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Pegoraro, May & Dunn Winners At Superkart Nats Rnd 1

from Mark Jones

Victorian drivers clean swept the opening round of the Dunlop Australian Superkart Championships with Gary Pegoraro, Luke May and Darren Dunn winning the three classes after a weekend of great racing at the Phillip Island round of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships.

After four races Gary Pegoraro (Dunlop BRC Engines Anderson-BRC) emerged from a group of four as the victor with a blistering drive from pole position. The fourth race was interrupted briefly with a safety car for karts parked at MG Corner but once clear Pegoraro came within three tenths of a second of the lap record in his sprint to victory. Pegoraro has threatened to win for five years, to finally achieve it was a sweet moment.

Second in the last race and second for the weekend was quite the comeback for Darren Hossack and the Safe Evolutions team. Ignition problems in qualifying left them two seconds off the pace but an overnight rebuild after a drive back to Melbourne for parts and Hossack was back up to pace again, coming within tenths of the record himself in his pursuit of Pegoraro. Hossack sits just five points behind Pegoraro at the weekends conclusion.

Visiting Northern Ireland driver Trevor Roberts (Stockman Superkarts / Demon Tweaks/ Nilfisk Stockman-Yamaha) got into the lead past Warren McIlveen shortly before the safety car was called but could not match Pegoraro's pace at the restart. One of the best of the European championship, Roberts adapted himself to unfamiliar equipment and for an error in the dying moments of race three when too much power with a tyre on wet paint would have claimed a race win to go with third for the round.

After two lean years Warren McIlveen (Soundy's Tamworth Stockman-Honda) was well and truly back amongst the pace, leading races and for much of the weekend being the pick of the motorcycle powered karts. Misfires cruelled his run in qualifying and late in the weekend, but his pace in race one, blasting aside Pegoraro, and his familiarity with Morgan Park Raceway still makes him a strong championship threat and he sits eight points behind Pegoraro.

Reigning champion Sam Zavaglia (Sam Zavaglia Racing Stockman-Honda) missed Friday working to set up Roberts in his 2009 championship winning machine. Zavaglia's own Honda powered kart for 2010 was fast enough in qualifying but a cold seizure from running the engine too lean robbed him of value early points. A misfire in the wet race two further delayed him and Zavaglia is well down in the points. Anton Stevens (artmotorsport.com.au PVP) was best of the rest, his pace in the wet race was electrifying, setting fastest lap after starting rear of grid in a charge to third place. But for a mis-timed tyre choice in race three and fading away in race four he might be in the race for the championship.

Ilya Harpas stepped strongly out of his brothers shadow in the Internode / Davtec Zip-BRC with a number of strong drives in a team collective suffering from a lack of top end power. While Yianni got tangled in several incidents a pair of fifth places puts the young South Australian in strong position just shy of Stevens. Queensland veteran Chryss Jamieson (Coach Design Anderson-Honda) also had a strong weekend to be just two points behind Harpas. Just behind Zavaglia in the points was one of the meeting's surprises. Young Queenslander Jason Smith in his first run at the national series in the 250 International qualified the ex-Malcolm Hulme Fuji-Xerox Anderson-FPE in sixth fastest and raced strongly at the top end, including a top six finish, but rotated the kart at Southern Loop in the wet race 2, triggering a safety car as many karts took to the grass in avoidance including Yianni Harpas and Robert Oakley. West Australian Mark Hanson (Phoenix Dental Zip-Yamaha) rounded out the top ten with a string of consistent drives.

In 250 National the round win went all the way to the line. After Martin Latta's devastating qualifying pace in the Viper Racing fettled Anderson-Honda, Luke May (Velocity Management Anderson-Yamaha) fought back to be just a point behind Latta heading into the final race. A situation assisted when Latta was tapped into a spin by another kart in the wet of Sunday morning. After a hard fought final race Latta swept out to blast past May in a drag race to the chequered flag and fell just two hundredths short. May was a late substitution as kart owner Chris Jewell was interstate with his duties as V8 Supercar on track commentator. Whether May can make a run for the championship at Morgan Park is unknown. David Yuill (Crispy Racing / Aardvark Polishin Anderson-Yamaha) raced hard on several occasions dicing for position with Latta and May but was a second off their pace consistently throughout. Consistency saw Frank Giglio into fourth place while a litany of issues slowed Matthew Palmer in the STR Stockman and a race four DNF dropped Wayne Sprostan from podium contention after matching Yuill's pace all weekend.

