Bailey James Racing

Not every racing journey is perfectly smooth.

Sometimes you get all the testing you want.
Sometimes you don’t.

Sometimes everything lines up perfectly.
Sometimes you can only make the most of any opportunities you can get.

But one thing that never changes is the determination to improve every single time we go out with the kart.

Whilst we might not have managed all the prep weekends we’d planned so far this year, the motivation definitely hasn’t disappeared. If anything, we're more ready than ever to get back out there and fight. 💪

Round 2 of the British Kart Championship is getting closer, the countdown is officially on… and we’re ready to get back to work 🏁

Stortec Engineering Ltd | Fort Vale Engineering LTD | Owkay Clothing | Demon Tweeks Motorsport | Designer Travel by Simon Collinge | Coles Racing

Sometimes testing days teach you more than race weekends.

After Warden Law, we headed straight to Rowrah for two full days of testing at a track I’d never driven before. Sunday started wet, freezing cold and ridiculously windy but, session by session, I started learning the place, understanding the lines and building confidence.

By Monday, in the dry, things really started clicking.

One thing I’ve struggled with at times is being smooth enough on turn in when the grip levels are high. I’ve always naturally attacked the corners quite aggressively which can sometimes upset the kart too much and cost time on exit.

At one point my dad even joked that I should try rally driving because I was “Scandi Flicking” the kart into some corners 😅

But that’s exactly why testing matters.

Having coaches out on track, showing braking points, lines and kart positioning visually really helped things click for me. Session by session my driving became smoother, calmer and more controlled and, as that happened, the lap times kept dropping too.

Unfortunately, this video shows the biggest moment of my weekend…

A less experienced driver pulled standing water back across one of the fastest corners on the track and a group of us arrived there at exactly the wrong time. Suddenly everyone was sliding everywhere and several of us ended up hitting the barriers pretty hard.

Thankfully the chassis survived, my dad worked his magic rebuilding the broken bits and we managed to get back out again later that day.

And to finish the weekend properly, for the last couple of sessions we decided to stop worrying about setup changes and lap times and just have some fun.

We all went out together for a proper team “hack”, racing nose to tail, pushing each other every corner and just enjoying driving the karts. No pressure, no podiums, no holding back and probably some of the most fun I’ve had all year.

More than 7 hours on track, loads learned, loads improved and a lot of confidence gained heading into the next races 💪

People look at me in my kart and think it’s just a bit of fun.
Like it’s simple.
Like it’s just racing.

They see my dad in the paddock and think he’s just “the mechanic.”
Spanner in hand, tinkering, keeping things running.

But he’s everything.
Dad. Mechanic. Driver coach. General dogsbody. Whatever needs doing, he does it.

And my mum… she’s the one making sure it all actually happens.
Finance manager, organiser, chief worrier.
Running on wine and nerves most weekends, trying to keep everything together behind the scenes.

But what people don’t see is everything else.

Late nights in the tent when most kids are asleep and my dad’s still there trying to find that last bit of pace in the kart.
The endless checking, changing, rebuilding… chasing that next tenth of a second.

The money conversations no one hears.
Entries, tyres, engines, travel… all carefully worked out so I can even be on track in the first place.

The quiet drives home when nobody really talks much.
Not because anyone’s angry… just because sometimes racing doesn’t go your way.

And me, going over every lap in my head.
Every corner. Every mistake. Every “what if.”

Then there’s my mum… trying to stay calm on the outside while worrying about everything on the inside.
Still smiling, still filming, still there… even when her heart’s probably racing more than mine.

Because karting isn’t just driving.

It’s pressure.
It’s discipline.
It’s learning how to lose without falling apart.

And learning how to win without forgetting who helped you get there.

It’s early mornings. Late nights. Living out of the caravan more than most expect.
It’s greasy hands, cold mornings, hot afternoons and everything in between.

And me? I’m not just driving.

I’m learning how to stay calm when everything in me wants to panic.
How to focus when it matters most.
How to go again after a bad session.

None of this works without the people around me.

My dad, who does absolutely everything just to keep me on track.
My mum, who somehow keeps the whole thing running while worrying about everything at once.

So no… it’s not just a hobby.

It’s our life.

And if you’ve ever seen us in the paddock… you’ll know exactly what I mean.

We wouldn’t change it for anything! 🏁

Stortec Engineering Ltd | Fort Vale Engineering LTD | Owkay Clothing | Coles Racing | Demon Tweeks Motorsport | Designer Travel by Simon Collinge | KartSim Ltd | Kristy Collinge

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟏

Warden Law is starting to feel like one of 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 tracks.

