Mainlanders Dominate Nationals In Launceston

AKA press release

Drivers from Australia’s mainland states have dominated the 46th Australian National Sprint Kart Championships sponsored by Yamaha at Archerville Kartway in Launceston, Tasmania today.

The ten championship classes will all cross Bass Strait with New South Wales taking five titles, Victoria three and Queensland claiming two ‘green plates’.

Victorian Bart Price clinched his sixth Australian title with a win in the highly-competitive Clubman Light category driving an Australian-made Arrow kart. It was Price’s first Easter Nationals win since 1999, which came in the same class.

Fellow Victorian James Sera, who finished runner-up to Price in Clubman Light after winning that title one year ago, picked up the win in Leopard Light in his Kosmic kart ahead of another Victorian in Ryan Sanderson and West Aussie Amrit Kandola.

New South Welshman Matthew Waters completed a rare Nationals double by taking both Senior National Light and Senior National Heavy.

Mark Brown was the best performed Tasmanian by following home Waters in Senior National Heavy in a close finish after the duo were neck and neck over the final two laps.

Launceston driver Zane Wyatt started from second in the final of Leopard Heavy, but a clash with Rick Pringle on the opening lap slowed his charge. Wyatt recovered to finish fourth in his Kosmic, while Pringle crossed the line second in his CRG behind winner Justin Schneider.

Toowoomba’s Tyler Greenbury won his first Australian title by taking out Junior National Light in an action-packed race, just ahead of Matthew Brabham, grandson of three-time Formula One World Champion Sir Jack Brabham and son of 1993 Le Mans 24-Hour winner Geoff.

James Kovacic started all three finals in the junior classes from pole position and came away with the win in the premier junior division, Junior Clubman, along with third in Junior National Light and fourth in Junior National Heavy. With results provisional in Junior National Heavy, Kovacic could be elevated to a rare third podium finish.

Top Kart driver Nathan Morcom from New South Wales, crossed the line first ahead of Blake Sciberras and Garry Jacobson in the closest finish of the day.

Shayne Piper took a spectacular win in Clubman Heavy in his Monaco. An elder statesman of Australian karting and a champion engine builder, Piper took an emotional victory ahead of two of Australia’s most successful drivers, Jason Hryniuk and Matthew Wall.

Gold Coaster Scott Simpson took his fourth Clubman Super Heavy, his third-consecutive win in the class. It was a Redspeed one-two in the class, with Ben McKinlay coming home just behind Simpson.

The 47th Australian National Sprint Kart Championships will be hosted by the Townsville Kart Club at Sun City Raceway in far north Queensland on 10-12 April 2008.

2008 Australian Champions - Provisional
Junior National Light: Tyler Greenbury (Qld – Tony Kart)
Junior National Heavy: Nathan Morcom (NSW – Top Kart)
Junior Clubman: James Kovacic (NSW – Monaco)
Senior National Light: Matthew Waters (NSW – Arrow)
Senior National Heavy: Matthew Waters (NSW – Arrow)
Clubman Light: Bart Price (Vic – Arrow)
Clubman Heavy: Shayne Piper (NSW – Monaco)
Clubman Super Heavy: Scott Simpson (Qld – Redspeed)
Leopard Light: James Sera (Vic – Kosmic)
Leopard Heavy: Justin Schneider (Vic – Arrow)

Full results from the 46th National Sprint Kart Championships sponsored by Yamaha can be found HERE.

2008 NATIONALS – FINALS RACE NOTES

JUNIOR NATIONAL LIGHT

Tasmanian driver Callum Zizek rolled prior to the start bending the axle on his Tony Kart forcing him into the pit area. Tony kart driver Tyler Greenbury lead the field into turn one before Blake Sciberras took over the lead at the end of the back straight.

During the opening lap there were no less then four lead changes with Warren White Jnr and polesitter James Kovacic amongst the front runners. When Sean Butcher rolled in spectacular fashion at the end of the back straight it brought about the first red flag of the weekend. Although a little shaken Butcher emerged uninjured.

At the restart Chris Hays was black flagged for using three attempts at restarting his Vodafone-backed Tony Kart.

Kovacic led from the restart with 18 laps to go. Greenbury took over the lead on the next lap. Greenbury, Kovacic, White Jnr, Cameron Waters, Mitch L’Estrange and Matthew Brabham, who started from position 23.

Greenbury from Kovacic and Waters. Brabham a couple of kart lengths further back. Kovacic to the lead with nine laps to go before Waters took over the lead half a lap later. Top three slender gap over fourth placed White Jnr who is being shadowed by Brabham.

Kovacic got a bad run onto the back straight costing him a couple of spots and allowing Greenbury and Waters a gap. Three blue plates at the front of the field, Waters, Greenbury and Kovacic followed by Brabham and White Jnr.

