National Honours On The Line: Preview - Rotax Nationals

AKA press release

Kart racers from all across the country will be heading to Sydney’s Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway next weekend (September 26/27) in an attempt to be crowned the Australian Champion at the Rotax Nationals.

The competitors, who will all be competing aboard 125cc Rotax-powered karts, will reach speeds in excess of 100 km/h while racing only centimetres apart on the 1024-metre circuit.

Over the past few years Victorian David Sera has cemented himself at the top of Australian karting with numerous victories in the major events across the country, including three of the last four Rotax Light crowns at the Nationals.

Sera will be joined on the track in the battle for the Rotax Light crown by Windsor’s David Whitmore, Bankstown’s Nathan Tigani and the North Shore’s Jason Hryniuk.

Above: Windsor driver David Whitmore (#57) is ready to take on the best drivers at next weekend's event
pic - photowagon.com.au

Since graduating from the junior ranks 18 months ago Whitmore has continually developed into a front-runner in the Rotax Light division across Australia and is the reigning New South Wales State Champion.

“It is going to be good taking on the best drivers on my home track, hopefully I’ll have a little bit of an advantage over them but it will be tough against the likes of David Sera, Bart Price and Damien Ward,” said Whitmore

“We’ve been doing a fair bit of testing over the last few months in an effort to be fully prepared, it is going to be a tough event but I will be giving it everything I’ve got to win.

“Everyone that is racing at the event is going to be hard to beat and qualifying will play an important role for the shape of your weekend. I’ll be aiming to be inside the top five at the end of qualifying but as everyone in karting knows it is not over until the end of the last lap in the final.”

Queenslanders have dominated the Rotax Heavy division at the Rotax Nationals having won the last six titles and Bundaberg’s Kel Treseder is the reigning two-time Champion.

While confident entering next weekend’s event Tresder is well aware that local drivers such as Castle Hill’s Daniel Baker and Mt Druitt resident Craig Stauner will be tough to beat on their home circuit.

“Once again there is a high quality field assembled for the Rotax Nationals and come Finals time next Sunday it is going to be ‘game on’ with the best of the best set to rise to the occasion,” said Treseder.

“I think local track knowledge will certainly come into play but hopefully us visiting drivers will be able to overcome the local guys and continue the domination by Queensland drivers in the category.”

In the battle of the junior drivers, the Championship chase in Formula JMA is wide open with the likes of interstate visitors Ben Jurczak, Chris Hays, Luke Rochford and Sam Howard set to take the challenge to local drivers Pierce Lehane, Darsey Kondopirakis and Tobias Bellbowen.

Above: Young Sydneysider Pierce Lehane in action behind the wheel of his CRG kart
pic - photowagon.com.au

While the Junior category has been contested in Australia for several years next weekend’s event will be the first time that the category has got National Championships status.

Next weekend’s event kickstarts a double-header of action for karting in the Western Sydney region with Oran Park hosting the New South Wales State Championships the following weekend (October 3-5).

Former winners of the Rotax Karting Nationals

Rotax Light
2001 – Matthew Wall (Vic)
2002 – Josh Arandt (Vic)
2003 – Bart Price (Vic)
2004 – Scott Auld (Qld)
2005 – David Sera (Vic)
2006 – Hayden McBride (NSW)
2007 – David Sera (Vic)
2008 – David Sera (Vic)

Rotax Heavy
2001 – Damien Meyer (NSW)
2002 – Brett Davidson (Vic)
2003 – William Yarwood (Qld)
2004 – William Yarwood (Qld)
2005 – William Yarwood (Qld)
2006 – William Yarwood (Qld)
2007 – Kel Treseder (Qld)
2008 – Kel Treseder (Qld)

Previous Venues
2001 – Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway, Sydney, NSW
2002 – VACC Park, Melbourne, Vic
2003 – Mt Sugarloaf Raceway, Newcastle, NSW
2004 – Ipswich Raceway, Ipswich, QLD
2005 – Beckley Park Raceway, Geelong, Vic
2006 – Mt Sugarloaf Raceway, Newcastle, NSW
2007 – Ipswich Raceway, Ipswich, QLD
2008 – VACC Park, Melbourne, Vic

2009 ROTAX NATIONALS ENTRY LIST

Formula JMA
2 Bronson Butcher
3 Luke Spinley
4 Jonathan Venter
5 Jaie Robson
6 Scott May
7 Jackson Delamont
8 Luke Bergens
11 Pierce Lehane
14 Macauley Jones
17 Tyler McDonald
22 Ben Cooper
24 Max Johnston
27 Josh Hunter
29 Beck Connell
34 William Sculpher
35 Luke Rochford
39 Jackson Howard
41 Nicholas Ellen
45 Jake Coleman
50 Jaymee Frampton
51 Michael Stewart
62 Matthew Hart
74 Trent Grubel
75 Tobias Bellbowen
76 Ben Jurczak
77 Britany Hall
78 Sam Howard
88 Joshua DeMaio
89 James Macken
93 Hayden Cooper
94 Jordan Lloyd
95 Darsey Kondopirakis
97 Christopher Hays

Rotax Heavy
1 Kel Tresider
2 Joel Allingham
3 Simon Meyer
5 Troy Brown
7 Craig Evans
8 Trent Bink
9 Lane Moore
10 Paul Rodgers
11 Grant Donley
13 Nick Karmalis
15 Matthew Wall
21 Jonathan Romeo
23 Brendon Hart
29 Todd Davey
33 Rick Pringle
35 Jason Pringle
43 Chris Board
50 Jonathan Dwyer
57 Trent Moore
66 Hamish Cross
67 Mike Godsell
69 William Yarwood
72 Brock Green
74 Ben McKinlay
75 Cameron Harch
77 Daniel Baker
78 Brad Wyatt
88 Daniel Stein
89 Matthew Solman
91 Craig Stauner
95 Harley Aitken
96 Joshua Feenstra
99 Jay Waugh

Rotax Light
1 David Sera
3 Grant Gafa
4 Geoff Connell
6 Troy Bretherton
7 Damien Ward
11 Philip Maxfield
13 Bart Price
14 Corey Lean
16 Nathan Tigani
17 Phil Lucas
18 Ryan Rannard
23 Mitchell Bink
24 Mark Flood
29 Kyle Ensbey
33 Matt Greenbury
36 Daniel Rochford
39 Chris Bleakley
42 Ashley Richards
45 Jason Hryniuk
48 Jessica Golding
57 David Whitmore
63 Blake Sciberras
65 John Wells
68 Mitchell Hewitt
69 Shae Davies
72 Damien McPhee
86 James Horne
89 David Sultana
92 Nick Fein
94 Brenton Mountjoy
96 Dylan Lindgren
97 Tyler Greenbury
99 Abbey Kellie

Rotax Over 35s
3 Nicholas Crawshay
7 Ron Klingler
8 Robbie Daniels
9 Robert Amess
10 David Rotstein
11 Danny Woodland
18 Gerry Brookes
25 Tim Paslow
27 Bruce Otter
32 Paul Mapperson
33 Shane Mundey
34 Nigel Ward
39 Gavin Mazzoni
43 Brian Callaghan
44 Luke Wall
67 Greg Moores
81 Mal Walker
91 Garry Cole

ROTAX DD2
7 Steve Martin
9 Peter Beeten
14 Paul Hamilton
27 Kylie Otter
29 Kyle Ensbey
35 Tony Prendergast
42 Gordon Wells
51 Brinley Gread
60 Robert Harnas
86 David Hitchcock
93 Travis Millar
95 Nick Klippan

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