Reigning South African OK-Junior champion Jack Moore flew the flag for Mzansi with pride at the opening round of the FIA Karting Academy Trophy in Spain this past weekend. Representing South Africa among 52 of the world’s top young drivers aged 12–14, the Eastern Cape native delivered a gritty, determined performance that ultimately saw him qualify for the coveted Final, despite a challenging run of technical setbacks.
The weekend began with frustration, as persistent engine issues throughout the practice sessions limited Jack’s ability to fine-tune his kart on the demanding Spanish circuit. An initial engine swap made only marginal improvements and did not allow the multiple karting champion to show his true pace.
However, another change before the first qualifying heat unlocked the speed Jack and his team knew was there. With renewed performance, he charged through the field to set the second-fastest lap time in one of the heats. Unfortunately, another engine swap before the remaining qualifying heats would hamper further progress, forcing Jack to dig deep just to keep climbing through the pack.
Despite the odds, Jack achieved the first major goal of the weekend: qualifying for the final, lining up 15th on the grid. Jack got off to a flying start in the final, gaining four positions in the opening laps. However, disaster struck again as a misfire developed in his engine. For the remaining 15 laps, Jack was forced to defend furiously, doing everything in his power to stay in contention. He crossed the finish line in a hard-fought 14th place, but a post-race five-second penalty saw him classified 19th overall.
Still, making the final and finishing in the top half of such an elite international field was no small feat, as he commented after the final, “It was a real honour to represent South Africa on such a big stage. Making the final and running in the top half of such a competitive field, especially with our kind of misfortune, was a massive achievement. I’m proud of the performance we put together. We showed we had a consistent top 5 pace every time the kart was running clean. A huge thanks to Neil, Ian, and the Beyond Racing Team for their professionalism and non-stop effort to keep us moving forward. I’ve learnt a lot and I’m already looking forward to the next round in Germany.”
With Jack showing immense resolve and flashes of world-class pace, the stage is set for an exciting continuation of his FIA Karting Academy campaign.
Follow Jack’s progress on his Instagram account by tapping on the link below:
https://rebrand.ly/JackMoore
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
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