We have pace. We do everything right but… it just never comes together.

This weekend we hoped it would be different.

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 – 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞

From the first session, the pace was there. We were at the sharp end all day, improving, making tweaks, finding time.

The kart felt good, I felt comfortable, we were in the fight and everything was building the way we wanted it to.

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 – 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠

Qualifying threw something new at everyone.

Normally, it turns into a waiting game. Everyone sits on the dummy grid watching for someone to go, then jumps in behind them to get a slipstream. It’s basically a game of who commits first.

But new rules meant everyone had to be on track within 30 seconds. So suddenly everyone went out together, then slowed, weaving and positioning themselves for a tow.

I ended up at the front.

With only a couple of minutes left, I had no choice but to go for it. I put in a decent lap, but around here without a tow it’s never going to be enough.

I backed off and re-joined the pack for another run… then got taken out.

The other driver got a penalty, but it didn’t change anything. The pack had gone, I had lost the tow, they improved, I didn’t.

P38 out of 47.

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝟏

With controlled tyres, the wheels get taken off the kart and handed back to the stewards after each session.

When we got them back on the grid in preparation for the first heat, we knew straight away something wasn’t right. One tyre was completely flat.

We reinflated it and checked everything, but the pressure wasn’t holding.

We decided to go out anyway but, after a first lap incident dropped us down the field, and with the tyre clearly going down, we made the call to retire and save what we could.

Afterwards, we found the issue. The wheel itself was cracked, likely from the incident that took us out in qualifying.

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝟐

Starting P26, it was simple. Head down and go for it.

The pace was there but again, every time I made progress, something would happen. Contact, being pushed wide, losing positions…

It felt like fighting the same battle on repeat.

Crossed the line P27.

Not what we needed. Not what we deserved.

𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲 – 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭

Our heat results, or lack of, meant we were starting the Super Heat from last on the grid.

Our chances of making the afternoon's Final were pretty much gone. So this one became about pride.

Then, just as we were getting ready to go down to the grid… it started raining. Instant change. Wet race.

And my face lit up… these are the conditions I love!

Starting last actually worked in my favour. I could sit back, stay out of the chaos into turn one, pick up positions and then start working forward.

That’s exactly what I did. After just a couple of laps I had worked my way up to P15… Then got taken out, again!

After the race the other driver got a penalty for taking me out, but that didn't help me any. I was last, several seconds from the kart ahead.

But I love these conditions and, within two laps I’d caught them. From there, it was one pass after another, every lap, just chipping away.

I crossed the line P17. It was a great drive but it wasn’t enough.

We had missed the Final. Our weekend was over.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝

This one hurts. From the first session on Thursday, we showed we could run with the front, the pace was there.

But, between qualifying, the damaged wheel, bad luck and incidents… it just never came together.

And that’s what’s starting to make Warden Law a tough one for us.

No matter what we do up there, something always seems to get in the way.

But that’s racing. We know the speed is there. We know what we’re capable of. We just need a clean weekend to show it.

We reset.
We go again 💪

Stortec Engineering Ltd | Fort Vale Engineering LTD | Owkay Clothing | Demon Tweeks Motorsport | Designer Travel by Simon Collinge | Coles Racing |

🚨 𝐁𝐢𝐠 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬! 🚨

It's happening, we’re officially signed up for the Wera Tools British Kart Championships next weekend up at Warden Law! 🏎️💨

This is THE championship we've been aiming for, the one every young kart racer dreams of — the ultimate test, the toughest tracks, the fastest drivers and we’re finally lining up on the grid with them.

Warden Law has been a mixed bag so far this year for us, but this weekend we’re going to be all in — learning, pushing and aiming for the sharp end.

Aaron Charles I hope you're up for it as we're pumped and ready... Let’s go! 🔥

Stortec Engineering Ltd | Fort Vale Engineering LTD | Owkay Clothing | Kristy Collinge | Designer Travel by Simon Collinge | Demon Tweeks Motorsport | Minerva Virtual Academy | Coles Racing

𝐈 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏!! I’m looking to work with a small number of businesses who want to be part of my next step.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐭, 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 "𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕"… 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.

Next weekend, I will be lining up on the grid in the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 for the first time.

This is the same championship where drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris and George Russell proved themselves. The level some people call the F5 of motorsport, just below single seaters and where careers begin.

For me… it’s a dream I’ve had since I was 7 years old, but this isn’t just about racing… It’s about opportunity.

Because behind every young driver trying to make it, there’s a reality that doesn’t always get seen, so here’s the honest part 👇 👇

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭.
There are no corporate boxes.
No champagne lounges.
No VIP hospitality.
No big budgets.
No shortcuts.
No guarantees.

