Tassie State Series Kicks Off This Weekend
| press release | 30 January 2017 |
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Karting Tasmania is pleased to announce that Andrew Walter Constructions and Spreyton Cider have joined forces to sponsor the 4 round series.
At the completion of the series the coveted “Red Plates” will be handed out to series winners to signify them as the 217 Tasmanian Statewide Series Champions.
Round 1 is shaping up to be a fantastic meeting with plenty of new comers entering the first round. Unfortunately it looks as though the majority of the Cadet 9 field have progressed onto Cadet 12 which may see the youngest class struggle for numbers at the start of the season. The bigger classes of the series will be see some great racing and the winners of the red plates will be hard to pick.
Above: Kaiden Ford (pic - Angryman)
However the influx of Cadet 9s has strengthened the Cadet 12 class and this looks like a very good class in 2017, Reigning Cadet 9 Statewide Series Champion Darcy Whelan will go head to head with reigning State Champion Toby Callow in what will be a battle royal, throw in the ever improving William Blare, Kaiden Ford, Denzil Sargent and the experienced Xavier Renshaw and picking a winner will be very hard.
KA4 Junior Light sees a new bunch of kids that have moved up from Cadet 12. With 12 month experience under their belts, 2016 juniors Logan Dixon and Tyson Phegan will be out to hold off the new kids in Cadet 12 Statewide Series Champion Campbell Whelan and the vastly experience Ethan Wyllie, while Fletcher Bellars and Jesse Keeling will be out to show they have the pace to compete at the very pointy end of the field.
Above: Logan Dixon (pic - Angryman)
KA3 Senior Medium is shaping up as a good class with solid entry numbers, the stand out should be AWC Motorsport Academy driver Jackson Callow. Fresh off winning the State title in 2016, he will be keen to hone his skills in this class before heading off for round one of the Australian Kart Championship. Making a welcome return to karting will be Jorden Distill who will be out to keep brother Matthew on his toes.
Both TaG Restricted Light and Medium have 10 plus entries each and should provide some good racing throughout the series. Defending Champions Nicholas Walpole (light) and Troy Sheahen (medium) return to have a crack at going back to back.
TaG 125 Light will hit the track with a vastly gripper tyre in 2017 with the MG Yellow being used. Defending Champion Nathan Zuj is missing from the line-up which will open the door for a new Series champion. The form driver going into the opening round will be Brody Appleby. The North Western Kart Club member dominated the State Title last year and will be out to stamp his authority from the opening round. Appleby will however need to be at his best with the likes of Zane Wyatt, Jade Waddington Brad Hobden and 2016 Statewide series Champion in heavy Alastair Lee all capable of taking the win. It is also good to see young Ryan Jenkins take the step up to the open class after a year in restricted. The Smokey in the field could be the returning Trent Palmer who has not raced for a number of years.
Above: Toby Callow (pic - Angryman)
TaG 125 Heavy also has a good field with perennial favourite Troy Stone out to show off his “Blue Plate”. Stone will see an increase in competition this year with the likes of Jake Rice, Jonathan McDonald, Mitch Evan and Dillon Van Galen all ready to take on the State Champion.
Karting Tasmania wishes all drivers and crew the very best of luck in the 2017 Tasmanian Statewide Series and thanks their major sponsors Spreyton Cider and Andrew Walter Constructions.
