The Rock Island Illinois Grand Prix always seems to bring the very best out of Scott Barnes.

That trend continued at this year’s event, regarded as the world’s largest and most prestigious karting street race, as the top local karting driver impressed with three podium displays competing against some high-quality opponents.

Barnes, the Bermuda Karting Club president, finished second in the 125cc Shifter Open race and was third in the LO 206 Medium and LO 206 Heavy races at the annual event, held this month in ideal racing conditions.

He also narrowly missed out on claiming pole position for the 125cc Shifter Open race after qualifying in second position.

Making Barnes’s feat all the more impressive was the fact he was able to thrive despite being inactive for several months.

“I hadn’t been in a kart since May before as that’s when our season ended, so I was really happy with three top three finishes,” said Barnes, a commercial fisherman.

“Any time I race I want to win and felt like I had the karts and talent to compete for wins, but I’ll take three top three finishes in a hard street race against some great drivers.

“It’s always hard racing against drivers that are racing every weekend, especially after a four-month break out of a kart, so overall I’m happy with the results.”

Barnes has competed at the event for more than a decade, managing over twenty podium finishes and pocketing more than $4,000 in earnings. His finest achievement came in 2009 when he won the 125cc Shifter title.

“This is a race that sees the top United States drivers and drivers from all over the world attend and is a race I always put on my calendar to compete in,” Barnes said.

The experienced driver has a tremendous passion for street racing.

“I love street racing, there’s something a little more exciting about racing in the streets than racing on normal a karting track,” he said.

“Being able to race at over 100mph on streets that cars normally drive on at 40 to 50mph makes it a little different and exciting.

“Even though I compete in this race every year, with any street race the roads and pavement are always changing, so every year you have to find the different bumps and racing lines.

“And, of course, with a street race there’s no run off area, so you have to be that much better at driving as to not mess up or you will be in the barriers real fast with a broken kart.

“In street racing there is no room for error. Street racing is definitely for the big boys — and I love it!”

Barnes cruised to a comfortable win in the Tag Senior class at this year’s Keen Ltd Hamilton Grand Prix, which returned after a 12-year hiatus.

Barnes, who won the local Shifter and TAG class for the second successive year last season, claimed three classes when the Grand Prix was previously held in 2002.