Locals Lead The Way At NSW State Titles

AKA press release

Local competitors are leading the way after the opening day of competition for the Sargents Pies New South Wales Karting Championships at Sydney’s Oran Park Raceway today.

With the championships being the final major karting being held at the historic venue almost 400 competitors from all parts of the country have converged on the Western Sydney venue to race at the event.

In his first state championship event Castle Hill youngster Pierce Lehane set the pace during qualifying in the Formula JMA category today.


Above: Castle Hill youngster Pierce Lehane was the fastest qualifier in the Formula JMA category
pic: photowagon.com.au

Since moving from the motorcross ranks to follow his Dad and Grandfather onto the karting track 18 months ago the diminutive racer has rapidly developed into one of Australia's top young drivers.

“It is a great way to start my first state championship event, you really don’t get much better than qualifying on pole position,” said Lehane.

“Oran Park is a track that my Dad used to race at, I can remember when I was very young sitting on the hill watching him. Now the roles are reversed.”

Another local driver to feature prominently during the opening day of the championships was Winston Hills driver Jason Hryniuk.


Above: Winston Hills driver Jason Hryniuk with the iconic Oran Park bridge as a backdrop during today's qualifying action
pic: Coopers Photography

The three-time National Champion started the defence of the state championship he won last year in Port Macquarie in stylish fashion by qualifying fastest in the highly competitive Clubman Heavy class.

In a field that includes numerous current and former national champions Hryniuk set the pace ahead of Victorians Lee Mitchener and Mitchell Cuzens.

When the NSW championships were last held at the Oran Park venue in 1998 Hryniuk finished in sixth spot in the Clubman Light category, which was won by current V8 Supercar driver Mark Winterbottom.

“It is a very tough field here this weekend, probably the toughest of any class here this weekend, so it is great to start the weekend by being fastest in qualifying,” said Hryniuk.

“Oran Park is a place that I have spent a lot of time at during my career, so it would be great to successfully defend my state title in the final major event to be held here.

“The track has got a lot of grip, probably the most amount that I’ve seen here since 1998, which is something that we’ll have to keep an eye on over the weekend.”

Other drivers to post the fastest qualifying times in their respective categories were Andrew Kahl (Rookies), Lane Moore (Rotax Heavy), Blake Scibberas (Senior National Light), Joseph Mawson (Junior National Light), Adam Hughes (Leopard Light), David Whitmore (Rotax Light), Scott Simpson (Clubman Super Heavy), Shaun Cleary (Senior National Heavy), Simon Roberts (Leopard Heavy), Mathew Hart (Junior Clubman), David Sera (Clubman Light) and Darsey Kondopirakis (Junior National Heavy).

Over the past 40 years the Oran Park Raceway in Narellan has been the venue for some of the most memorable races in Australian karting history with a number of the world’s top drivers taking to the circuit behind the wheel of a kart.

The Oran Park venue played host to the Oceania Championships on a number of occasions with the likes of world-class drivers such as Jarno Trulli, Alessandro Manetti, Anthony Davidson and Jan Magnussen all competing alongside Australia’s best.

Some of the drivers who have ‘cut their teeth’ on the Oran Park circuit include IndyCar Championship contender Ryan Briscoe, dual World Karting Champion James Courtney and last year’s V8 Supercar Championship Runner-Up Mark Winterbottom.

With a new housing estate taking over the Oran Park region in the near future, this weekend’s event will be the final Championships to be held at the venue.

There are 14 categories being contested over the weekend catering for a number of ages, weights and engine capacities. Heat races will begin this afternoon before continuing tomorrow ahead of the Championship Finals on Sunday.

The Oran Park Raceway is located on the Great Northern Road, Narellan.

2009 Sargents Pies New South Wales State Championships
Oran Park Raceway, Narellan, NSW


QUALIFYING – Top Five (more results on the championship website HERE)

Rookies
1. #9 Andrew Kahl 47.719
2. #23 Lachlan McHugh 47.817
3. #6 Andreas Chronis 47.995
4. #8 Jordan Boys 48.046
5. #3 Dylan Higgins 48.094

Rotax Heavy
1. #9 Lane Moore 42.311
2. #3 Simon Meyer 42.331
3. #57 Trent Moore 42.490
4. #91 Craig Stauner 42.558
5. #35 Jason Pringle 42.576

Senior National Light
1. #1 Blake Scibberas 47.669
2. #92 Thomas Phillips 47.785
3. #14 Corey Lean 47.851
4. #13 Matthew Waters 47.897
5. #16 Nicholas Cancian 47.994

Junior National Light
1. #88 Joseph Mawson 46.617
2. #11 Todd Hazelwood 46.807
3. #92 Nathan Camillo 46865
4. #41 Michael Cassar 46.883
5. #48 Liam Morey 47.027

Leopard Light
1. #64 Adam Hughes 40.857
2. #81 Fegus Symes 40.925
3. #41 Adam Mercer 41.033
4. #18 Phillip King 41.063
5. #1 Tyler Greenbury 41.075

Formula JMA
1. #11 Pierce Lehane 42.086
2. #1 Ben Jurczak 42.191
3. #5 Jaie Robson 42.293
4. #62 Mathew Hart 42.310
5. #14 Macauley Jones 42.327

Rotax Light
1. #57 David Whitmore 41.442
2. #97 Tyler Greenbury 41.558
3. #45 Jason Hryniuk 41.607
4. #36 Daniel Rochford 41.651
5. #44 Steel Guiliana 41.702

Clubman Super Heavy
1. #23 Scott Simpson 44.754
2. #11 Josh Brooker 44.990
3. #15 Mark Muscat 45.013
4. #4 Ben McKinlay 45.101
5. #59 Craig Arnett 45.258

Senior National Heavy
1. #37 Shaun Cleary 48.678
2. #14 Corey Lean 48.721
3. #76 Nathan Sinclair 48.771
4. #66 Adam Pisula 48.781
5. #72 Daniel Ferry 48.892

Leopard Heavy
1. #78 Simon Roberts 41.697
2. #33 Matthew Greenbury 41.884
3. #88 Daniel Stein 41.905
4. #46 Michael Griffiths 41.936
5. #74 Matthew Endres 42.009

Junior Clubman
1. #26 Mathew Hart 42.971
2. #22 Warren White 43.216
3. #76 Ben Jurczak 43.288
4. #62 Jarrod Egan 43.334
5. #88 Chris Farkas 43.369

Clubman Light
1. #1 David Sera 43.160
2. #64 Adam Hughes 43.191
3. #14 Tyler Greenbury 43.196
4. #19 Steeley Noda-barnes 43.261
5. #57 David Whitmore 43.272

Junior National Heavy
1. #1 Darsey Kondopirakis 47.706
2. #14 Macauley Jones 47.879
3. #99 Daniel Oosthuizen 47.928
4. #88 Joseph Mawson 47.994
5. #13 Mitchell Gee 48.055

Clubman Heavy
1. #45 Jason Hryniuk 43.865
2. #90 Lee Mitchener 44.044
3. #5 Micthell Cuzens 44.063
4. #10 Jason Varley 44.070
5. #35 Jason Pringle 44.075

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