Ayoung South East dirt kart racer has stepped onto the national stage to claim the Australian Dirt Kart Title.
Dylan Bowering, 12, joined 300 other dirt kart racers to compete in the Australian Dirt Kart Titles at the Tatiara Karting Club.
Bowering claimed the number one plate in the junior light category, racing against 30 of the best dirt karters from across the county.
The young talent showed plenty of fight during his races, starting his first heat at 12, then showed off his determination and skill to move up to third.
In the second heat, Bowering moved up further in the field, going from fourth place to finish second at the flag.
Despite not winning either heat, Bowering had the best lap and fastest speed in both races, showing he was a real threat to the competition early.
The third heat was more troublesome for Bowering, after starting 12th he ran off the track and nearly did not finish, but managed to push back up to fifth.
In the final heat, Bowering managed to declare himself as a top contender for the final when he finished first after starting from fourth position, meaning he would start the final in second place once all points were tallied.
He used his first placed finish in the last heat to take some momentum into the final race.
Before the race Bowering said he did not think he was a big chance to win.
“I thought I had a little bit of a chance, but not much,” Bowering admitted.
Going into the final race Bowering said finishing the final heat in first place gave him a bit more confidence in himself and his chances.
The young racer’s incredible final performance saw him finish 1.994 seconds ahead of second place after eight laps.
Bowering said he was “very excited” upon being first across the line at the chequered flag.
“It’s pretty cool to be an Australian champion in dirt karting,” he said.
After going into the races having not claimed a podium finish in any of his previous five state titles, Bowering now has the excitement of getting to display the #1 green and gold plate.
It was the first time Bowering had competed at the Australian titles, which added more nerves to the race, with the win the highlight of his seven years of racing.
As the end of the season approaches, Bowering will look to next year as he attempts to defend his title in Lucindale in October.
