MTA Tri-series, Round Two
Tweetpress release
Manning Valley Kart Club hosted round two of the MTA Tri-series over the weekend at their Wingham facility. Ninety entrants gathered at the circuit for two fierce days of racing and entertainment. The winners from round one were keen to extend their series lead, but their fellow class competitors had other plans. A strong number of travelling competitors made full use of the club’s excellent facilities, with over 40 people camping on Saturday night after enjoying a complimentary BBQ.
Undoubtedly the most dominant performance throughout the weekend was the efforts of Cadet driver Zac Crichton. Zac won all his races to extend his lead in the series and put himself in a strong position for round three. Taylor Gill produced an outstanding effort in the final to come home second, just ahead of late race charger Zachary Burge.
NSW C grade state champion Harrison Kilpatrick was an unstoppable force in the Rookies division. Harrison was only seriously challenged on a couple of occasions and will head into round three with a strong series lead. Tim Davies had a very consistent weekend and was well rewarded with a second placing in the sixteen- lap final. Zac Stocks had a weekend of highs and lows but managed to finish strongly to eventually place third.
In the Junior National Light class it was Todd Stocks who pulled out a recovery effort that even Michael Schumacher himself would be proud of. In a fast field of Junior Light competitors Todd won the race from the back of the grid after cracking his chassis in the race beforehand. Despite his best efforts, eventual second place getter Drew Ridge could not hold out Stocks and finished just ahead of Sydney based driver Gus Flynn.
Junior National Heavy produced a freight train of fast drivers at the front. Some tactical driving showcased these young drivers’ exceptional skills and maturity. Macksville’s Brady Buchanan seems to get better with age and took a well-deserved win in the class. Buchanan was shadowed throughout the final by Tamworth’s Clayton Small and the Repco backed kart of Steven Adams.
Junior Performance was a class of upsets with Alexander Ramsay surprising his more fancied rivals. Alex showed pace by setting a new lap record in round one, but this time around he applied that unbeatable pace consistently. Gus Flynn went one better than he did in Junior Light by claiming second relegating Drew Ridge to third.
Senior National Combined produced a small but competitive field with Hayden Buchanan and Bradley Drury fighting for position all weekend. In the final though, it was Buchanan who took the victory ahead of Drury with class newcomer Daniel Thompson in third.
In the field of TAG100 Bradley Drury was keen to snatch victory after finishing second in Senior National Combined. He was unstoppable throughout the weekend, which the locals have come to expect. It must be said though, despite Bradley being the current benchmark, it appears Steven Barnett and Darren Chick have made significant ground on him and will be battling for the lead in the near future.
In Clubman Light, Newcastle’s Brock Greedy again produced a very good performance to take a strong win in the class. Greedy took victory over Wingham’s Michael Sutherland who is starting to come to grips with the change of category. Third place went to Thomas Hungerford, who did well considering he was suffering from illness.
The Exprit chassis of Richard Farnant was unbeatable in Clubman Heavy. Richard worked very hard on kart setup over the weekend and it paid off as he cruised to victory in each race. He was followed to the chequered flag by Jordan Greedy and Brayden McFawn.
TAG Restricted Light competitors turned on a stunning race for spectators in the final. Newcastle’s Zac Van Leeuwestyn was unbeaten throughout the heat races despite only starting karting a few short months ago. In the final though he was taught a fair lesson from the more experienced Shane Murray, who recovered from an inconsistent weekend to snatch victory. Van Leeuwestyn drove very smart to finish second ahead of a strong finishing Matthew Kenneth.
There was some serious dicing for position in the TAG Restricted Heavy class throughout the weekend. Michael Heywood eventually took the victory in his Precision Motorsport supported Energy kart. A well-deserved second place went to Newcastle’s Peter Styles, just ahead of Sodi kart driver Michael Lawrence.
The big boys in TAG Restricted Super Heavy produced some clean racing throughout the weekend. First place went to Wingham’s Iain Sutherland who finished just ahead of Robert Garland and James Murray. It was good to see that these three men were rewarded during racing as they are amongst the most dedicated members of Manning Valley Kart Club.
Sportsman Light was always going to be a battle between two men, Andrew Mitchell and Royce Sutherland. The two battled closely all weekend with Mitchell desperate to make up for his first round performance. In the end though, Sutherland reined supreme once again finishing the final four seconds clear of Mitchell and claiming a new lap record. Griffith’s Adam Smith did exceptionally well on his first visit to Manning Valley to come home with a solid third place.
Sportsman Heavy saw some exciting racing and great sportsmanship. Lindsay Bunt was on the pace all weekend aboard his extreme chassis and managed to dominate the field in the heat races. In the final Sam Taylor and Bunt went toe-to-toe at the front in a clean fought battle. After making the slightest of contact during a passing manoeuvre, Bunt kindly let Taylor back into the lead and he slowly etched away for the win. Barry ‘Cubby’ House produced a polished performance to finished third.
During the presentation the official commended the drivers on their excellent on-track behaviour, with only a few minor incidents throughout the weekend’s proceedings.
The Newcastle Japanese Engines raffle prize was won by novice racer and Taree’s very own Sam McIntosh. There was a strong contingent of spectators, who were well looked after by the club’s canteen and commentary staff.
The final round of the Motor Trader’s Association Tri-series will be held on the 20th & 21st of October.