Waters took the lead entering turn two with two to go before Greenbury grabbed it back at the end of the back straight. The top four were running nose to tail and after an intense last lap battle it was Greenbury who crossed the line first from Brabham, Waters, Kovacic, Scibberas

Waters was later disqualified for engine problems, elevating CRG pilot Warren White Jr into the top five - results provisional.

RESULTS: Top Five
1. Tyler Greenbury
2. Matthew Brabham
3, James Kovacic
4. Blake Sciberras
5. Warren White Jr

Above: Tyler Greenbury
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

CLUBMAN HEAVY

Polesitter Matt Wall leads the way through tun one in his Arrow kart. Shayne Piper looked to make a move on the inside Wall at the end of the back straight but was unable to make it stick.

Sydney driver Jason Hryniuk capitalised from Piper’s move to grab second place shortly after.

Hryniuk moved his CRG to the front at the end of the opening lap. Top five running nose to tail with Hryniuk leading Wall, Paul Pittam, Shayne Piper and Peter Lawler. Defending champion Troy Hunt is in sixth place and seventh is Jace Lindstrom.

Piper took over the lead at the end of the back straight on lap six in his Monaco kart and the top four are separated by one kart length with Hunt a further four kart-lengths further back.

Hrynuik makes a move at the end of the back straight to take over the lead on lap 12. Wall followed him through to drop Piper back to third spot. A lap later Wall moved past Hryniuk for the lead in the same spot, Peter Lawler is now in the battle for the lead and looking strong. Local driver Jared Bishop has been the quiet achiever and has moved into fourth spot.

With three laps remaining Piper held a three kart-length lead over Hryniuk, Wall, Lawler and Bishop.

Piper Crossed the line five kart-lenghts clear of Hryniuk with the same distance back to Wall in third place.

RESULTS: Top Five
1. Shayne Piper
2. Jason Hryniuk
3. Matthew Wall
4. Peter Lawler
5. Jared Bishop

Above: Shayne Piper
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

CLUBMAN SUPER HEAVY
Defending Australian Champion Scott Simpson led the way through turn one from pole position ahead of fellow Redspeed driver Ben McKinlay and Bruce Otter.

Throughout the opening laps the leading trio open a significant gap over the fourth placed runner of Samm Harrington who is followed by Phill Straughen.

By mid race the leading duo had pulled away from Otter in third place. Straughen remained in fourth place closely followed by Harrington. Despite not having challenged for the lead McKinlay appears to have the pace to match Simpson.

Staughen is challenging Otter for third place and eventually moves into the final podium position with two and a half laps remaining.

RESULTS: Top Five
1. Scott Simpson
2. Ben McKinlaey
3. Phill Straughen
4. Samm Harrington
5. Bruce Otter

Above: Scott Simpson
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

JUNIOR CLUBMAN

New South Wales driver James Kovacic grabs the lead through the opening turn ahead of Ben Lincoln and Chris Hays. Britek Scholarship driver Scott McLaughlin is in fourth place ahead of Ben Jurczak.

Lincoln made a move on Kovacic in the middle corner allowing Hays to take over the lead. As Kovacic, Hays and Adam Lindstrom battle for second spot is allowed Lincoln to make a break for it.

At the half race distance the action started to heat up with Lindstrom taking over the front, however, his time at the front was short-lived as the Kovacic and Lincoln shuffled their way through. Hays was black flagged for a loose chain guard.

Shortly after Kovacic found his way to the front in his Monaco kart he started to open a handy buffer and was never seriously challenged for the victory.

RESULTS: Top Five
1. James Kovacic
2. Ben Lincoln
3. Scott McLaughlin
4. Damien Ward
5. Adam Lindstrom

Above: James Kovacic
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

SENIOR NATIONAL HEAVY

Matthew Waters will replace his blue plate for a green one after taking a tight win in Senior National Heavy.

Waters, local favourite Mark Brown and defending Australian champ Daniel Stein broke away early to establish a healthy lead on the rest of the field.

Stein dropped back mid-race, falling into the clutches of Franky Costanzo. Costanzo soon made a pass and set about chasing down the lead duo.

Brown left his run for the lead late, hounding Waters over the last two laps. He looked to make a move for the lead at the penultimate corner but Waters defended the corner well and took the win ahead of Brown and Costanzo, who had closed right up onto the leading pair but was one lap too late to make a run for the number one spot.

RESULTS: Top Five
1. Matthew Waters
2. Mark Brown
3. Franky Costanzo
4. Daniel Stein
5. Ryan Reynolds

Above: Matthew Waters, winner of both Senior National classes
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

JUNIOR NATIONAL HEAVY

Nathan Morcom and Garry Jacobson were glued together for the entire 21 laps of the final of Junior National Heavy, with the title decided at the final corner.

It was Morcom’s Top Kart that crossed the line first, but that result is provisional with appeals lodged.

