Varsity 2025: UCL Karting Drive Circles Around KCL

Varsity Drivers Zip Past the Pits at Rye House Raceway. Photo courtesy of Jamie Chan

On the 25th of March, the long-standing rivalry between UCL and KCL extended beyond academics to the karting track. 26 elite drivers, 13 representing each university, took to the track at Rye House Kart Raceway, situated in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire. The raceway is one of the oldest circuits in the country, and the track where legendary drivers Anthony Davidson and Lewis Hamilton trained for decades. The race lasted 46 minutes, after which the team with the higher number of laps gained the glory.

After a relentless contest paired with intense efforts, Antonio Sholin from UCL emerged from the pack in 1st place, claiming the highest accolade. Despite the heavy traffic, Sholin completed the whole race with no significant errors, showing exceptional consistency throughout. He also advised new drivers to ‘follow their instincts and not to overthink’. That seems to work. 

Behind him fellow UCL drivers Kristian Brookes and Micheal Miao (the Team Captain) both finished on the podium, making it a clean sweep for UCL, topping off a dominant 398-127 lap victory overall. An honourable mention goes to Emanuelle Marotto from KCL, who finished 5th, not only breaking the winning order of UCL drivers, but also securing the fastest lap of the race at a blistering 42.374 seconds.

The conception of karting dates back to post-war origins in the United States. Art Ingels, father of karting, built the first of its kind with a lawnmower engine and many pioneering additions to the vehicle. Since then, the sport has risen to global renown, as it allures those across generations who are determined to enjoy motorsports’ blend of strategy and speed.

Nowadays, karting is recognised as a foundation of higher classed motorsports, having launched many successful careers. The sport’s universal appeal lies in its fast-paced races which contrast with the monotony of daily life.

Although UCL may have taken the top spots, one thing’s for sure: as the rivalry continues to grow, we can’t wait to see what will happen in the next showdown

UCL Karting Populate the Podium. Photo courtesy of Jamie Chan