A journey into the unknown
With jubilee celebrations in full swing across the UK, the Larkhall Circuit in Scotland, a short 23-minute drive outside of Glasgow revved into life for the fourth event of the 2022 British Kart Championship (BKC) season.
Known for its tight and technical design, Larkhall is well respected within the karting community and so, Griffiths faced a tall order having never turned a wheel in anger on Scottish tarmac. The young Welsh ace would not be dissuaded, however, spending much of the week prior carefully studying onboard videos of the distinctive, camber-imbued layout.
The BKC's qualifying format poses a unique challenge to its 165-driver strong paddock, taking an average time from a run of three qualifying laps which then determines your starting position for each of the heats, and the challenging nature of the 1140-metre circuit would only add to the spectacle.
Unfortunately for Griffiths, he was impeded by a slower driver on the third and final lap of his qualifying run. The result was the 21st fastest time, setting the tone for what proved to be a trying weekend for the PaddlUp Academy's youngest member while simultaneously fueling the fire to produce some eye-catching recovery drives.
The first heat would see the #99 kart knocked off track on the run down to Turn 3 on the first lap. Rejoining the race in 34th and last on the road, Griffiths set about scything through the pack. At the flag, he had regained an astonishing 15 positions, finishing in 19th.
Heat 2 brought about another storming drive in which Ethan gained seven places to finish 15th. The following day, he would similarly show his mettle by going from 17th on the grid to 10th at the chequered flag in the Pre-Final.
The Pre-Final result meant 10th on the grid and an unenviable starting position on the outside line. The disadvantage translated into a loss of four positions on the opening lap and Griffiths was unable to escape the mid-pack melee during the final contest of the weekend.
After contact on the final lap, he dropped to his finishing position of 17th, punctuating a difficult weekend for the Honda Cadet driver, but one in which he gained valuable experience fighting through the pack and honing kart set-up.