University of Gloucestershire competitive karting captain Hubert Oleniacz has explained why his team are absent from meaningful competition this year.
The karting leader boasts previous experience in Senior Rotax karts, performing at a high level for a number of years. Since arriving at the university, the 18-year-old has quickly become a figurehead of the karting society.
Oleniacz hoped to take the four-man ‘competitive’ squad back to the BUKC (British University Karting Championship). After a year of inactivity from the competition, his leadership brought some energy to an almost dormant club. UOG has previously participated in the series, but personnel changes meant that they couldn’t pull a team together for 2023. In brief, the series provides an opportunity for budding racers to compete against each other whilst studying.
A new team with previous racing experience was put together, and expectations suddenly became high. Oleniacz was hoping for at least a ‘top 10’ finish in the intermediate class. At the last hurdle, the opportunity was extinguished.
“It was an issue of funding,” Oleniacz revealed. “Like everything at motorsport. There’s no money. We had a grand in the pot, right? That was enough for one race, let alone the cost to get there. So what we would enter and then what we’ll do one race and that’s it,” he explained.
The BUKC has grown to over 120 teams from over 55 higher education establishments. Some teams have their own respective programmes which they invest thousands of pounds into, like Oxford Brookes and Loughborough, who have won the competition a respective six times each. Notable alumni of the competition include renowned racing driver Alex Brundle, who is the son of 10-time F1 podium finisher Martin Brundle. Former FIA Formula 3 driver Reece Ushijima won the driver’s championship in 2022, competing in the F1 feeder series in the same year.
1-2! Unbelievable @FollowJHDD @reeceushijima pic.twitter.com/7DQxQkdUVT
— Tony Donohue (@tonydindy) May 12, 2023
Ushijima participated in the USF Pro 2000 championship most recently
Oleniacz: Trying to enter the competition ‘was pointless’
Like everything in motorsport, funding is always key to a good programme. At a small university without much previous success, Oleniacz explained how difficult it is to enter the competition. “It’s honestly pointless. Then that’s our whole pool gone. It was mainly funding. And we tried to get the funding. Tried to get in for November, but it was already booked up. Then we had a January opportunity. But still, we wouldn’t be even placed in the teams.
“We’d be on the waiting list. So we’d be waiting for a university to drop out. A university pouring that much money into something would just not pull out halfway through the season, and there would be no point,” he said.
It was hard enough for Oleniacz to pull together a four-man squad with enough previous experience to win the competition. At established universities, things are very different. “If one of their drivers got sick they can probably replace him instantly because they need the numbers. They’re paying for it and they’re not going to pull out so it’d be a waste of money for us.”
Losing a year is extremely disappointing for the club. It could be the final opportunity for Oleniacz and his team to race in a competitive scenario. “It’s soul-crushing to be fair. Even me thinking about it, instead of having three years, I only have two. So, the time is now. Time is of the essence.” The captain concluded.
Oleniacz is hoping that the University of Gloucestershire can compete in a few events in 2025. For now, society members are happy to hone their skills by racing against each other at local tracks.
