19th October 2013

This man’s heart is in karts and he's pleased to be back - From the Gladstone Observer

Brad Fleetwood of the Gladstone Kart Club will be trying his hand at the Queensland C Grade Karting Championships this weekend.

HE retired from the track sweating and hot, a smile plastered on his face as he removed his helmet and sat it next to the heat of his kart tyres.

Brad Fleetwood had just begun what will be a long weekend on and off the track at his circuit, the Gladstone Kart Club, but this time on a much bigger scale than the regular meets.

“It is the C and D Grade Queensland state titles,” Fleetwood said.

“Certain classes have different licences, you start at D Grade and then upgrade from there.”

On a C Grade licence after returning to karting at the beginning of 2012, Fleetwood has no expectations about his performances this weekend, taking on a role that has him pitted against more than burning rubber.

Now the vice-president of the Gladstone club, Fleetwood is just happy to be back on track after a long absence since his childhood.

“Originally, I started when I was seven and stopped after a few years,” he said.

“This is my third race meet all year because I took over the VP role.”

So Fleetwood headed to the track for a few laps to lead himself into the weekend, and was joined by an unanticipated number of drivers.

With a borrowed engine in his kart that once belonged to a state champion, who knows what luck the Gladstone product might run into over the weekend, and hopefully not run into other drivers.

Both the C and D grade classes have a qualifying heat, two race heats, a pre-final and then the final.

“No matter how good your weekend is, the final result is the only one that counts,” Fleetwood said.

“All your local events go on points, but not the state titles.”