Preview - Newcastle CIK Stars of Karting

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press release

Australia’s elite kart racers will be heading the Hunter Valley region next weekend (April 21/22) to compete in round two of the 2012 CIK Stars of Karting Series presented by Castrol EDGE hosted by the Newcastle Kart Racing Club.
With competitors using identical equipment to that driven by competitors in the World and European karting championships, the drivers in the pro categories will be reaching speeds close to 130 km/h around the undulating 1056-metre circuit.

At the opening round, held in Adelaide during late February, it was Victorian Jake Spencer (Melbourne, Vic), Queenslander Kyle Ensbey (Sunshine Coast, QLD) and Sydnesider Jake Coleman (Glenmore Park, NSW) who shared the spoils in the Pro Light (KF1), Pro Gearbox (KZ2) and Pro Junior (KF3) categories respectively.
For Spencer, the Newcastle venue holds some great memories for him given the fact that it’s the venue where he secured the James Courtney trophy in 2011 as champion of the series.

Above: Reigning Pro Light (KF1) Champion Jake Spencer leading Cian Fothergill and Daniel Rochford during round one. (pic - AF Images/Budd)

“Last year I had two pretty strong rounds at Newcastle, I won the round in one and then took out the championship in the other – so you could say that I’m looking forward to going back there,” said Spencer.

“In saying that though, the level of competition has certainly stepped up another gear this year so to win again is going to be very hard.”

Spencer was closely followed across the line in the opening round by fellow Kosmic driver Daniel Rochford (Melbourne, Vic), who’s the current championship leader, and 2010 Series Champion Cian Fothergill (Gladstone, QLD) and the JAM Racing driver expects round two to be just as competitive next weekend.

“Daniel Rochford has already showed that he’s a serious contender for the championship, as is Cian and my JAM Racing team-mate Adam Hughes. Newcastle is almost like a home track for Matthew Waters and Joseph Mawson so I think they’ll be hard to beat next weekend as well,” said Spencer.

The six-speed gearbox karts, likened to be the closest thing in karting to a Formula 1 car, in the Pro Gearbox category produce some scintillating action with in excess of 20 karts lining up on the grid next weekend.

Above: Melbourne driver Jason Pringle leading reigning Pro Gearbox (KZ2) Champion Tyler Greenbury at round one. (pic - AF Images/Budd)

Coleman dominated the opening round in the Pro Junior ranks to claim his maiden win in the series. However, out to knock Coleman off his perch next weekend in Newcastle will be the likes of Joseph Burton-Harris (Rouse Hill, NSW), Brock Plumb (Forest Lake, QLD) and Thomas Randle (Melbourne, Vic).

Sixteen of Australia’s top junior drivers will line up on the grid to battle for not only the Jon Targett trophy awarded to the series champion but also the opportunity to receive funding towards an international CIK sanctioned karting event in a KF category later in the year.

Also in action across the weekend will be the competitors in the Challenge categories where they will be contesting the Yamaha Challenge for Clubman and Junior National drivers and the Australian Leopard Challenge for the Leopard drivers.

Above: Top Gun Racing team-mates Jake Coleman and Joseph Burton-Harris enjoying the spoils on the podium during round one. (pic - AF Images/Budd)

Another highlights of the weekend will be the Castrol Cadet Challenge where six young Hunter Valley racers, aged between 7 and 10 years old, will highlight their car control and driving technique in a demonstration on Sunday at 11:40am.

These youngsters will also spend the day as a pit crew for one of the drivers in the Pro ranks while also receiving some limited edition Castrol EDGE merchandise.

Practice for the event will be held on Friday April 20 from 9:30am with qualifying and heat races to be contested on Saturday April 21 from 9:00am. The round will culminate in the finals on Sunday April 22 between 9:00am and 3:30pm.

EVENT DETAILS

WHO: The top young karting drivers from across the country
WHAT: Round Two the 2010 CIK Stars of Karting Series
WHEN AND WHERE:
Practice: Friday 20 April, 9:30am-4:00pm.
Qualifying and Heat races: Saturday 21 April, 9:00am – 4:00pm
Finals: Sunday 22 April, 9:00am – 3:30pm
Newcastle Kart Racing Club
Cnr George Booth Drive and Cameron Park Drive
CAMERON PARK, NSW

ENTRY LIST

Pro Light (KF1)
1 Jake Spencer
3 George Geranis
5 Brooke Topp
6 Jarryd Ebzery
8 Damien Radosevic
13 Matthew Waters
14 Tyler Greenbury
20 Cian Fothergill
27 Jacob Parsons
34 Jordan Nicolaou
36 Daniel Rochford
41 Danniel Holihan
42 Peter Hollings
64 Adam Hughes
88 Luke Gabin
95 Jake Klarich
96 Joseph Mawson

Pro Gearbox (KZ2)
1 Tyler Greenbury
2 Hayden Patrizi
3 Daniel Currey
6 Troy Bretherton
7 Matthew Hunt
8 Anthony Martin
9 Troy Woolston
10 Leigh Nicolaou
15 Matthew Wall
16 Kristopher Trotter
17 Matthew Erdman
20 Jordan Ford
22 Chris Pratt
24 Jason Faint
29 Kyle Ensbey
35 Jason Pringle
42 John Grother
46 Joshua Pontello
51 Ben Van Ryt
90 Lee Mitchener
92 Ricky Capo
97 Christopher Hays

Pro Junior (KF3)
3 Callum Walker
4 Cameron Hill
6 Jake Klein
7 Joshua Smith
9 Patrick Martin
14 Jake Coleman
15 Brock Plumb
18 Lachlan Gibbons
23 Lachlan McHugh
24 Dalton Ellery
32 Joseph Burton-Harris
51 Tristan Ellery
55 Sanae Meyland
66 Dimitri Agathos
94 Thomas Randle
96 Kurt Kostecki

AUSTRALIAN LEOPARD CHALLENGE
2 Iain McDougall (Light)
4 Michael Griffiths (Heavy)
11 Pierce Lehane (Light)
12 Matthew Nicholson (Heavy)
16 Mathew Nipperess (Light)
18 Ryan Rannard (Light)
24 Travis Martin (Heavy)
25 John Reynolds (Light)
30 Jedd Stojakovic (Light)
33 Scott Goldman (Heavy)
35 Gaven Whitmore (Heavy)
41 Adam Mercer (Light)
48 Ben Stewart (Light)
53 Michael Hazelton (Heavy)
68 Mitchell Hewitt (Light)
69 Steven Lintott (Heavy)
77 Matthew Boylan (Heavy)
84 Daniel Edmonds (Light)
87 Mitchell Tulich (Light)
94 James Sera (Light)
98 Adam Willison (Light)

YAMAHA CHALLENGE

Clubman
3 Chris Farkas
7 Craig Thornton
12 James Greenwood
14 Aaron Borg
16 Shay Mayes
21 Brenton Simonds
22 Leon Mramor
24 Jordan Zammit
26 Trent Rogers
53 Samantha Millar
63 Matthew Southwell
71 Daniel Nolan
78 Michael Saller

Junior National
2 Drew Ridge (Light)
7 Brodie Tilbrook (Heavy)
11 Jayden Ojeda (Light)
12 Thomas Steele (Light)
13 Todd Stocks (Light)
16 Jake Gleeson (Heavy)
19 Damon Schofield (Heavy)
20 Justin Ford (Light)
45 Torey Blanch (Heavy)
70 Joshua Fife (Light)
56 Thomas Chitty (Heavy)
94 William Hawkes (Light)
95 Ryan Pike (Light)
96 Stephanie Stones (Heavy)

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