Morcom and Jacobson got the better of the start, soon dropping James Kovacic and pulling a decent gap on the field despite continually changing positions.

In the final laps the battle heated up, giving Blake Sciberras, who had passed Kovacic, a chance to close right up on the back of the duo.

In the penultimate corner of the race Jacobson led into the corner but he and Morcom made contact, resulting in Jacobson running wide and Sciberras and Morcom entering the final corner (a flat out right kink) side-by-side.

Sciberras was on the outside but kept his foot in it, but the inside line allowed Morcom to nose ahead and take the win by half a kart length, with Jacobson third ahead of Kovacic and Tyler Cramer, who drove a lonely race in fifth.

RESULTS: Top Five
1. Nathan Morcom
2. Blake Sciberras
3. Garry Jacobsen
4. James Kovacic
5. Tyler Cramer
**ALL PODIUM POSITIONS PROVISIONAL**

CLUBMAN LIGHT

A first corner incident eliminated a number of runners in the lower half of the top ten and surrounding grids including Joel Smith, Lydon Dodge and the Sanderson brothers (Ryan and Jordan).

Leaving the carnage behind him was polesitter Steven Scoble who led the way ahead of defending champion James Sera and Bart Price. The trio worked together to open a gap over fourth placed Deepal Kandola in his Top Kart.

During the middle of the race the lead changed on at least one occasion per lap with Scoble, Sera and Price all having a crack at leading the way.

With eight laps remaining Price made his move under brakes at the end of the back straight to take over the lead. Despite having Sera in close pursuit the Melbourne Arrow driver was never seriously challenged over the closing laps and he crossed the line to secure his sixth Australian title.

Sera crossed the line second in his Monaco ahead of Scoble, who made it a trio of Australian made karts on the podium.

RESULTS: Top Five
1. Bart Price
2. James Sera
3. Steven Scoble
4. Deepal Kandola
5. David Sera

Above: Bart Price
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

SENIOR NATIONAL LIGHT

With no less than 15 lead changes throughout the 21-lap final the Senior National Light category was full of action.

Phoenix driver Cian Fothergill led from the green light ahead of Dominic Lostitch. Throughout the early laps the top five swapped positions lap after lap, sometimes even twice a lap, with Fothergill and Lostitch joined by Matthew Waters, Nicholas Tanti and Brendan Nelson.

This trend continued throughout the race with Fothergill taking the lead on the final lap in the middle corner only to be ‘hung out to dry’ on the next corner allowing Waters into the lead.

Waters crossed the line to take the win ahead of Lostitch and Tanti.

RESULTS: Top Five
1. Matthew Waters
2. Dominic Lostitch
3. Nicholas Tanti
4. Brendan Nelson
5. Byron Bateson

LEOPARD HEAVY

DP Karts driver Justin Schneider took advantage of his pole position to lead the field through turn one.

At the end of the back straight fastest qualifier Rick Pringle and Zane Wyatt came together dropping the pair outside the top five.

While Schneider drove off into the distance the battle for the minor placings was intense with Hayden Stephensen, Nathan Mills and in the latter stages, Pringle, battled hard.

In the end it was the fast finishing Pringle who finished second behind the dominant Scheider as Mills crossed the line in third place.

RESULTS: Top Five
1. Justin Schneider
2. Rick Pringle
3. Nathan Mills
4. Zane Wyatt
5. Jeff Dickson

Above: Justin Schneider
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

LEOPARD LIGHT

James Sera will be an Australian champion for another 12 months, but it will be the Victorian’s Leopard Light kart that carries the green and gold plate.

The MKC driver proved too good in his Kosmic kart in the second half of the race after a frantic start. Polesitter David Sera, cousin of James, was shuffled back to third at the start as the Tony Kart pair of Grant Smith and Jordie Lindstrom set the pace.

Ryan Sanderson then took the lead after having a wretched weekend to date. The Pro Karting Arrow driver led for much of the first half of the race, with James Sera in second.

The defining moment of the race came when Sera took the lead but Sanderson had a run on him into the hairpin to potentially retake the lead. Sanderson opted to stick in behind Sera rather than dive down the inside, but half a lap later Hayden McBride made a move on Sanderson for second that gave Sera a break on the pack that he never relinquished.

Sanderson reclaimed second and set about chasing down the lead, but Sera was the class of the field and proved too fast.

Amrit Kandola claimed third from McBride in the final laps to take the final step on the podium, with Jason Hryniuk fifth. Two of the pre-race favourites, Matthew Wall and David Sera, both failed to finish the final.

Wall was turned around exiting the hairpin and collected by several karts on lap one, while Sera had his engine expire mid-race.

RESULTS – Top Five
1. James Sera
2. Ryan Sanderson
3. Amrit Kandola
4. Hayden McBride
5. Jason Hryniuk

All results are provisional

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