Proving that size really isn't everything, it was the youngsters in the smaller 80cc Komers that provided the race of the afternoon in the second Hamilton Go-Karting Grand Prix on a packed Front Street yesterday.

Rian Lindo, 12, sneaked through to win a close race in which he had sat in third or fourth for most of the eight laps, while Blake Camara grabbed second as the early leaders lost their nerve or control in the final stages.

Meanwhile, the highly-rated Jason North, sporting a nifty blue hairstyle, showed his talent with wins in the Yamaha Medium 100cc and the 125 Shifters.

In the Komers, Carlos Cardoza, who ultimately came in fourth, had looked likely to snatch victory after working his way back through the field after losing the advantage of pole postion, gained in the qualifiers.

Quicker off the mark were Brandon Frank and Justin Lindo. The latter trailed by a kart length over most of the first lap before taking Frank on the straight just after completing that lap.

By the time they finished the third lap the lead had changed again but Cardoza was closing all the time in third.

Rian Lindo didn't look a real threat at that time but when the karts appeared from the loop which took in a turn around the back of the Bank of Bermuda and a switch across from Bermudiana to Par La-Ville roads, Frank had slipped back to fifth. Justin Lindo was first with Cardoza, Rian Lindo and Camara in hot pursuit.

Cardoza finally forced his way into first but as he sped round the bend in front of the Irish Linen Shop he shot into the safety bales of hay and tyres.

He was dug out by marshalls, but punched the air several times in frustration.

Another moment of chaos at the 180 degree turn into the final straight allowed Rian Lindo to sweep through ahead of Camara, Frank and Cardoza.

Lindo, a Saltus student, compared the race to a smooth ride on a Triumph or Harley Davidson but admitted at times there was so much excitement "you didn't really know what you were doing''.

But he was confident he could win throughout. "There's no sense of giving up,'' he said. "It was very exciting and exhilarating going round the corner and seeing Carlos in the hay.

"When you come out of the bend onto the stretch the speed flows over your head like turbulence.'' Speedy though they were, the real power masters came to the fore in the 100cc Open and 125cc Shifter classes with the top racers reaching speeds of 72 mph.

Joshua Simmons and Robert De Costa contested the former until De Costa clipped the back of Simmons' kart again on the bend at the bottom of Queen Street, allowing Luis Martin to take up the chase. Martin overtook Simmons on the straight, opened up a comfortable gap and took the race.

Simmons had to settle for second with Andrew DeCosta third and Robert DeCosta recovering to finish fourth.

North had been pushed by John Carreiro Jr in the Yamaha Mediums until the latter crashed on the seventh lap. And he had to come from behind, brilliantly manoeuvring past leader Damon Simons at the 180 degree turn in front of the bandstand on the seventh lap.

Afterwards there was some jostling in the pits as North and his many supporters celebrated his win.

"It was very competitive, I was struggling to get it on, I was getting tired but I did my best and I came out on top,'' he said. "There were a few swaps of places. He was faster on the stretch and I was faster on the corners.'' But North wouldn't be drawn into any controversy over what happened after the race. "Nobody likes a winner,'' he said with a grin.

Photos by Ras Mykkal Driving force: Jason North picked up two victories in yesterday's second Hamilton Grand Prix, winning the 100cc Yamaha Mediums and the 125cc Shifters.

Crowd pleasers: Go-karters Kevin Tucker (23) and Joshua Simmons (22) were among those who thrilled a crowd of about 5,000 in the 100cc Open class during yesterday's Hamilton Grand Prix.