Bega Ready For Delayed Australian Speedway Kart Titles
The rescheduled SKAA Australian Speedway Kart Title is to be run this Saturday 21st May at Sapphire Speedway.
by Di Britton
The adage that the family who plays together stays together is proved true in Speedway Kart racing with many family groupings among the nominees to compete in the 2011 Australian Speedway Kart Titles on Saturday May 21st. All in all, there are 8 family groupings nominated to tango at Tantawanalo. Fathers & sons, father & daughters, cousins, brothers and sisters. And that doesn’t take into account families who crew for the drivers.
In speedway, you can start young, and 8 year old Mary Elizabeth Gourlay from Mirboo Vic will be there to demonstrate just that. Mary hails from a racing family with older sister Jamie racing in the Juniors and dad Rex in the Outlaw division. Meanwhile mum Anita is keeping an eye on things as she lap scores!
The Junior division is a quality field of up and comers and some of them will undoubtedly be stars of the future. Vying for the Junior Title will be Ebony Hobson &Todd Hobson who recently placed 1st & 3rd respectively in the Victorian Titles, and our local boy Aidan Corish who is current 2nd in Australia may be hard pressed to withstand them due to recently focusing on his Junior sedan racing. Travelling all the way from Walliston Western Australia is Carl Aylett and his younger brother Lee who both sport impressive credentials. Carl is 2010 & 2011WA Junior Champion and Lee came 3rd in the WA Junior Championships this year.
The Standard class has CLASS written all over it! In the past 4 years Bob Latta (Vic) has amassed 3 national titles and 16 state titles but Bega’s Steve Robertson is in fantastic form and is keen to please a home crowd. Regular Sapphire competitor, Dylan Goodger is also hungry for the title after being a sure thing to take out the NSW Title at Sapphire in January, when despite being almost a lap in front he was robbed by a mechanical failure on the final lap.
Despite the onslaught of the young guns, recent years has proved to be a clash of the veterans in the Modified division! Between them, formidable rivals and great mates, Bob Latta [Vic] & Nev Britton [NSW] rack up over 130 years of age and yet with regular frequency either one has taken almost every State and National Modified Speedway Kart Title. In a real Beauty and the Beast twist, Tassie’s Laura Davidson [Tassie 1 in Modifieds 2010 & 2011] & Queensland’s Sarah Walker will be keeping them and a host of talented drivers from Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales.
In a super human effort local electrical contractor Steve Robertson will contest the Standard, Modified & Outlaw divisions. Each division comprises four 8 lap heats and a 15 lap final, so Robbo will total a minimum 141 gruelling 500 metre laps. Fortunately he attracts a seasoned pit crew who will keep his stable of karts at peak performance. Determined to keep the race honest, are fellow club members and another father/son team, Iain & Jadan Roxburgh and Victoria’s Michael van Ginneken who is current SA Standard & Outlaw champion.
The ballistic 125cc division have to be seen to be believed with the south coast father & son duo Glen & Brandon Corish in the super fast 6 speed Maxtas determined to withstand the challenge of Laura Davidson racing in her second division & Haydn McBain who hail from the Apple Isle.
The kart Titles are from 11am to 4pm on Saturday May 21st at ‘The Place of Pace’, Sapphire Speedway Tantawangalo with the best of the best racing in the high revving, winged pocket rockets. This will be followed by Sapphire’s usual fantastic afternoon/evening of racing, and all for the usual entry price. Amazing value – 2 race meetings for the price of one!
| SUB JUNIOR SPEEDWAY KARTS | |||
| Mary | Gourlay | 72 | |
| JUNIOR SPEEDWAY KARTS | |||
| Carl | Aylett | 94 | |
| Lee | Aylett | 49 | |
| Aidan | Corish | 42 | |
| Jamie | Gourlay | 72 | |
| Luke | Hickson | 23 | |
| Ebony | Hobson | 84 | |
| Todd | Hobson | 91 | |
| Ben | Hodge | 123 | |
| Jack | King | 4 | |
| STANDARD SPEEDWAY KARTS | |||
| Bob | Allen | 144 | |
| Des | Carsberg | 76 | |
| Chris | Collins | 60 | |
| Ronnie | Conquest | 69 | |
| Adam | Evans | 66 | |
| Troy | Evans | 29 | |
| Mitch | Gladman | 18 | |
| Dylan | Goodger | 74 | |
| Bob | Latta | 33 | |
| Stephen | Robertson | 23 | |
| Gareth | Tyson | 56 | |
| Sarah | Walker | 16 | |
| Luke | Whitehead | 86 | |
| MODIFIED SPEEDWAY KARTS | |||
| Jory | Breitkopf | 5 | |
| Nev | Britton | 68 | |
| Laura | Davidson | 61 | |
| Dylan | Goodger | 14 | |
| Ray | Goodger | 73 | |
| Brad | King | 25 | |
| Bob | Latta | 33 | |
| Geoff | Lawrence | 28 | |
| Steve | Robertson | 23 | |
| Michael | vanGinneken | 47 | |
| Sarah | Walker | 16 | |
| OUTLAW SPEEDWAY KARTS | |||
| Rex | Gourlay | 76 | |
| Andrew | Horne | 69 | |
| Graham | Keats | 75 | |
| Steve | Robertson | 23 | |
| Iain | Roxburgh | 17 | |
| Jadan | Roxburgh | A2 | |
| Michael | van Ginneken | 47 | |
| 125cc SPEEDWAY KARTS | |||
| Brandon | Corish | 5 | |
| Glen | Corish | 7 | |
| Laura | Davidson | 61 | |
| Mitch | Gladman | 18 | |
| Haydn | McBain | 17 | |
| Leigh | Revell | 27 | |
| Dion | Smith | 4 | |
