Twelve-year‑old Jerome Wickham, a student at Bellefontaine Middle School, battled slippery conditions to claim a third‑place finish in Race 2 of the Kart Racers of America Championship at Newcastle Motorsports Park in Indiana on Sunday.
The 15 Cadet class drivers kicked off the weekend on Saturday with six hours of mixed‑weather practice.
Competitors alternated between sessions in the sunshine and strategic wet‑setup sessions when April showers rolled in.
Although hopes ran high for a dry race day, Sunday’s qualifying sessions proved otherwise—drivers strapped on rain tires under steady drizzle as they fought for grid positions.
Starting from fourth on the grid in steady rain.
Wickham made an immediate impact, advancing to third on the opening lap.
A fierce battle for position saw him slip back to fourth on Lap 4.
Mid‑race contact forced Wickham’s kart briefly into the grass, but he recovered promptly, surrendering only one position.
With two laps to go, he had clawed his way back into fourth place, where he crossed the finish line.
Post‑race technical inspections led to the disqualification of the original pole sitter and first‑place finisher for a carburetor violation.
That decision elevated Wickham to third overall, earning him valuable championship points in the 14‑round series.
“I’m proud of how I handled the rain and the challenge of getting back on track after that contact,” said Wickham. “Finishing on the podium despite the tough conditions motivates me as we head into Race 3 next weekend.”
Wickham returns to Newcastle Motorsports Park for Race 3 on May 11–12, before traveling to Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, for his debut there in June.
