The Winter Warmer Trophy

The Winter Warmer Trophy, held at PF International Circuit last weekend was hosted by the Trent Valley Kart Club. As the second standalone event of the year, the meeting attracted over 100 talented young drivers from across the United Kingdom and further afield. All competing for victory and the prestigious Winter Warmer Trophy title.

The event featured multiple classes throughout the weekend, catering for competitors aged between 8 and 18 years old. Proceedings began on Saturday morning with a series of practice sessions, allowing drivers to familiarise themselves with the circuit and assess track conditions and grip levels. The afternoon programme then moved into qualifying sessions, setting the grid for the competitive heats to follow.

The Winter Warmer Trophy Qualifying

On the morning of the race, the sun sat low in the sky, creating challenging lighting conditions that made certain areas of the circuit difficult to photograph. The track was also still damp from the previous night, producing significant glare from both the surface and the karts. Fortunately, I was able to identify several sections of the track that were beginning to dry, which made capturing images considerably easier.

With multiple classes competing over a karting weekend, it is often difficult to focus on just one driver, as I am keen to document the action across the board. However, this event presented a unique opportunity. A few days before the race, I was approached by a parent who asked if I could photograph their son during the weekend. Given that this was only my third time covering a racing event, I was both delighted and aware of the responsibility.

Reuban Kernohan

The driver in question was Reuban Kernohan, who had travelled from Ireland to compete at PFI. As the All-Ireland Karting Champion, with experience racing internationally, including in Bahrain, this assignment naturally raised the stakes. I felt a renewed sense of focus, knowing I needed to deliver high-quality images and capture specific moments requested by the family.

On Saturday, despite having limited experience at PFI, Rueben qualified an impressive fourth position. Unfortunately, during the first heat on race day, he was forced off the track on lap two and was unable to continue, bringing that particular photographic opportunity to an early end.

Determined to maximise the next session, I repositioned myself at Turn 1 for the second heat to guarantee strong vantage points. From there, I had clear views of Turn 1, Turn 7, and the start-finish straight, enabling me to capture a wide range of dynamic shots.

Due to the heat format, Rueben lined up 20th out of 28 karts for the final. In the race itself, he set his fastest lap time of 58.62 seconds, just 0.25 seconds shy of the leader’s best time — an impressive performance, particularly considering he may have been managing residual damage from the earlier incident.

After a strong start, he gained several positions early on, and further penalties for three competitors elevated him even more. He ultimately crossed the line in 13th place in what was a highly competitive field.

The next event on the calendar is the PF Challenge Cup, where Reuban will again be competing, and I will be covering his weekend. This experience proved to be a significant learning curve, highlighting not only the technical skill required in motorsport photography but also the importance of timing, positioning, and, at times, a measure of good fortune.

The Winter Warmer Trophy Class Results

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