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Lap Records Fall In Nationals Qualifying


AKA media 29 March 2013
 

The record books were re-written during qualifying at the 51st Australian Sprint Kart Championships at the Monarto Karting Complex in South Australia today.

Of the nine categories being contested at the event, the lap record was lowered in five of them.

Three-time Australian Champion James Sera was the first to lower the mark for his category when he shaved more than half a second off the previous Leopard Light record held by local driver Matt Hall. Qualifying four one-hundreths of a second behind Sera was Western Australian Nathan Davis.

James Sera qualified fastest in both Leopard Light and Clubman Light.
Above: James Sera qualified fastest in both Leopard Light and Clubman Light.
pic - AF Images/Budd

“After yesterday, I’m very surprised to have qualified fastest in both categories. I thought I was fast enough to be around the mark, but to qualify on pole position came a little bit out of the blue,” said Sera.

“Tyre life, especially the life of the front right, is going to play a big part in the outcome of the Leopard Light category this weekend. It’s good to have pace now, but it’s going to be more important to look after your tyres and have good speed on Sunday.”

Sera also set the pace in the Clubman Light category during qualifying by the narrowest of margins with his time 0.002 seconds faster than that set by Justin Francis.  Sera went on to win the opening heat, narrowly ahead of rising stars Jake Coleman and Dimitri Agathos.

Sera’s younger cousin, David, also secured pole position with record pace when he qualified fastest in the Clubman Heavy category. Five-time Australian Champion Kip Foster qualified second fastest ahead of Kris Walton and 12-time National Champion Matthew Wall.

David Sera was fastest in the Clubman Heavy category as he chases his 13th National crown
Above: David Sera was fastest in the Clubman Heavy category as he chases his 13th National crown
pic - AF Images/Budd

Sera won heat one several kart lengths clear of Walton who fended off Foster for second.

South Australian Andrew Cash lowered the lap record in the Clubman Super Heavy category while Queenslander Sean Butcher set a new mark for Senior National.

In the junior ranks Damon Strongman proved superior in the Junior Clubman category during qualifying while Jordan Boys qualified on pole position in Junior National Heavy, as did Dylan Hollis in Junior National Light.

Strongman went on to win the opening seven-lap heat race. Boys took advantage of the quartet battling behind him to clear away for the heat one victory in Junior National Heavy, as did Tyler Morrison in the Light category.

Damon Strongman in Junior Clubman
Above: Damon Strongman in Junior Clubman
pic - AF Images/Budd

The second round of heat races will be contested tomorrow morning ahead of the pre-final. The championship finals will be held on Sunday.

Updates will be posted on www.karting.net.au throughout the weekend, along with the AKA's Facebook page (facebook.com/AustralianKartingAssociation) and Twitter feed (twitter.com/karting_net_au).

To view the full race results please click here.

Race Order

1. Leopard Heavy
2. Junior National Heavy
3. Leopard Light
4. Clubman Super Heavy
5. Senior National
6. Junior National Light
7. Clubman Heavy
8. Junior Clubman
9. Clubman Light

Dylan Hollis set the pace in Junior National Light, but suffered a DNF in Heat One
Above: Dylan Hollis set the pace in Junior National Light, but suffered a DNF in Heat One
pic - AF Images/Budd

51st Australian National Sprint Kart Championships
Monarto Karting Complex, South Australia

RESULTS: Heat One (7 laps)

Leopard Heavy
1. Matthew Wall
2. Michael Griffiths
3. Kris Walton
4. Lee Mitchener
5. Scott King

Junior National Heavy
1. Jordan Boys
2. Nicholas Rowe
3. Jayden Ojeda
4. Bryce Fullwood
5. William Hawkes

Leopard Light
1. James Sera
2. Jason Burns
3. Andrew Mercuri
4. David Sera
5. Rocco Ventra

Clubman Super Heavy
1. Andrew Cash
2. Paul Pittam
3. Lee Foster
4. Ben McKinlay
5. Scott Simpson

Senior National
1. Brock Plumb
2. Trent Rogers
3. Sean Butcher
4. Matthew Waters
5. Scott Harris

Junior National Light
1. Tyler Morrison
2. Reece Sidebottm
3. Shaun Costello
4. Jayden Ojeda
5. Joshua Denton

Clubman Heavy
1. David Sera
2. Kris Walton
3. Kip Foster
4. Leigh Nicolaou
5. Matthew Wall

Junior Clubman
1. Damon Strongman
2. Braydon North
3. Joshua Denton
4. Jake Klein
5. Nicholas Rowe

Clubman Light
1. James Sera
2. Jake Coleman
3. Dimitri Agathos
4. Justin Francis
5. Ben Stewart

RESULTS: Qualifying (Top Five)

Leopard Heavy
1. Michael Griffiths 44.311(R)
2. Scott King 44.404 (R)
3. Lee Mitchener 44.462 (R)
4. Kris Walton 44.465 (R)
5. Matthew Wall 44.469 (R)

Junior National Heavy
1. Jordan Boys 50.448
2. Jayden Ojeda 50.728
3. Bryce Fullwood 50.759
4. Nicholas Rowe 50.779
5. William Hawkes 50.825

Leopard Light
1. James Sera 43.725
2. Nathan Davis 43.769
3. Andrew Mercuri 43.781
4. Jason Burns 43.794
5. Ben Stewart 43.815

Clubman Super Heavy
1. Andrew Cash 47.988 (R)
2. Paul Pittam 48.089 (R)
3. Scott Simpson 48.222
4. Lee Foster 48.255
5. Danny Errigo 48.292

Senior National
1. Sean Butcher 51.344 (R)
2. Trent Rogers 51.347 (R)
3. Matthew Waters 51.349 (R)
4. Jason Newman 51.448 (R)
5. Sean Butcher 51.482 (R)

Junior National Light
1. Dylan Hollis 49.696
2. Bryce Fullwood 49.769
3. Tyler Morrison 49.804
4. William Brown 49.809
5. Joshua Car 49.812

Clubman Heavy
1. David Sera 46.732 (R)
2. Kip Foster 46.835 (R)
3. Kris Walton 46.860 (R)
4. Matthew Wall 46.928 (R)
5. Brendan Nelson 46.943 (R)

Junior Clubman
1. Damon Strongman 46.308
2. Braydon North 46.406
3. Joshua Denton 46.410
4. Spencer Ackerman 46.415
5. Jordan Boys 46.417

Clubman Light
1. James Sera 46.316
2. Justin Francis 46.318
3. Andrew Mercuri 46.338
4. Jake Coleman 46.356
5. Ben Stewart 46.376

(R) - New Lap Record

 

 

 

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