From the Toowoomba Chronicle (http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2012/01/31/success-becomes-annual/)
Alexandra Whitley proves hard to beat at the Combined District Kart Club’s annual breast cancer research fundraiser event and her latest success has come at a time when the cause means even more to her family.
Whitley’s aunt Julie lost her battle with cancer earlier this month so the annual fundraiser at Lithgow in New South Wales, which the Toowoomba driver has enjoyed success at previously, held greater personal significance.
Whitley went to Central West NSW at the weekend hoping to defend her two titles won last year at the female-only event and she did, taking out the senior light and clubman light classes.
The 18-year-old was undefeated in her 15 races at Lithgow last year but she wasn’t as dominant at the weekend.
Qualifying didn’t go to plan as she could manage only fifth in the clubman light and seventh in senior light.
She managed to fight back by winning all of her subsequent races in the clubman light class.
Whitley also finished second in the pre-final of the senior light before going on to win the final after starting from second on the grid.
“It gets tougher every year,” Whitley said.
“They just get faster and the juniors come up but I had to defend my title. That’s what we came down for.”
And as for the standard of the annual female event in a male-dominated sport, Whitley responded: “Some of the girls would actually be tougher than the boys.”
