Round 4 of the Whilton Mill Kart Club Championship took place on 27 and 28 June 2026 at Whilton Mill, with Nelson Taylor racing kart #92 for Tooley Motorsport in the Junior Max class. After Friday’s scorching 36.7 degree heat, conditions cooled for qualifying on Saturday, though track temperatures were likely still above 40 degrees.
Qualifying
Nelson posted a best lap of 46.70 seconds to qualify P7 in his group, 14th of 52 overall. Pole position was set at 46.31. A top ten overall had been the target, and whilst the pace was there, a lack of a clean tow at the right moment on a busy track cost a few positions. Still, P7 in group meant Nelson would be starting from the same position in the heats, which was a solid platform to build from.
Heat 1
The first heat didn’t go to plan before it had even started. On the warm-up lap, a driver ahead braked early and caused Nelson to spin onto the grass, dropping him to 26th and last on the rolling start. What followed was one of the drives of the day. Nelson kept his head, drove clean and carved through the field to finish P12, posting a best lap of 46.97 against a session fastest of 46.75. Ten places gained from the back of the grid, with no contact and no drama.
Heat 3
Heat 3 was more straightforward and all the better for it. Starting P7, Nelson put in a professional, controlled drive to finish P6, posting a best lap of 46.67 against a session fastest of 46.51. No incidents, no penalties. Just a clean race from front to back.
A Final
The A Final lined up Nelson in P15 of a 34-kart grid. The recovery drive in Heat 1 had been crucial in keeping him within reach of a strong final result, and from P15 there was everything to race for.
Nelson made a good start and held P15 through the end of lap one. From there he worked his way cleanly through the order across the 12-minute final, posting a best lap of 46.81 against the session fastest of 46.61. The closing laps produced a fierce battle for the top ten positions, and on the final lap Nelson was both attacking and defending simultaneously. He picked up two more places on that last lap to cross the line in a superb P6, gaining nine places from his starting position.
The pace throughout the final was front-running pace. With a little more luck in Heat 1, a challenge for the podium positions would not have been out of the question. P6 from P15 in the A Final is the result of a driver whose racecraft and confidence are developing fast. The pace has always been there. Now everything else is catching up, and a podium is firmly in sight.
Looking Ahead
Next up for Nelson is the Superone XKart Championship at Fulbeck, Lincolnshire on 4 and 5 July, right next door to PF International. Nelson races with the support of Tooley Motorsport, SureSIM, XKart, OTM and the National Autistic Society.
