We take time out to speak with Calum Foster, a Junior Rotax driver who certainly knows a thing or two about being fast and at the sharp end of the grid. Calum was on for a strong finish at Llandow after a tough weekend and was surely on for a podium before being taken out by a mistake from a trailing driver in the closing laps of the final...
C1RCUIT: Hello Calum, so close to turning your weekend around if not for that incident in the final! But let's focus on getting to know the person behind the visor. Can you start by telling us a bit more about yourself...
Calum: Hi, my name is Calum Foster, I’m 14 years old. I started karting for fun in 2019, when I had just made the height line at our indoor track. Having been born 3 months premature I’m quite small for my age, which can make things a little difficult. Things then progressed and I then took part in KartChamps, and the BIKC Indoor Championships, followed by 2 years corporate racing at Rye House, then last year we made the transition to owner driving, with XKart.
C1RCUIT: What first attracted you to Karting?
Calum: My mum took me and a friend for something to do in the school holidays, and it’s spiralled from there.
C1RCUIT: What is it about karting that you enjoy the most?
Calum: Just love the speed, the adrenaline rush, everything…
C1RCUIT: Who inspires you to get on track and succeed?
Calum: There isn’t an individual person that inspires me. I personally feel driven to achieve and be the best I can, together with taking in everyone’s feedback and response from my driving to keep improving.
C1RCUIT: What is your favourite memory on track so far?
Calum: Possibly being driven off track at Mansell, and coming back in the race to take the Win!
C1RCUIT: Who is your favourite all-time racing driver?
Calum: Max Verstappen
C1RCUIT: What is your ultimate ambition you’d like to achieve in motorsport?
Calum: As everyone wants…to become an F1 driver
C1RCUIT: And finally, where can we see you racing for the remainder of 2023?
Calum: I’m taking part in the FastR at Whilton Mill Kart Club and JKC Championships, and some of the TVKC (PFi) rounds. If we could obtain a Sponsor then also the first Rotax E20 UK Race at the Rotax Max Challenge Euro Trophy at PFi.
C1RCUIT: What is the Rotax E20?
Calum: This is Electric karting, Rotax have been racing the E20 in Germany, and brought it over to show in the UK last year to Warden Law, where I was lucky enough to be the first to test drive it.
It would be a great progression from the Total Karting Zero, in which I took part last year, and won the Southern Junior Lights Championship.
While Electric karting is not something that is taking off that well in the UK, it is still another great form of racing in which we would like to keep our options open in.
C1RCUIT: Thank you so much for your time Calum, and best of luck for the rest of the season.
Calum: Thank you, and for the fantastic watch too!
You can follow Calum’s racing online, at...
Facebook @CalumFosterKarting
Instagram @cfkarting1
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/calum-foster-51942b227/
Website - https://cfkarting.wixsite.com/website