A recent trip to America’s gambling capital paid dividends for young Christchurch kart star Jacob Douglas.
The 14-year-old ROK Cup Bridgestone Trophy winner went to Las Vegas for the Super Nationals and despite less than successful performances on the track, returned home better prepared for exciting prospects in 2020.
It was the third time the teenager has driven at the annual American Super Nationals, the most prestigious karting event in America, but the first time he’d competed in X30J karts. It’s a gamble that paid off, helping prepare for his next step at top level karting.
For 2020 Douglas has his eyes on further international competition but exactly where that takes him will depend on a dispensation application before the world governing body of the sport.
Jacob’s support team have several options but to return to the hot-bed of European karting he needs to maintain his Junior status rather than step-up to the Senior category.
It’s only in international racing that Douglas can get the kind of exposure that large fields and intense competition provide.
“The fields are so much bigger than New Zealand so it’s really good for me to learn race craft, different moves and better tactics,” said Jacob.
Racing two different classes in Las Vegas, X30J and KA100 didn’t phase the Kiwi champion.
“Both karts use the same chassis, the same tyre so it was just the speed of the X30J engine that was different. Everything felt reasonably similar and the set-up for both karts wasn’t too different either.”
Douglas’ European experience this year included three rounds of the FIA Academy and the ROK Cup Superfinal. He’s hoping to build on this experience.
“The racing is intense. There are so many karts, there could be 15 karts separated by 1/10th-of-a-second and the level is very high. You need to maximise every opportunity on the track, hit every apex and not make any mistakes.”
A successful dispensation will see Jacob return to Europe. In New Zealand, karters move to Senior at age 16, but in Europe it’s the year of your 15th birthday.
“I don’t have the race craft and experience of Europe to be racing in Senior so that’s why we’ve applied for the dispensation,” explained Douglas. “It’s not uncommon to get a dispensation so we’ll wait and see before deciding exactly where I’ll race next year.”
While overseas competition is where he’s focused, Jacob will still be racing at local kart meetings near his home in Christchurch and is keen to participate in the New Zealand championships, which will be held at his local track over Easter 2020.
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