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Smiles, Winks and Siezures at Australian Superkart Championships Day 1

from Mark Jones

The first day of track time at the finale of the Australian Superkart Championships always tends to tells us less than we would like to know. There's plenty of crafty grins, knowing winks, stressed frowns and the odd seized engine as day one of the Shannons National Motor Racing Championships unfold at the Phillip Island Grand prix Circuit.

In most strife sadly is Alex Soravia. The Qantas Courier Stockman-Honda had a brake disc explosion and fire in the second session which has done other damage through the kart including a ruptured radiator and damaged electrics. Soravia pulled out for the weekend late in the day.

250 International reigning champion Darren Hossack in the Safe Evolutions Anderson-Safe was also in the wars, with engine seizures interrupting two sessions. Scott Ellis and Wayne Sprostan have been working to get the #1 Anderson back in action tomorrow but are not overly concerned. Dean McGinty also had an engine rebuild in the Lofty Coaches PVP-Yamaha and their were a few mild nipped cylinders throughout the paddock as everyone dials in the the colder than expected Phillip Island.

Officially fastest was the man with nothing to lose, Gary Pegoraro. The Dunlop Kartsport/BRC Engines Anderson-BRC (above) recorded a 1:35.8367. Series points leader Warren McIlveen (Stockman Superkarts/Mac's Marine Stockman-Honda) was just two tenths of a second behind with Production Car racer Stuart Kostera third fastest in Mark Hanson's Denture Professionals Zip-BRC. Half the field and most of the front running 250 International karts though had their Dorian transponders switched off, so speculation was rife over who was doing what times, in particular Darren Hossack and his colour scheme look-alike, the Coach Design Anderson-DEA of Russell Jamieson. Jamieson's speed at Eastern Creek in his new 2010 model Anderson-DEA made an indelible impression at Eastern Creek. The team will certainly be after race wins after finally claiming Jamieson's first win. It's a while now since Russell's teenage championship in the 125cc division.

Sam Zavaglia was another quietly confident though and the SZR Stockman-Yamaha might be worth a look tomorrow too.

Several teams are struggling with tyres, some trying the American Hoosier brand as an alternative to the dominant Dunlops. Another area of experimentation has been aerodynamics. Carlo Chermaz SKE II-DEA now has a twin in Jason Laker's FPE powered kart, the pair circulated steadily in the Le Mans sportscar styled machines until Laker spun near the end of the day, spending a session chatting with the similarly parked Hossack.

Steven Tamasi tried a nosecone mounted winglet on the Domain Homes Stockman-Honda, while Warren McIlveen and Sam Zavaglia tried different approaches at streamlining their bodywork on the left side. 125cc class driver Paul Campbell in the Redback Racepaint Avoig-Honda has matched the SKE II team in radical looks, with a slim line bodied look that shares more with a 1990s Ralt Formula 3 than with any of the other Superkarts present. The attempt to run a front wing instead of a nosecone was particularly different.

In the 125s Tim Philp (Floth Sustainable Building Consultants Avoig-Honda) was lapping into the 1:47s, two seconds ahead of Campbell. Series leader Jeff Reed in the factory supported Stockman-Honda was lapping within himself in 1:49s, content to let the younger drivers push hard early. Matt Bass in the Top Torque Stockman-Honda was just behind Philp on the timesheets.

250 Nationals was all secret squirrels with only Phil Webb in the Sugarless Confectionary Company PFP Raider-Honda setting any times at all with Luke May, Martin Latta, Dalton Rowell  all looking to run silent. Matt Palmer in the STR Truck Bodies Anderson-Honda and Brendan Luneman in the Soma Building Services Anderson-Yamaha had their timing gear running in the third session and chased each other into the 1:42s until Palmer sealed the day's fastest recorded lap at 1:41.5638.

In the Stock-Honda class within a class, Mike Wayne shed a wheel early in the day in the Labour Options Arrow X1 while his team mate Paul Degan set fastest lap at 1:55.8. The four entry level gearbox karts (including Mark Vickers and Tracey Crawford) will have their own dice at the tail of the field over the weekend. Crawford's Gold kart looks different after team boss Sam Zavaglia prepared pink stickers for the kart including a set of Penelope Pitstop lips for the nosecone.

Wacky Racers indeed.

Saturday will see qualifying begin at 12:25pm after an early morning practice session. Qualifying will conclude with the second session at 2:25pm with the first race follow at 4:40pm.

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