Darren Dunn did not win a race until the last of the four races in the 125cc division, but that win brought the round win for the Broadbent Compressors Services Topkart-Honda. Steven Tamasi (Domain Prestige Homes Stockman-Honda) had been the form driver until the kart started to refuse to run higher than 11,000 revolutions. The teenage defending champion limped across the line at the end of the weekend, but remains in touch with Dunn and ahead of his 2009 championship rival Jeff Reed (Cycle City Stockman-Honda). Just one point behind Reed, Brad Stebbing remains close behind despite a disappointing weekend in the Suburban Accounting Stockman-Yamaha, although his form was displayed by a thrilling wet weather win on Sunday morning. Anthony Lappas also picked up a race win, but problems saw the South Australian drop behind the Avoig-Hondas of John Pellicano and Jeremy Shelton.

The series will resume in Queensland on August 14/15 at Morgan Park Raceway on the Darling Downs. It will be the first visit to Queensland for the championship in ten years and the flood of Queensland teams who ventured to Phillip Island will be out in force on their home track, particularly returned European Championship racer Carlo Chermaz whose Buildersmile Constructions PVP destroyed its engine during Phillip Island qualifying. With Poul Peterson having raced at Phillip Island his fresh insights to the Australian PVP racers will stand them in good stead for the championship finale.

Driver Quotes:
First 250 International: Gary Pegoraro (Dunlop / BRC EnginesAnderson-BRC): "It's been great for the Anderson BRC Dunlop combination. I've got to thank my pit crew, Rick Williams and my wife Pam, without those two it wouldn't have happenned. I didn't make too many mistakes and it showed in the end result. We were quick in the final race and came home in front so I thank everybody that helped."

Second 250 International: Darren Hossack (Safe Evolutions Anderson-SAFE) "We just kept digging all weekend and Saturday the wheels just fell off a bit because we had some ignition problems and fortunately we had to get a new system from Melbourne last night. The kart was really good after that. At the end of the day Wiz (Pegoraro) and myself, Sam, Warren, Trevor, we knew coming down here that the five of us and Carlo too if he hadn't have engine problems, we would have been all very even and it was going to be who had good luck and managed the situation the best. Wiz has done a great job to finish the weekend on top, and we're just as happy going to Queensland with a chance to win and really that was the main achievement this weekend. Last year we lost the championship at the first round and the year before we won it at the first round. It has been a lot of work by Scott Ellis and I'm just glad to bring something home for him."

Third 250 International: Trevor Roberts (Stockman Superkarts Demon Tweeks / Nilfisk Stockman-Yamaha) "It's been a hard weekend because we're standing upside down here and all the blood has rushed to my head. It has been good fun, the boys have been really good, the team has been really good to me. Sam helped me with a really really good kart. We lost a lot of time on Friday trying to change the kart and we shouldn't have. We should have just let it stay the way it was and it took some time to learn the circuit. Fantastic circuit, I've really enjoyed driving around this circuit. The engine was the biggest problem, the Yamaha engine I've never driven a motorcycle style engine before. It makes the kart handle differently and I've had to get used to that. I've had a good time."

First 250 National: Luke May (Velocity Management Anderson-Yamaha) "I've been driving the kart for Chris Jewell this weekend, it's his kart, his engine. I rocked up on Friday it was the first time I'd seen the kart. Marty (Latta) and Chris put the deal together, Chris is away this weekend. It was the first time I'd sat in a National, I didn't expect to win I was here to help make up some numbers. I've crewed with Gary Pegoraro, he's just an absolute wiz. He set the kart up all weekend and every time he touched it, it went quicker. He's my idol. And Dad (Les May) has been there too and Dunlop too, unexpected but very good result. As for the rest of the series, I didn't expect to be in this position but it's something we'll talk to Chris about, but it's been good to put in a show this weekend, we needed to do a bit of testing for Dunlop as well with some new tyres that we've got. We did what we needed to do and I don't want to get in the way of the guys who spend a lot of money on these karts year-in year-out. We'll have to wait and see."

First 125 Gearbox: Darren Dunn (Broadbent Compressor Serivces Topkart-Honda) "It has been an interesting weekend. Really had to keep the kart going for four heats. It was most important and in the end that's what has turned out to be the majority of the success here this weekend. The kart is going as quick as I can make it go. You've just got to finish all four races to finish on top. I'm very pleased and I'm looking forward to the next round."

Event results HERE.

