Seymour Jr goes up a gear

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1: What would you do if someone tossed you the keys to a vehicle that’s more powerful than anything you’ve ever driven?

Would you scoop them up and hop behind the wheel or would you play it safe and say “No thanks”?

Al Seymour Jr, 15, took up such an offer from Stephen Corrado and has never looked back.

Seymour was sitting trackside at the Bermuda Motorsports Park watching the TAG Class when Corrado approached him.

“Mr Corrado, Steve, asked me if I wanted to take it for a ride and I said ‘sure’.

“It was my first time in an actual kart that wasn’t a rental because it wasn’t as competitive as a clone kart.

“He put me in a kart and I was so scared because I never had been in a pack before. 

“The kart was the fastest out there so I know I was in for a big surprise. 

“When I was racing, I was moving up (through the pack) pretty fast. I got the job done and won that race. 

“That was my debut and it showed him I could drive and handle a kart. 

“That’s what opened up all the experiences for me.”

Stephen Corrado and Michael Corrado are in the pits helping him out and Seymour called Stephen “the best engineer down there. Corrado is the number one mechanic for these karts. 

“He can take them apart and fix it fast and efficiently. He can fix anything”.

The Berkeley student said karting is a popular sport and one that he’s “always wanted to do and something I always loved”.

His love grew for the sport when he attended a space camp in Virginia and while there had the opportunity to race on a karting track.

“We went to this theme park called Motor World. We drove the go-karts there and I was just so into it. I was so addicted to the fun.

“It was pretty competitive because the track was very small.”

This season has seen Seymour move up from the junior ranks to the TAG Class. 

He said: “I tell you it was pretty scary as there are guys up in your bumper. They pull tricks on you. They think I’m very small, but I’m a small threat. 

“I can do the same things they do.” 

He said racing against the higher grade competition has helped sharpen him on the track.

“I’ve improved my driving skills, my patience, and my confidence. 

“Every single race is a lesson that makes me learn like how to take my line, how to take a corner, how to deal with positions, how to deal with the big boys behind me and how to maintain my focus even when I am in a high position.” Every race the drivers pick out a ping-pong ball to decide what position they will be on the starting grid, sometimes that means Seymour starts in the pole position. 

“If I’m in front of one of the big boys, then I know I’m in a high position and I know I have to watch out.”

He does have some comradeship as Amber Lopes also moved up. He said having her racing in the TAG Class “brings back last year’s memories when we raced in the four-strokes. 

“This year is the same thing, except we’re driving 30 miles per hour faster.”