With the title in sight disaster struck for Essex karting champion Lochlan Bearman on Sunday as he was excluded from round 10 at Whilton Mill due to a technicality.

Bearman, 13, won last season’s championship at Whilton Mill and with the finish in sight, the teenager from Theydon Bois was running in third in the final and had he been able to finish the race he would have retained his title.

However, Bearman was hit was a technical exclusion which cost him more than 70 points – which cannot be one of the two ‘dropped’ scored in the final reckoning – because the ‘floats’ in his carburettor were not, as stipulated in the rules, of equal weight.

That they were of different weights would, in reality, have been a disadvantage to the youngster but as Bearman’s kart infringed the regulations he was excluded.

“I’m so disappointed,” said Bearman.

“It’s an honest mistake but it has cost me the championship.

“All year I’ve led and now it’s been taken away. If it was performance-enhancing then I could understand it better, but this was probably costing me speed.

“All that hard work from the team and my dad has just gone. This is what motorsport can be like; one minute you are on a high and then the next massive disappointment.

“I am going to be moving out of this category at the end of the season and I really wanted to win both of the championships I am contesting.

“I will go to the next round and give it my all but barring a similar misfortune hitting my closest rivals it looks like third will be the best I can achieve.”

The weekend had begun well for Bearman with the youngster finishing eighth in the first heat despite sustaining damage.

Fourth in heat two, he secured a fifth-place finish in heat three to leave him fifth on the grid in the final.

Bearman will be returning to action at Kimbolton on November 8.