Western Cup Round 4 (Final)


by Sean Phillips 1 August 2013
 

The Tiger Kart Club held the Western Cup round 4 final at the newly resurfaced Wanneroo International Kartway over the weekend 25th & 26th July. Over 200 entries ensured it was going to be a huge event and what an event it was.

Saturday could be best described as some of the most difficult conditions you would ever encounter as a kart driver with monsoonal rain and wind making things very difficult. It’s these same conditions that really turned the results upside down for many competitors and with those skilled in wet conditions rising to the top of the field.


Above: Yep, it was wet! Cory Hayes splashes around ahead of Nathan Davis and the rest of the Sportsman 125 Light field
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

The first heats on Saturday were more a concern to survive and finish with quite a few DNF’s shaking the results up early on, but also some fantastic racing in all classes kept the crowd on their toes all day. Along with the rain lots of sand was dragged onto the track with many karts taking excursions off track making some of the racing conditions almost diabolical to say the least.

Thankfully Sunday proved to be a much better day with mostly fine conditions for the pre finals and then the dreaded “drizzle” came back for the last 3 races on the day. Those particular races were the most entertaining of the weekend with the old “do i run wets or slicks” decisions being made as the karts were rolling out of the grid.


Above: Jake Klarich (95) and Blake Mills battle in KZ2
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

The most exiting race of the day would have to have been the KZ-2 final where a mix of karts on low pressure wets or high pressure slicks raced over 20 laps in changing conditions. The first part of the race was dominated by the guys on wets, by lap 10 some of the guys on slicks started to come back through the field and the dreaded “howl” of the wets on a drying track meant it was going to come down to the wire on who made the right choice in the pits.

In the end the guys on slicks like Adam Maguire who was almost last after the first few laps stormed through the field missing 3rd place by half a kart in the end and the crowd cheering on wildly was the gap closed and the laps counted down.


Above: Rookies get a start on a dry track, Keb Evans in the lead
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

In the end the wets prevailed by only one or 2 laps over the guys on slicks but some very second hand tyres were seen after the race with the super soft wet tyres melting away to nothing. Matt Creer took a great win in KZ-2 over Jason Lecocq and Jacob Parsons, a great result for these top drivers.

Once again the Tiger Kart Club put on a fantastic event, all classes ran the full laps as per the sub regs even with the testing and trying conditions that slowed much of Saturdays proceedings.

The Canteen was once again managed by the fantastic team working under Meg Clark and those bacon and egg rolls with a hot coffee first thing in the morning made it all worthwhile in the trying conditions.


Above: Sam Dicker finished 3rd in JNL
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

We also spare a thought for our dedicated track crew who stood in that rain all weekend pulling karts out of sand traps, doing the scales, running the out grid and stewarding the meeting, what a job and if not for those guys none of us would have even been racing, huge thanks from all of us who raced over the weekend.

To those who won and placed in the Western Cup Series congratulation on you efforts chasing the series all over the state, a great result for those that made the effort to race the whole series.

western cup final round wanneroo
Above: Michael Priolo, R125 Light
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

The next big event in WA is the King of the Hill at the Hurricane Kart Club, one of the most prestigious events in the WA karting calendar and a fantastically well run club and event always ensures great numbers and intense racing, it should be HUGE!!

  • Full results on AKA CMS HERE

Sportsman 125 Heavy - Jed Grigg, Vince DeMarte, Sean Phillips
Restricted 125 Heavy - John King, Jason Priolo, Trevor Gaynor
Jnr Nat Light - Jordan Love, Nikola Mitic, Samuel Dicker
Sportsman 100 Light - Aaron Grossman, Aiden Passmore, Tyler Peel
Over 40s - Rob Landsmeer, Roy Tester, Craig Ryan
Cadets - Mason Patience, Bartholomew Horsten, Aaron Love
Snr Nat Combined - Craig Mckeon, Thomas Gray, Cassy Nicholson
Jmax - Zachary Vassallo, Jeremiah Sheehan, Thomas Schou
Jnr Clubman - Oliver Baxter, Thomas Mcpherson, Jack Matthews
Sportsman 100 Heavy - Matt Davis, Bayley Mickler, Brody Noonan
Sportsman 100 Super Heavy - William Nicholson, Ashley Pittard, Lee Foster
Rookies - Calan Williams, Keb Evans, Bailey Grech
Restricted 125 Light - Nathan Will, Kalen Barker, Brad Wilde
Jnr National Heavy - Tayla Dicker, Oliver Baxter, Mathew Combes
Sportsman 125 Light - Darren Burke, Patrick Martin, Nathan Davis
KZ2 - Matt Creer, Jason Lecocq, Jacob Parsons

western cup final round wanneroo
Above: TKC President John Wishart is proud of the work done by the club's members
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

western cup final round wanneroo
Above: Daniel McLeaod, R125 Light
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

western cup final round wanneroo
Above: Jake Klarich burnt out his wets in KZ2
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

western cup final round wanneroo
Above: Opening heat of Sportsman 125 Light, Cory Hayes (11) and Jesse Elliott (17) on the front row
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

western cup final round wanneroo
Above: Calan Williams enjoyed a great win in Rookies
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

western cup final round wanneroo
Above: Dean Whittome, KZ2
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

western cup final round wanneroo
Above: They did say it was wet...
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

western cup final round wanneroo
Above: KZ2 ready to blast off for their Final
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

western cup final round wanneroo
Above: Ashley Morrissy, Rookies
pic - Sean Phillips/TKC

 

 

 

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