2nd at Sarno in Italian Open Masters (March 26, 2007)

Jordan started the Italian Open Championship at the weekend with a podium position at the challenging Sarno circuit near Naples.

By racing in the Italian Opens, Jordan is following in the footsteps of F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Robert Kubica, who all won in the prestigious championship in their formative years and which attracts drivers from all over the world.

Jordan races for the Sheffield-based Strawberry Racing team, multiple championship-winners who race and develop the Tonykart and the Vortex engine, and he is a leading driver in the KF3 (Kart Formula 3) class for under-15s.

Heavy rain throughout the weekend meant tyre strategy was a gamble and many drivers destroyed their limited stock of wet tyres in qualifying. Jordan however qualified a solid 8th fastest out of the 83 competitors.

From 8th on the grid Jordan went on to win one of his heats and scored top ten positions in all except one, giving him 11th on the grid for the final.

Fourth place in the first final of the double-header was encouraging, but after Jordan was pushed down to 17th at the second corner of the second final the Strawberry team thought it was all over.

“I had other ideas though,” said the Duffryn School student, “I just fought through the field and even took the lead a couple of times although the winner just about had the edge.”

With four rounds left of the Italian Opens it is early days but racing at Sarno is undoubtedly helpful as it will be the venue of the European Championship final later on in the year where Jordan will race against many of the same drivers. In the Italian Opens he is now third in the championship, just five points behind the leader.