Mitchell Gee Breaks Through For East Coast Podium

press release

At the recent East Coast Title Round for the Junior National Class in Newcastle, the Caloundra Body Works supported Doyle’s Racing Kartsport driver, Mitchell Gee broke through for a 3rd place podium finish.

The long trek South earlier had proven less positive during Friday’s practice sessions.  Mitchell and his Team were experiencing what appeared to be nagging fuel problems which significantly cut into the laps available to the young 12yo Caloundra school boy’s preparations.  Swapping engines, replacing fuel line and filters, replacing carburettors, checking wiring harnesses, etc. didn’t seem to bring any better result.  Unable to find and remedy the issues during the afternoon, the Team worked late into Friday night working from the front to the back of the Kart re-checking and re- testing everything.

Above: DRK driver Mitchell Gee # 13 competing in East Coast Title for Junior National as part of 2010 CIK Stars of Karting Series
pic - DRK Team Archive

“It’s so annoying to the boys, having worked so hard during the week in preparation, followed by a 12 hour trip, only to pull the Kart out of the trailer and have nagging fuel problems”, said Team Manager, Craig Doyle.  “The most frustrating part was watching Mitch sit on the sidelines, missing vital practice laps as the time evaporated.”

Saturday’s 9:15am qualifying session got underway and in the first few laps it was evident that the fuel problem was now behind them.  Although not as quick as he had liked to have been, Mitchell set a respectable 56.54 second lap to place him in P11 of the 20 Kart field entered.  He certainly had some work ahead of him, but it wasn’t the disaster that it had been looking like the day before.

An opening skirmish in lap 1 of Heat 1 bumped young Mitchell down the order to 18th, but ever determined to show his Grandparents and the Harrington Doyle guests of his ability to recover; he caught and passed 1 driver every lap to cross the line 10th in Heat 1.  From his mid-field starting position, he again drove assertively in Heat 2 to finish 6th, continuing his climb through the field and the points.  Saturday’s Heat 3 later in the afternoon proved to be a tougher challenge with Mitch not quite as comfortable in his Kart.  He ultimately greeted the chequered flag at the end of lap 10 in 12th place.

Gee’s determined efforts on Saturday had lifted him to a P9 start for Sunday’s Pre Final race.  With 16 laps ahead around the technical 1.056 Klm Newcastle circuit, Gee’s father Michael knew that the Kart would need to come on stronger in the latter part of the race.  Mitchell’s lap charts clearly show him holding 8th place for much of the first half of the race and then from lap 9, he began picking up places each couple of laps thereafter to finish 5th.

Above: Mitchell waiting on Out Grid with his father Michael
pic - DRK Team Archive

With the likes of Breanna Woodland, Anthony Gamauf, Joshua Craig, Christopher Corbet and Dylan Higgins in the field, Gee knew that he would have to drive a solid and level headed Final race to finish on the Red Bull podium.  Starting from P5 he raced hard only to fall back to 8th when a passing move on Lap 4 didn’t pay the dividend that he’d hope.  Thinking clearly what he had to do to recover; he kicked in his race plan of picking up places one at a time, a few laps sooner.  From 8th, to 7th, then to 6th in a short 6 laps, he was on target. Continuing with his strategy he was soon in 4th and then 3rd place when the race was declared a lap later.
“I’m so really happy to be on the Podium,” said Mitchell.  “I truly wanted to do well for Dad, Mum, Mikayla (sister), my Grandparents and our sponsors this weekend.  Even though the race was declared a few laps short, I doubt that I could have caught Breanna and Christopher in front of me, as the gap they had was too big.  I’d only just passed Anthony on the lap before.  I wanted to congratulate him on a really good drive by giving him the Inox Travel Pack that I won with my Trophy.”

“Young Mitch made us very proud today when he gave Anthony part of his prize.  I know that as a Team we’re supported by Inox and that we’d arranged the prizes with Inox, but Mitchell didn’t have to do what he did.  His own thoughtfulness over and above his obvious excitement of doing well today, shows exactly the character we’re looking for and value in young Karters”, said Craig Doyle, Managing Director of Harrington Doyle.
Mitchell now sits 2nd overall in the East Coast Junior National Title Points Table and is currently in Puckapunyal, Victoria practicing for this coming weekend’s 48th National Sprint Kart Championships over the Easter weekend.

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