Sharonlea-based motorsport racer Michael Kernick performed well, making the podium at the historic Velodromloppet Grand Prix in Sweden.

Kerninck was invited by the Swedish racing team, Orresta Racing, to race in a double-carburettor Class D Formula Vee at the Gelleråsen Arena. The racetrack is Sweden’s oldest, and the Velodromloppet Grand Prix is the country’s biggest historic racing event. “What a fantastic adventure as a whole,” said Kernick, reflecting on the journey. “Gelleråsen is such a fun track, and it’s more fun when it rains. The hospitality there is incredible.”

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Kernick raced in the 1976 Veemax Vee, an aluminium monocoque tub with Formula Vee suspension, a highly modified engine, and special racing gears, slick tyres, and disk brakes. He shared the track with teammate, Annie Seel, who is a Dakar race legend.

The first day of the event had two practice sessions. In the first practice, Kernick decided not to worry about a lap time, and just learn the track and the car. “I instantly enjoyed both practices. In the second practice, I decided to try different lines and different gearing and managed to get comfy.”

The second day was for the qualifiers. With the rain pouring, he did a small setup change on the car, but, unfortunately, had a mechanical issue that cut the car off as qualifying started. The racing team worked hard to get the car running, and, fortunately, made it out in time to get a few laps in.

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Pushing hard to make up for the time lost, Kernick was able to finish third overall and second in class. “I was so focused on getting a decent time in and getting the track and car right, I forgot to look at the position board on the right of the track. After the session, I came in, and the team were happy and told me. I didn’t believe them, and then the official results came out, and I was really happy.”

In race 1, he started high up with 16 cars behind him. He managed to get a good start and got up into second place briefly, before deciding to play it safe in the turns. He had a close battle in the wet conditions, sliding around the corners, but not giving up. “As we were fighting, we caught first place too, and while lapping the slower cars, the track became busy. We were all trying to win. In the end, I ended up in third place in class and fourth overall. It was a mega race and was a lot of fun. I was happy with the result.”

In race 2, he managed the second fastest lap time in the race, starting second overall on the grid. After a good start, unfortunately, a mechanical issue with the car forced him to stop, and he was sadly out of the race. “Thank you to everyone who made this happen. It was an amazing experience and I appreciate everyone who made this happen. It was so much fun.”

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