Race 2 - Zavaglia Clears Off After Restart

from Mark Jones

After a safety car affected second race, Sam Zavaglia has pulled clear of the field on a one-lap restart, taking his points lead out to 41 points. The Sydney-based international Superkart racer now has one hand on the www.artmotorsport.com.au Australian Superkart Championship, which is being held as part of Round 6 of the Shannons National Motor Racing Championships.

The safety car was called out after three cars, in two separate incidents, were left parked on the outside of Eastern Creek Raceway's high speed turn 1 sweeper. Warren McIlveen (Soundy's Electrical/Mac's Marine Stockman-Honda) spun by himself after a fuel line leaked onto his rear tyres, deprived him of grip, while a collision between Yiani Harpas (Internode/Metaplanner/Davtec Zip-BRC) and Jason Laker (1800 Bumper Stockman-Honda) was the cause of the other two stopped Superkarts.

With three of the race's five laps taken up with the recovery, the race was reduced to a single lap sprint. Zavaglia pounced instantly away from Colin McIntyre (Marron Excavations/RMR Superkarts Anderson-FPE) to take the win. Zavaglia's caused was helped when his two closest points rivals failed to make the start after installation problems prior to the start. Darren Hossack found his Anderson-Safe was refusing to select gears, while the proverbial 20 cent O-ring meant that Gary Pegoraro's Anderson-FPE refused to fire.

"Sometimes it doesn't matter what you do you can't get it right," said Zavaglia philosophically. "Sometimes it just falls in your lap."

McIntyre was caught on the final lap by Robert Oakley (Stockman-Honda) and V8 Supercar racer Shane Price (Safe Evolutions Anderson-Safe) and in a three car drag race to the line Oakley has grabbed second from Price and McIntyre, just two ten-thousandths of a second covering the three karts.

Brett Purdie (Martelco Hire Zip-BRC) had been sitting in fourth position until a collision with Ilya Harpas (Internode/Metaplanner/Davtec Zip-BRC) saw him tumble down the order. Stephen Castles (Top Torque Engines Stockman-Honda) crossed the line in fifth position, despite running on almost one cylinder as a fouled plug affected his power output all race, the safety car proving a blessing in disguise for the Victorian racer.

Former 125cc champion Russell Jamieson (Coach Design Stockman-Honda) climbed into sixth position by the races end, finishing ahead of Ilya Harpas and Mark Hanson (Phoenix Dental Zip-Yamaha)

In 125cc, Jeff Reed again won the class in the Cycle City Stockman-Honda, finishing in ninth position just ahead of Brad Stebbing (Suburban Accounting Stockman-Yamaha). Steven Tamasi finished in third position, but still holds a 17 point buffer over the hard charging Reed. Mick Bakker (Bakker Superkarts Bakker-Honda) and Rod Conn (Arconn Refrigeration Stockman-Honda) were next.

Just two races are left in the 2009 www.artmotorsport.com.au Australian Superkart Championship, with 45 points available. Only Darren Hossack in the Safe Evolutions Anderson-Safe can threaten Zavaglia. A top twelve result for Zavaglia in race 3 will put the championship beyond doubt.

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