Points at the completion of Round 1:
250 International
Gary Pegoraro 75, Darren Hossack 70, Trevor Roberts 64, Warren McIlveen 60, Anton Stevens 46, Ilya Harpas 41, Chryss Jamieson 39, Sam Zavaglia 35, Jason Smith 30, Mark Hanson 20 etc

250 National
Luke May 79, Martin Latta 77, David Yuill 63, Frank Giglio 46, Matthew Palmer 44 etc

125 Gearbox
Darren Dunn 70, Steven Tamasi 60, Jeff Reed 52, Brad Stebbing 51, John Pellicano 46 etc

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	Pegoraro, May & Dunn Winners At Superkart Nats Rnd 1 from Mark Jones Victorian drivers clean swept the opening round of the Dunlop Australian Superkart Championships with Gary Pegoraro, Luke May and Darren Dunn winning the three classes after a weekend of great racing at the Phillip Island round of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships. After four races Gary Pegoraro (Dunlop BRC Engines Anderson-BRC) emerged from a group of four as the victor with a blistering drive from pole position. The fourth race was interrupted briefly with a safety car for karts parked at MG Corner but once clear Pegoraro came within three tenths of a second of the lap record in his sprint to victory. Pegoraro has threatened to win for five years, to finally achieve it was a sweet moment. Second in the last race and second for the weekend was quite the comeback for Darren Hossack and the Safe Evolutions team. Ignition problems in qualifying left them two seconds off the pace but an overnight rebuild after a drive back to Melbourne for parts and Hossack was back up to pace again, coming within tenths of the record himself in his pursuit of Pegoraro. Hossack sits just five points behind Pegoraro at the weekends conclusion. Visiting Northern Ireland driver Trevor Roberts (Stockman Superkarts / Demon Tweaks/ Nilfisk Stockman-Yamaha) got into the lead past Warren McIlveen shortly before the safety car was called but could not match Pegoraro's pace at the restart. One of the best of the European championship, Roberts adapted himself to unfamiliar equipment and for an error in the dying moments of race three when too much power with a tyre on wet paint would have claimed a race win to go with third for the round. After two lean years Warren McIlveen (Soundy's Tamworth Stockman-Honda) was well and truly back amongst the pace, leading races and for much of the weekend being the pick of the motorcycle powered karts. Misfires cruelled his run in qualifying and late in the weekend, but his pace in race one, blasting aside Pegoraro, and his familiarity with Morgan Park Raceway still makes him a strong championship threat and he sits eight points behind Pegoraro. Reigning champion Sam Zavaglia (Sam Zavaglia Racing Stockman-Honda) missed Friday working to set up Roberts in his 2009 championship winning machine. Zavaglia's own Honda powered kart for 2010 was fast enough in qualifying but a cold seizure from running the engine too lean robbed him of value early points. A misfire in the wet race two further delayed him and Zavaglia is well down in the points. Anton Stevens (artmotorsport.com.au PVP) was best of the rest, his pace in the wet race was electrifying, setting fastest lap after starting rear of grid in a charge to third place. But for a mis-timed tyre choice in race three and fading away in race four he might be in the race for the championship. Ilya Harpas stepped strongly out of his brothers shadow in the Internode / Davtec Zip-BRC with a number of strong drives in a team collective suffering from a lack of top end power. While Yianni got tangled in several incidents a pair of fifth places puts the young South Australian in strong position just shy of Stevens. Queensland veteran Chryss Jamieson (Coach Design Anderson-Honda) also had a strong weekend to be just two points behind Harpas. Just behind Zavaglia in the points was one of the meeting's surprises. Young Queenslander Jason Smith in his first run at the national series in the 250 International qualified the ex-Malcolm Hulme Fuji-Xerox Anderson-FPE in sixth fastest and raced strongly at the top end, including a top six finish, but rotated the kart at Southern Loop in the wet race 2, triggering a safety car as many karts took to the grass in avoidance including Yianni Harpas and Robert Oakley. West Australian Mark Hanson (Phoenix Dental Zip-Yamaha) rounded out the top ten with a string of consistent drives. In 250 National the round win went all the way to the line. After Martin Latta's devastating qualifying pace in the Viper Racing fettled Anderson-Honda, Luke May (Velocity Management Anderson-Yamaha) fought back to be just a point behind Latta heading into the final race. A situation assisted when Latta was tapped into a spin by another kart in the wet of Sunday morning. After a hard fought final race Latta swept out to blast past May in a drag race to the chequered flag and fell just two hundredths short. May was a late substitution as kart owner Chris Jewell was interstate with his duties as V8 Supercar on track commentator. Whether May can make a run for the championship at Morgan Park is unknown. David Yuill (Crispy Racing / Aardvark Polishin Anderson-Yamaha) raced hard on several occasions dicing for position with Latta and May but was a second off their pace consistently throughout. Consistency saw Frank Giglio into fourth place while a litany of issues slowed Matthew Palmer in the STR Stockman and a race four DNF dropped Wayne Sprostan from podium contention after matching Yuill's pace all weekend. Darren Dunn did not win a race until the last