After finishing 2nd at the event in the last two years it seemed as if Callum’s time had come, but the things took a big twist when a turn one incident saw Callum pushed wide and down to 9th place.
A spirited performance saw Callum put on a fantastic drive to come back through to 3rd place and although on the World stage that is a brilliant result Callum left France thinking what could have been. However, it has to be one of the best weekends for Callum this year given how well he had driven over a tough weekend of racing.
3 – Win at LGM Series Round Six
Although post-race the win wasn’t official Callum absolutely dominated the LGM Series sixth round at Whilton Mill. After starting fourth on the grid for the final Callum took the lead after two laps and it was like he was in another class how quickly he pulled away from the rest of the field. Jubilant celebrations at the end saw Callum’s lead reduced to 7.7 seconds at the flag and that would unfortunately see him drop to 4th when Callum would discover he had picked up a nose cone on his return to the pits.
2 – LGM Series Round Four Dominance
Arguably his best win this season, Callum’s victory at Forest Edge was good for a number of reasons. First of all, it is where he started Karting and a place that will always be special to him so any time Callum has the chance to race there he grabs the opportunity with both hands. It also had led Callum on a path of consecutive wins and podiums which saw him challenge for the LGM Series title eventually finishing as Vice Champion just four points off the title which was an astonishing achievement especially as he’d missed the opening round and finished 8th at round two.
It was a hugely convincing win which saw Callum qualify on pole position before winning all heats and the final comfortably. It was a race weekend that couldn’t have gone any better and showed Callum is still top of the tree in the UK despite doing most of his racing out of the country in 2018.
1 – 6th at FIA Karting World Championships
And we end the 2018 highlights at the FIA Karting World Championship. It is the biggest race in the Karting calendar and has been won by some of the most famous Motorsport icons. On his arrival to the Kristianstad circuit in Sweden Callum meant business, qualifying 15th out of the monumental 102 driver entry list. This had left him in great stead for the heats, but when the reeds in his engine blew in heat one he was left in 26th place with a lot of work to do!
Callum went on to finish inside the top six in all four remaining heats leaving him 16th on the grid for the final, but had he made it to the end of heat one in one piece he would have been in the top ten on the grid. A brilliant performance in the Final saw Callum work his way through to finish a hugely impressive 6th place making him the second highest ranked Brit and top ranked CRG driver.
With what he had underneath him combined with the heat one circumstances 6th was certainly the best result Callum was going to get and that’s why it makes it to the top of then list. It also moves Callum up from 11th in the World Karting rankings in 2017 to 6th. Another raise of that margin this year and it could mean a big trophy will be coming home to Leicester…
