Race 3, and Zavaglia Claims Title

from Mark Jones

With three wins from three starts at the Eastern Creek Raceway round of the www.artmotorsport.com.au Australian Superkart Championship Sam Zavaglia has secured his second Australian Championship in the top class, with a race in hand.

Once again Gary Pegoraro got a fantastic start to be the early race leader but was fishing for gears before the opening lap was completed. From that point on Zavaglia was never threatened and cruised to his third victory of the weekend, pushing his points lead out to 44 points with just 25 left on off in the final race.

Zavaglia was as much relieved as jubilant after the race.

"It's been a long time between drinks," said Zavaglia, who won the 2002 Australian Championship, as well as winning the 125cc Championship in 2004 and 2005. "That race just got out in front and took car of the tyres again, looking over the shoulder to keep an eye out, but conserving the tyres. Pegoraro got a great start, it would have been an interesting race if he hadn't have stopped."

Zavaglia's only remaining rival, Safe Evolutions racer Darren Hossack, did all he could, claiming for the fourth row of the grid into second place, but ran out of laps to make a significant impact on Zavaglia's race lead.

Colin McIntyre finished third in the Marron Excavations RMR Superkarts Andreson-FPE having a career best meeting in the Australian championships. Kristian Stebbing climbed into fourth position in the Suburban Accounting Stockman-Honda, just pipping Russell Jamieson (Coach Design Stockman-Honda) for the position on the last lap with Jason Laker (1800 Bumper Stockman-Honda) recovering from a Race 2 collision to take sixth.

Stephen Castles (Top Torque Engines Stockman-Honda) was second for much of the race but faded on the final lap to seventh position, limping home with a slowing kart. Rob Oakley too slowed, the South Australian hampered by a broken clutch and did not complete enough laps to be classified.

Behind Laker was Ilya Harpas (Internode/Metaplanners/Davtec Zip-BRC) ahead of Shane Price in the Safe Evolutions Anderson-Safe with Perth based racer Mark Hanson (Phoenix Dental Zip-Yamaha) completing the top ten.

In the 125cc class battle, Jeff Reed (Cycle City Stockman-Honda) continues to gain ground in the battle for the championship, having brought the points battle to within ten points of series leader, Steven Tamasi (Domain Prestige Homes Stockman-Honda). Tamasi slipped to fourth in race three while Brad Stebbing (Suburban Accounting Stockman-Yamaha) just out-dragged John Pellicano (Giova Design Avoig-Honda) for second position. In his final race, 62-year-old veteran Mick Bakker finished in seventh position, his last race before retiring as a competitor.

One race still remains in the www.artmotorsport.com.au Australian Superkart Championship, the bonus point longer race, to be held at 3:20 this afternoon. While the Australian Championship wraps up today, Superkarting will be returning to the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships in three weeks for the Pacific Superkart Challenge at Morgan Park Raceway in Queensland.

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