GENK - Welsh karting sensation Cameron Nelson demonstrated his exceptional racing prowess on Sunday by securing a commanding victory in the BNL Golden Trophy at Circuit Genk. The 14-year-old from Pontyclun, representing Dan Holland Racing, dominated the final race with an impressive 8.7-second margin, marking a perfect conclusion to his remarkable season.
Cameron’s weekend began strongly with an excellent second place in qualifying, followed by a fourth- and second-place finish in the heats. However, in the final, the young talent truly showcased his masterful racing abilities.
“I came for this trophy and won it. Coming into the weekend, we aimed to win, and we achieved that, which was good. I came out with a strong performance, winning by more than eight seconds”, Cameron shared, his enthusiasm evident.
The Welsh racing driver’s familiarity with the Genk circuit proved advantageous. “I’ve been to this track about eight times or so. I came here on Thursday and trained Thursday and Friday in challenging conditions. I knew I could win this and many other things throughout the year. I had the confidence before, but I’m glad we won this.”
Nelson’s journey in motorsport began at the age of eight at Llandow circuit in South Wales. “Ever since my first time in a kart, I enjoyed and loved it tremendously. My dad was really into karts, and we would drive past the track every day. I asked him if we could go there, and we did, and I just loved it.”
Reflecting on his passion for racing, Nelson explained what draws him to the sport: “I love the speed, adrenaline, and all the things that add up. Before karting, I played football for an Academy, but I always wanted to be a racing driver rather than a football player.”
The final race strategy demonstrated Nelson’s tactical acumen. “We took the lead in the first corner, drove away from them, created a nice gap, and enjoyed the final couple of laps. After the first lap, we were just away, almost coasting a bit.”
Looking ahead to 2025, Nelson has ambitious plans. “For next year, I know we’ll certainly do the WSK in Senior Rotax. Hopefully, we’ll do the British Champs and the BNL Series. I haven’t driven a Senior yet, so I’m unsure how I’ll like it, but I hope we achieve good championship results. A top-five finish would be brilliant!”
The victory at Genk builds upon Nelson’s recent success at the Grand Finals in Sarno, Italy. “We were very close - we won everything, poled it in qualifying, poled it after the heats”, he looked back at his third place. “It was very disheartening after dominating everything there, but I suppose it’s in the past, and you can’t really look back on it. What matters is that we showed our true pace this weekend!”
Cameron wishes to thank Jamie (mechanic), his parents, grandparents, the entire DHR team, and Dan Holland's Time Racing Engines. Cameron Nelson is supported by Dan Holland Racing.