of the four races in the 125cc division, but that win brought the round win for the Broadbent Compressors Services Topkart-Honda. Steven Tamasi (Domain Prestige Homes Stockman-Honda) had been the form driver until the kart started to refuse to run higher than 11,000 revolutions. The teenage defending champion limped across the line at the end of the weekend, but remains in touch with Dunn and ahead of his 2009 championship rival Jeff Reed (Cycle City Stockman-Honda). Just one point behind Reed, Brad Stebbing remains close behind despite a disappointing weekend in the Suburban Accounting Stockman-Yamaha, although his form was displayed by a thrilling wet weather win on Sunday morning. Anthony Lappas also picked up a race win, but problems saw the South Australian drop behind the Avoig-Hondas of John Pellicano and Jeremy Shelton. The series will resume in Queensland on August 14/15 at Morgan Park Raceway on the Darling Downs. It will be the first visit to Queensland for the championship in ten years and the flood of Queensland teams who ventured to Phillip Island will be out in force on their home track, particularly returned European Championship racer Carlo Chermaz whose Buildersmile Constructions PVP destroyed its engine during Phillip Island qualifying. With Poul Peterson having raced at Phillip Island his fresh insights to the Australian PVP racers will stand them in good stead for the championship finale. Driver Quotes: First 250 International: Gary Pegoraro (Dunlop / BRC EnginesAnderson-BRC): "It's been great for the Anderson BRC Dunlop combination. I've got to thank my pit crew, Rick Williams and my wife Pam, without those two it wouldn't have happenned. I didn't make too many mistakes and it showed in the end result. We were quick in the final race and came home in front so I thank everybody that helped." Second 250 International: Darren Hossack (Safe Evolutions Anderson-SAFE) "We just kept digging all weekend and Saturday the wheels just fell off a bit because we had some ignition problems and fortunately we had to get a new system from Melbourne last night. The kart was really good after that. At the end of the day Wiz (Pegoraro) and myself, Sam, Warren, Trevor, we knew coming down here that the five of us and Carlo too if he hadn't have engine problems, we would have been all very even and it was going to be who had good luck and managed the situation the best. Wiz has done a great job to finish the weekend on top, and we're just as happy going to Queensland with a chance to win and really that was the main achievement this weekend. Last year we lost the championship at the first round and the year before we won it at the first round. It has been a lot of work by Scott Ellis and I'm just glad to bring something home for him." Third 250 International: Trevor Roberts (Stockman Superkarts Demon Tweeks / Nilfisk Stockman-Yamaha) "It's been a hard weekend because we're standing upside down here and all the blood has rushed to my head. It has been good fun, the boys have been really good, the team has been really good to me. Sam helped me with a really really good kart. We lost a lot of time on Friday trying to change the kart and we shouldn't have. We should have just let it stay the way it was and it took some time to learn the circuit. Fantastic circuit, I've really enjoyed driving around this circuit. The engine was the biggest problem, the Yamaha engine I've never driven a motorcycle style engine before. It makes the kart handle differently and I've had to get used to that. I've had a good time." First 250 National: Luke May (Velocity Management Anderson-Yamaha) "I've been driving the kart for Chris Jewell this weekend, it's his kart, his engine. I rocked up on Friday it was the first time I'd seen the kart. Marty (Latta) and Chris put the deal together, Chris is away this weekend. It was the first time I'd sat in a National, I didn't expect to win I was here to help make up some numbers. I've crewed with Gary Pegoraro, he's just an absolute wiz. He set the kart up all weekend and every time he touched it, it went quicker. He's my idol. And Dad (Les May) has been there too and Dunlop too, unexpected but very good result. As for the rest of the series, I didn't expect to be in this position but it's something we'll talk to Chris about, but it's been good to put in a show this weekend, we needed to do a bit of testing for Dunlop as well with some new tyres that we've got. We did what we needed to do and I don't want to get in the way of the guys who spend a lot of money on these karts year-in year-out. We'll have to wait and see." First 125 Gearbox: Darren Dunn (Broadbent Compressor Serivces Topkart-Honda) "It has been an interesting weekend. Really had to keep the kart going for four heats. It was most important and in the end that's what has turned out to be the majority of the success here this weekend. The kart is going as quick as I can make it go. You've just got to finish all four races to finish on top. I'm very pleased and I'm looking forward to the next round." Event results HERE. Points at the completion of Round 1: 250 International Gary Pegoraro 75, Darren Hossack 70, Trevor Roberts 64, Warren McIlveen 60, Anton Stevens 46, Ilya Harpas 41, Chryss Jamieson 39, Sam Zavaglia 35, Jason Smith 30, Mark Hanson 20 etc 250 National Luke May 79, Martin Latta 77, David Yuill 63, Frank Giglio 46, Matthew Palmer 44 etc 125 Gearbox Darren Dunn 70, Steven Tamasi 60, Jeff Reed 52, Brad Stebbing 51, John Pellicano 46 etc Home
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