For the first time at a Solo National Championship Junior Karts were added to the mix. For those that know him it came as no surprise which one of these awesome young drivers rose to the top. Julian Garfield is a proud member of the Washington D.C. Region and drove a 2007 CRG kart with a Yamaha KT100 motor on Bridgestone YHC tires.
RR: Is this your first attendance at Nationals?
JG: This was my first time coming out to Nationals.
RR: Is this your first national championship?
JG: This was my first ever National Championship.
RR: What was your favorite memory of the competition?
JG: My favorite memory was just before leaving the start line and seeing my competitor’s times so I could set a goal for what I need to accomplish.
RR: What do you think was your key to success?
JG: I think having a good running kart and being confident that I’m capable of winning was my key to success.
RR: Who has most influenced you?
JG: The people that influenced me is the region I run with because they’re always really nice to me and I enjoy driving with them.
RR: Who inspires you?
JG: Michael Schumacher is the person I am inspired by. I watched him from a young age and always thought he was a good driver.
RR: Do you have any special pre-race routine, or any superstitions you follow?
JG: One thing I do is when I put my racing shoes on I always put my left one on first.
RR: Do you have any driving aids or tools you use to help you?
JG: Nothing electronic, but we are able to tune the carburetor by listening to the motor while driving.
RR: What do you think you do differently than your competition?
JG: I think I was able to give more feedback on what the kart was doing so we could change it between runs to make it run better.
RR: Have you attended any driving school?
JG: I haven’t, but I get a lot of practice after my dad’s schools and at indoor and outdoor karting tracks.
RR: Describe your driving style.
JG: I think I have a pretty nice driving style because I keep the wheel really smooth so I can do anything I can to keep the motor from bogging.
RR: What was your first -and favorite autocross car?
JG: My first go-kart was a Yellow Top Kart with a 50cc engine and my favorite is my 2007 CRG with a KT100 motor.
RR: If you could change one Solo rule – either for your specific class or in general — what would it be?
JG: I would lower the weight limit so I could drive faster than I can now.
RR: Who would you like to thank for your success?
JG: I would like to thank my parents for supporting me and helping me out all of the time.
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