Sebastian Øgaard enjoyed a successful fourth round of Deutsche Kart Meistershaft (DKM – German Karting Championship) at Genk (Belgium). The Danish driver finished second in Race 2 taking his first podium of the season.
Genk. This was the first podium of the season for Sebastian Øgaard, who started Race 2 from ninth on the grid after a non-trouble-free Race 1. Øgaard currently lies sixth with 100 points in the Drivers’ Championship and continues as the best rookie driver.
After a good result in this place last year, Sebastian Øgaard arrived with high expectations in Genk to repeat the same result from 2018 and to stop the bad luck he was having during the season.
After Friday’s practice it was important to have a good qualifying practice in Saturday morning. Øgaard did a magnificent job completing the session in 5th place, only one tenth 0.055 seconds behind the pole sitter.
Then qualifying heats where positive and complicated at the same time. Positive because the Danish driver showed a very strong pace wining one of them, but complicated because things did not went as planned in the other heat where He finished in 10th place.
Anyway, this put Sebastian in fifth place at the starting grid of Race 1. A difficult start of the race compromised the driver from Ejstrupholm who managed to finish in ninth place.
Race 2 was better for the 15-years-old driver who started in ninth place. He made a good start and managed to keep the pressure in the early laps to put himself in a comfortable fourth place. A crash between the race leaders helped him to step up into second position and build a gap to secure this place before crossing the checker-flag.
Reactions from the 4th Round of DKM in Genk:
Sebastian Øgaard (Ward Racing):
“I feel very happy to finally get my first podium in OK class. It has been a difficult season. The speed has been really good from the beginning of the, but it felt like I’ve missed the 2% luck you also need.
“I have been fighting hard and been really close to get on the podium many times and now it finally happened. I am very happy, and it feels like a release from a lot of pressure.
“I am now looking forward and focusing on the world championship in Finland.”
The next race for Øgaard will be the weekend preparation for the FIA Karting World Championship that will be held in Alaharma (Finland) in one month.