It’s early mornings, cold paddocks, wet awnings, the smell of fuel, long days and a lot of people giving everything they’ve got, pushing to move forward chasing tenths of a second.

And that’s exactly where I am right now.

Over the next few months, I’ll be racing at the highest level of UK karting, with races live streamed to a global audience of motorsport fans and shared across my audience of 3,000+ engaged, targeted followers – people who are already invested in my journey.

So this is where I put it out there… I’m looking to work with a small number of businesses who want to be part of this next step, and I know the right people are either reading this, or connected to someone who is.

The kind of businesses who aren’t just looking for a logo on a kart or racewear (although that can easily be a part of it)… But businesses who see value in:

• Supporting a young athlete pushing towards a professional career
• Aligning with a story of ambition, resilience and progression
• Demonstrating real, Corporate Social Responsibility by backing grassroots sport
• Growing alongside me as I move up the motorsport ladder

A chance to support a young driver pushing towards a professional career.
To be there early, to grow with the journey, not just arrive at the finish line.

I might not have the luxury hospitality suites or corporate days out to offer (yet)… But I can offer something different.

– A real story.
– A real journey.
– Ongoing social media storytelling and exposure.
– Behind-the-scenes insight into the journey.
– A partnership and story that grows as I progress through the sport.
– And the chance to make a real difference at the stage where it matters most.

If that aligns with what your business stands for or sounds like something you’d like to be part of, I’d love to start a conversation.

– Bailey

𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐞𝐱𝐈𝐐 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞…

So, after another test session today, we’ve decided to pull the plug (for now).

On paper, it’s a good idea — real-time data, predictive modelling, instant feedback… basically everything to make you faster without thinking.

Reality was… slightly different.

What started as “driver support” quickly turned into a full-time backseat driver that clearly has never sent it into Turn 1 in its life.

It was calling off overtakes that were absolutely on, suggesting “safer alternative lines” mid-corner, at one point it even gave me a braking point that would’ve launched me into next week.

Turns out it was only programmed for one track, which wasn’t the one we were at so it had no idea where it was sending me!!

Honestly, the directions it was giving me, I was half expecting it to tell me to " 𝑇𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑝 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑘 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑". 🤦🏽‍♂️

Even better, every time things got interesting it hit me with “𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑖𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒.”

We also noticed it got very nervous into Turn 1 today… like really nervous. Almost like it suddenly became aware of the date 👀

Turns out ApexIQ had something called a “Seasonal Awareness Protocol” running.

Apparently it adjusts behaviour depending on the date… Which would explain a lot.

We also checked the regulations again… and apparently, Apex’s “Rule Checking” was a quick chat with their friend from the pub who used to race lawnmowers in a farmers field with his mates back in 2012 who reckoned it should be fine?

We probably should’ve asked that question before trusting it with my race craft.

So yeah — for now, it’s gone.

No AI. No displays in my visor. No backseat driver in my ear.

Just me, the kart, my driver coach… and whatever happens into Turn 1.

Especially on the 1st of April 😏😂

𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒!!

Over the last few days, we’ve been working on something a bit different behind the scenes.

Karting’s changing. Everything is getting more data-driven, more precise, more… calculated. And if you want to compete at the top level, you’ve got to be willing to evolve with it.

So after a number of conversations over the off-season, we’re really excited to share that we’ve partnered with ApexIQ Motorsport to trial an AI-assisted driver programme for the 2026 season.

This is something that’s been developing quietly in the background, and to now be in a position to test it properly feels like a big step forward.

The concept is all about unlocking performance in real time — using predictive modelling, data-driven decision making and live feedback to support what’s happening on track, not just analyse it afterwards.

I can't say too much just yet but, as part of the programme, I’ll be testing a fully integrated heads-up display inside my helmet. It projects racing lines, delta times, braking references and live data analysis straight onto the visor while I’m driving — giving instant feedback lap by lap.

We’ve already completed an initial test, and the level of detail it provides is seriously impressive. Being able to see and react to information in real time opens up a completely different way of approaching a session.

We’ve also taken the time, in conjunction with ApexIQ, to review the current regulations, and as things stand, we feel this system doesn’t breach any existing rules. It’s a bit of a grey area — but one we believe sits within the framework as it is today, all the way up to F1 level!

In a sport where margins are everything, finding opportunities like this can make a real difference, and we’re excited to explore what advantage it might bring over the course of the season.

It’s still early days, but this feels like a really exciting direction — not just for me, but for how driver development could look in the future.

Looking forward to getting more mileage with ApexIQ and seeing where we can take it... WATCH THIS SPACE!!