Champion Barnes to focus on US racing

Bermuda Karting Club double champion Scott  ‘Skitchy’ Barnes says he will take a back seat in 2015.

The club’s president won both the Shifter and TAG class for the second successive year in the finals championship race day of the season.

And ahead of the big Hamilton Grand Prix finale this weekend, Barnes outlined his plans to concentrate next year on the running of the club —should he be voted in again as president — and on racing in the US.

“I’m hanging up the gloves next season – I’m not racing full-time. I want to do more racing in the States.

“And if I get voted back in as president I just want to concentrate on running the club. It’s really a lot of work running two classes.

“I’m the type of person who wants to go down there and win – I can’t just go down there and have fun. Fun for me means being at the front . 

“I’ll definitely be out [there] but I won’t be out for the whole season.

“The money I spend here I’ll spend in the States. I’ll let someone else win it!

“More guys are coming out, brand new karts have been bought this year and guys are hungry for championships.

“The club’s definitely growing. There’s been over half-a-dozen brand new karts bought this year in the TAG, Shifters and juniors.”

Barnes can also bask in the success of a job well done this season —but he says it was the hardest of his career.

He said: “They were two of the hardest championships I’ve ever had to get.”

All three championships came down to the last day – the TAG, the Shifter and the Junior Clone.

In the Shifter, Barnes, Brandon Frank and Stephen Corrado all had a shot at glory going into the final race day.

“I managed to race to second in all three races so I wrapped that one up,” said Barnes.

“But definitely it was a hard fought championship between the three of us. Brandon had won the last three or four race days.

“He hadn’t been out in four years – and he’s always been fast. It was great competition, For Stephen it’s only his second year in the Shifter class so he’s still young.

“It’s been really competitive in the class this year – probably the best competitive wise and number wise for the past 10 years.”

In the TAG, David Barbosa had to settle for another runner-up spot but will be pumped up for revenge in Hamilton.

Blake Horseman edged out Xavier Smith in the Junior Clone division.