Wild Weather Strikes Tasmanian Statewide Series

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from Johnathan Males

• Series points after 3 of 4 rounds HERE (Excel format)

On March 3rd and 4th the North Western Kart Club held the third round of the 2012 Tasmanian Statewide Series.

Unfortunately, the weather forecasters got it right for once and heavy rain and wind lashed the Highclere circuit for the majority of the weekend. Some competitors even chose not to compete on the Sunday after enduring the conditions on Saturday.

Some of the finals however were held on a dry or drying track which really threw the form guide out the window. It was also very much a case of green girl power as three (nearly four) lady Tony Kart pilots took wins in their respective classes.

Above: Everyone was hiding from the rain in their pit tents
pic - Sharon Lee

Ben Walter returned to the state to display the blue plate in Tag Light and was probably wishing he hadn’t right up to the final. His kart was ordinary at best in the wet conditions but the track had dried for the final and he was a jet. In a display remarkably similar to his efforts at the state titles last year he drove from the back to the front, except this time he fell only one lap short of taking the win. Jake Rice just held on for the win with Walter in second and Jordie Distill third. Matthew Distill was very unlucky in this race. He was the pace setter all weekend in his 3D Kartsport Omega only to be taken out whilst leading the final. Not only did he manage to run at the front , he was also the commentator for the day!

Troy Stone and Alan Fitzpatrick were the class of the field in Clubman Heavy during the wet heats with Fitzpatrick in his Southern Kart Centre Arrow taking two wins and Stone taking the other. However, Stone proved to be as fast in the dry as he was in the wet when the track dried for the final and he took the win ahead of team mate Jack Pickett and Steven Wrigley in third.

Junior National Light was a cracker. The heat wins were shared between Gemma Wyllie, Bodie Reading and Nicky Richards. Wyllie’s choice of using wets for the final proved the difference with the Wyllie Tiles backed Tony Kart driving off into the distance and taking her first big race meeting win ahead of Nicky Richards and Cameron Kuc.

Yet another masterful, tactical call from the Wyllie pit provided young Emilee Lindgren with the win in the final of Junior National Heavy. The P-plater opted for wets and this allowed her to simply scythe through her opposition.  Keenan Slater held onto the lead until the latter stages of the race but in the end had to settle for second. Thomas Clark continued his good form of late to take third.

Alastair Lee showed great wet weather pace to take it right up to Nathan Zuj in the Clubman Light division. Zuj is normally unstoppable in conditions such as this and for Lee to have his measure for most of the meeting is a credit to him. In the end though Zuj won out over Lee with Brody Appleby coming out on top in the battle for third place.

Lachlan Dalton dominated the Cadets class throughout the heats which were held in wet conditions. However the Final looked like it would be dry and his pit crew opted for slick tyres. This proved to be a mistake as the rain once again fell two laps into the race. Mitchell Kerrison stormed to the lead and was never headed. Brock Lamont and Declan Sherburd came in second and third respectively. Impressive on debut was Jackson Calow who qualified third in his very first race meeting. Only eight points separate Kerrison and Dalton in the title chase. This one is going to go down to the wire.

It looked like Jackson Evans’ fortunes were improving after winning all three heats of Senior National Light but a dislodged nosecone resulted in a DNF in the final. This allowed Kelsey Sapwell to take the win from Naomi Wrigley. Toby Archer recovered from an accident in qualifying that ripped the stub axle out of his kart to take third. Sapwell has a formidable forty two point gap over her opposition going into the final round.

The rain suited Danton Evans down to the ground and he led the field of Senior National Heavy all weekend except for heat three when Mark Crocker found the right setup and drove to the front. The final was an awkward affair with the majority of the field electing to use wets when rain started to fall on the out grid. This didn’t persist and once on track everyone realised this was going to be a long race. Evans still won with Johnathan Males coming through for second and Mark Crocker in third. With both the Light and Heavy fields “cooking” their allocated series wets in this race things could be very interesting at the fourth round if it rains.

Tayla Heath won every race in the Rookie class except for the one that mattered. Zevie Eisentraut taking the final ahead of Heath with Brock Evans coming home third.

David Sherriff really had his Sherriff Plumbing Kosmic sorted in the rain. He was just way too fast for locals Adrian and Jamie Mitchell who came in second and third respectively.

Matthew Clark ended Michael Warren’s winning streak in TAG Restricted Heavy with a great win in the final. He was followed home by multiple state champion Andrew Walter in his Andrew Walter Constructions Monaco. Michael Warren finished in third place.

Senior National Over 40’s Pro was once again won by Steve Crocker who takes a fifty four point advantage going into the final round. Michael Jack displayed his wet weather skills to take second on the day followed by Peter Rogers.

Scott Wrigley was unstoppable in Senior National Over 40’s Super Heavy class, winning every race. He even took it right up to the competitors in the Pro weight category despite his “success ballast”. His Wrigley’s Karts And Parts Storm chassis really suited the wet conditions and the results reflected this. Greg Wood was able to salvage a good points haul from the weekend in second ahead of Garry Lee who was very pleased to finish ahead of his brother John.

In the Clubman Super Heavy division Joshua Muskett was too good for Allan Sheahen who recovered from three unlucky DNF’s to take second ahead of Matthew Rowbottom in third.

It’s getting down to business time with one round remaining. Some people are trying to consolidate a points buffer and some are trying to make up for lost opportunities. This should make for plenty of thrills and spills at the fourth and final round of the 2012 Tasmanian Statewide Series to be held at the Launceston Kart Club’s Archerville Kartway on March 24th and 25th. Who will get to take home a brand new shiny red plate? Only time will tell. Entries for the fourth round of the series are now open on the AKA CMS System.

Cadets
1st        Mitchell Kerrison
2nd        Brock Lamont
3rd        Declan Sherburd

Rookies
1st        Zevie Eisentraut
2nd        Tayla Heath
3rd        Brock Evans

Junior National Light
1st        Gemma Wyllie
2nd        Nicky Richards
3rd        Cameron Kuc

Junior National Heavy
1st        Emilee Lindgren
2nd        Keenan Slater
3rd        Thomas Clark

Senior National Light
1st        Kelsey Sapwell
2nd        Naomi Wrigley
3rd        Toby Archer

Senior National Heavy
1st        Danton Evans
2nd        Johnathan Males
3rd        Mark Crocker

Senior National Over 40’s Pro
1st        Steve Crocker
2nd        Michael Jack
3rd        Peter Rogers

Senior National Over 40’s Super Heavy
1st        Scott Wrigley
2nd        Greg Wood
3rd        Garry Lee

Clubman Light
1st        Nathan Zuj
2nd        Alastair Lee
3rd        Brody Appleby

Clubman Heavy
1st        Troy Stone
2nd        Jack Pickett
3rd        Steven Wrigley

Clubman Super Heavy
1st        Josh Muskett
2nd        Allan Sheahen
3rd        Matthew Rowbottom

TAG Restricted Light
1st        David Sherriff
2nd          Adrian Mitchell
3rd        Jamie Mitchell

TAG Restricted Heavy
1st        Matthew Clark
2nd          Andrew Walter
3rd        Michael Warren

TAG Light
1st        Jake Rice
2nd        Ben Walter
3rd        Jorden Distill

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