AKA Nationals - Friday's News

Friday was qualifying and the opening heats of racing in Townsville for the 2009 AKA Nationals.

• MyLaps.com has been updated with all of the results so far - CLICK HERE.
• AKA site karting.net.au has a 'Friday Notebook' - CLICK HERE.
• Heat 1 'quick reults' summary (top 5) - CLICK HERE
• Various audio grabs/interviews (Brad Belcher, David Sera, Hayden Stephensen) - CLICK HERE

 

AKA press release

LOCAL DRIVERS SHOW THE WAY IN KARTING NATIONALS

Local racers Brad Belcher and Hayden Stephensen have shown they have got what it takes to mix it with Australia’s best drivers by qualifying first and second in the 47th Nationals Sprint Kart Championships sponsored by Yamaha at the Sun City Raceway in Townsville today.

Above: Townsville's Brad Belcher qualified on pole position in Leopard Heavy.
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

The local duo set the pace in the 125cc Leopard Heavy category ahead of South Australian driver Rowan Booth.

“It is just a great start, you can’t really ask for much better but there is a long, long way to go yet,” said Belcher.

“The first aim for me was to get somewhere near the front during qualifying, and I’ve achieved that. Now my focus turns towards the racing and hopefully being able to be in the same spot come Sunday night after the Finals.”

With so many family and friends expected to be trackside across the weekend Belcher is understandably nervous as he enters the biggest race meeting of his karting career.

Above: 2008 Junior National Light Champion Tyler Greenbury qualified on pole position for Leopard Light.
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

“I’m the most nervous that I’ve been going into a race meeting, when you’ve been racing for so long and then get the opportunity to race against the best drivers on your home track you really want to do well,” said Belcher.

Both Belcher and Stephensen are also both competing in the 100cc Clubman Heavy category where they qualified fourth and 12th fastest respectively behind Mackay driver Justin Garioch, who secured pole position in a well-credentialed field.

Above: Mackay driver Justin Garioch upstaged the field in Clubman Heavy during qualifying
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Behind Garioch came three-time Australian Champion Jason Hryniuk, six-time Australian Champion Remo Luciani, Belcher and six-time Australian Champion Matthew Wall.

Cairns’ Lydon Dodge was another North Queensland driver to fare well during qualifying day and claimed the pole position for the 100cc Senior National Light category. It is the first time in almost five years that Dodge has contested the class.

“All week during practice I have been chasing a good race set up so I was a little bit surprised to finish up on pole,” said Dodge.

“I’ve raced at Townsville for many years and is a track that I really enjoy competing at. I’ve finished on the podium in a State Championship here a few years ago, hopefully I can do it again this weekend.”

Mackay’s Mitchell Fry upstaged his more fancied rivals during qualifying for the Junior Clubman category to snare pole position during the final session. Qualifying second behind Fry was Gold Coast driver Chris Hays who was followed by Lucas Ward, Canberra’s Matthew Hart and Victorian Jarrod Egan.

Above: Mackay youngster Mitchell Fry set the pace during Junior Clubman qualifying.
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Heat races will be completed Saturday morning followed by the pre-finals in the afternoon. The Championship Finals will be contested on Sunday.

Above: Gladstone racer Cian Fothergill in action aboard his Phoenix kart.
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

47th NATIONAL SPRINT KART CHAMPIONSHIPS Sponsored by Yamaha
Sun City Raceway, Townsville, QLD

RESULTS: Qualifying
Represents provisional top five from both qualifying sessions held and the starting positions for the first two heats.

Junior National Heavy
1. #5 Darcey Kondopirakis 52.023 (Q2)
2. #86 Chris Farkas 52.185 (Q2)
3. #66 Jarryd Ebzery 52.232 (Q2)
4. #14 Macauley Jones 52.283 (Q2)
5. #63 Aaron Johnstone 52.287 (Q2)

Senior National Heavy
1. #1 Mathew Waters 52.739 (Q1)
2. #14 Corey Lean 52.871 (Q1)
3. #44 Dominic Lostitch 52.888 (Q1)
4. #66 Adam Pisula 52.919 (Q1 & Q2)
5. #19 Marshall Watson 52.925 (Q1)

Leopard Light
1. #12 Tyler Greenbury 44.426 (Q1)
2. #64 Adam Hughes 44.597 (Q1)
3. #42 John Grother 44.601 (Q1)
4. #9 Phillip King 44.683 (Q1)
5. #70 Brendan Nelson 44.786 (Q1)

Leopard Heavy
1. #22 Brad Belcher 45.253 (Q1)
2. #28 Hayden Stephenson 45.455 (Q1)
3. #99 Rowan Booth 45.666 (Q1)
4. #78 Simon Roberts 45.683 (Q1)
5. #33 Rick Pringle 45.767 (Q1)

Clubman Super Heavy
1. #20 Lee Foster 49.158 (Q1)
2. #39 Ryan Fulcher 49.197 (Q1)
3. #4 Ben McKinley 49.228 (Q1)
4. #7 Glen Stallbaum 49.249 (Q1)
5. #1 Scott Simpson 49.281 (Q2)

Senior National Light
1. #96 Lydon Dodge 52.289 (Q1)
2. #37 James Whitley 52.360 (Q2)
3. #69 Shannon Price 52.387 (Q1)
4. #12 Scott Sorensen 52.394 (Q1)
5. #20 Cian Fothergill 52.452 (Q1)

Junior National Light
1. #17 Sam Lumsden 51.311 (Q1)
2. #95 Warren White Jr 51.334 (Q1)
3. #14 Jake Coleman 51.368 (Q1)
4. #94 Jordan Lloyd 51.392 (Q2)
5. #88 Joseph Mawson 51.462 (Q2)

Clubman Heavy
1. #23 Justin Garioch 47.561 (Q1)
2. #45 Jason Hryniuk 47.614 (Q1)
3. #20 Remo Luciani 47.624 (Q1)
4. #22 Brad Belcher 47.637 (Q1)
5. #15 Matthew Wall 47.640 (Q1)

Junior Clubman
1. #89 Mitchell Fry 47.818 (Q2)
2. #97 Christopher Hays 46.923 (Q1)
3. #3 Lucas Ward 46.954 (Q1)
4. #2 Mathew Hart 46.975 (Q1)
5. #62 Jarrod Egan 47.019 (Q2)

Clubman Light
1. #20 Cian Fothergill 46.727 (Q1)
2. #14 Tyler Greenbury 46.943 (Q1)
3. #96 David Sera 46.961 (Q1)
4. #27 Brenton Simmonds 46.979 (Q1)
5. #34 Steven Scoble 47.009 (Q1)

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