Q&A with 2009/2010 DAMC Junior Max Champion Piers Pakenham-Walsh

How does it feel to be the 2009/2010 DAMC Karting Champion?

Piers: It’s a really good feeling to have, after working extremely hard all season to finally win it, it makes it just that little more special than a race win – it’s something that is achieved over the whole season, not just in one race.

Talk us through your season…

Piers: The season started off well, however not very competitive, with only 4 drivers in the Junior Rotax field. Podium finishes in all races summed up the first half of the season, in which I also achieved my first ever race win. During the 2nd half of the season, things started to become more interesting with an ever improving field in not only size, but also ability. The 5th round was most difficult, with everyone lapping in the mid 58 seconds, which made for very close racing. During the final I was involved in an incident which dropped me to last, resulting in my first non-podium finish this season. As a result of this, I lost a considerable amount of points towards the championship which meant I no longer had the comfortable gap I wanted to keep. This meant I had to work even harder in the last round. The last round proved to be the most exciting round of the season with more juniors than ever before.  A strong performance netted me 3rd in the Heat and 2nd in the Pre-Final, before a small error in the final cost me several seconds, rendering me unable to catch back up to the field. However, the 2nd place finish in the Pre-Final gathered me enough points to win the Championship, no matter what the result in the Final turned out to be.

What were the highlights of your season?

Piers: The main highlights of my season would have to be winning the championship of course, as well as winning my first race. Also the Pre-Final at the last round was one of my best races to date. After an unfortunate start, which put me to the back, I managed to make my way through the field and into 2nd place by the 10th lap. It was my favourite race of the season because I was so competitive and it was very exciting.

What was the downside (if any) to your season?

Piers: I think perhaps the only downside to my season was the unfortunate incident in the Final at the 5th Round, apart from that nothing really I have enjoyed it all.

Give us some background about your racing career and how you got started:

Piers: I first got the ‘bug’ for karting when my Dad took me to an Indoor Karting Track in Cheshire in the UK. I was only 5 at the time, but I was tall enough to reach the pedals and steering wheel. I started competing in the monthly championships, racing against kids at the age of 12 & 13, and I was beating them hands down, by considerable margins too. Unfortunately, the kart track closed down and everywhere else we looked only allowed people over the age of 8. So, when I turned 8, my Dad bought me a Wright Cadet kart with a Comer S60 engine, and I then passed my ARKS test and gained my race license. I then started racing in the club championship at Three Sisters International Raceway in the UK and at Glan-y-Gors Parc in Wales. As for racing abroad, I completed more than 60 Club level races in the UK before moving to Dubai in 2007. My biggest achievement in racing in the UK was finishing 12th in the Motors TV Ultimate Karting Challenge, a 9 Round Televised Karting series, in which I beat a few nationally seeded drivers.
What is the highlight of your racing career so far?

Piers: Possibly the highlight of my racing career so far has to be winning the 2009-2010 DAMC Karting Junior Rotax Championship, as it’s the first ever championship I’ve won, and it just feels amazing!

Who was or were your biggest opponents this year?

Piers: My biggest opponent at the start of the season was probably Edward Jones, but as the season progressed he began to pull away from the pack considerably, along with Shahaan Engineer. As a result my biggest threats were probably Mohamed Elshimy and Tom Soubiron and later on in the season, Sanad & Abdullah Al Rawahi and Nikolaus Dedic, who all proved to be competitive opponents that made the racing ever more interesting and fun.

Which racing driver/s do you admire most?

Piers: It’s not something I normally think about, but I think of Jenson Button as someone to take note of, as he had persevered for many years in F1, achieving few podiums and 1 race win, until 2009, when he finally found amazing form with Brawn GP and became 2009 F1 World Championship, which is a prime example of when perseverance can pay off, no matter how long you may have to wait. I was lucky enough to go to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and see Jenson in action just after he had won the Championship.

Who would you like to thank for your achievement?

Piers: Mostly, I would like to thank my Mum and Dad, for all their support they have for me, morally and also financially, they are a major help to me at every race weekend and I couldn’t have got to where I am now without them, Dad especially as he is also my mechanic that keeps the kart going! I’d also like to thank all my friends and family, as they also share a great deal of moral support for me too. And finally, I’d like to thank the other Junior Drivers, for making it a season full of competitive racing to remember, and I hope it continues next season too!

What are your future plans in motor racing?

Piers: Ultimately, I’m aiming to end up somewhere in motorsport, whether as a driver or as part of a team travelling the globe. For the future, I’m very interested in the newly launched Formula Gulf 1000 Scholarship, in which the winner of the championship receives an all expenses paid season in the UK Formula Renault championship, so that’s what I am aspiring towards right now. Karting wise, next season I’m aiming for the UAE Rotax Max Challenge championship, which will provide new openings in the form of the Rotax Grand Finals, the biggest Rotax event on the calendar.

But next season I will be out to defend my DAMC Junior title and hopefully take home the championship trophy two years in a row.