Hilton College’s Jonathan Wing crowned 2014 World HandiKart Champion
Wing – the only kart racing driver in South Africa who races with a prosthetic left leg against able bodied competitors never dropped lower than 3rd place the whole weekend during the qualifying heats paced himself to save tyres and kept his cards very close to his chest in order to save the best for last.
Despite producing some fastest laps in the weekends foray, the teenager went into the final phase as the ranked outsider. The very strong French field gave the bulk of the competitors home track advantage but the ever cool customer, with veteran gearbox kart racer Scott Falconer by his side as his chief race engineer, Wing knew just what was expected of him to produce the best result.
Sunday morning arrived and along with it, rain. This condition usually plays heavily into the hands of the European drivers as South Africans lack wet race experience.
Wing would have none of this as he placed himself on the front row in 2nd place for the final. Determined to set the pace for the final, when the lights went out for the start, the heavens opened up and in a very difficult wet track Wing carved his way to a massive 4,5 second lead at the finish line beating out the French pole setters to take South Africa's first handicap kart World Championship title.
He now joins the 14 other South African's who also hold World Karting Championship titles albeit his is unique in the fact that it is a handicap title and to top it all off. He is now the first South African Motorsport competitor to ever hold a Handicap World Title.