Day 1 Practice - Superkart Nationals, round 2
from Mark Jones
Comment was all about the venue at day 1, the newly expanded 2.9 kilometre Morgan Park Raceway in use for the first time. For about half the field it is their first visit to the Queensland circuit, but for everyone the track is new.
Title rivals Darren Hossack (Safe Evolutions Anderson-Safe) and Gary Pegoraro (Dunlop/Wizzer Engines Anderson-BRC) led the timesheets, both recording laps in the 1:15 second bracket. The sleeper in the championship fight, Warren McIlveen was fast was not wearing his timer today. McIlveen, the lap record holder in the Mac's Marine Stockman-Honda on the 2.1 kilometre circuit was all smiles today.
"The track changes have been really good, the extra length and the fast sweeping corners make it very exciting," said McIlveen. "There's a few bumps coming off the old circuit onto the new circuit, and vice versa."
Several drivers however expressed concerns that the bumps, magnified on a Superkart with is comparatively basic suspension, would cause race lines tighten at several points, although McIlveen was less concerned than many.
"It could be an issue with passing on the back straight," was McIlveen's comment on the potential problems. "Coming off the old circuit onto the new and it's bumpy there just where most drivers might be wanting to pass."
Not everyone was progressing smoothly as McIlveen however. An engine issue has ruled Anton Stevens (www.artmotorsport.com.au PVP-FPE) out before the weekend had really started. Jason Smith left the track in the afternoon, driving back to Brisbane to repair the gearbox on the Fuji-Xerox Anderson-FPE. Kristian Stebbing too was missing in the afternoon as brake issues sidelined the Suburban Accounting Stockman-Honda, with a trip to Tamworth for parts at the Stockman Superkarts workshops. Both Smith and Stebbing should be back in action in their 250 Internationals in the morning.
Behind the title rivals, the best of the rest were Ilya Harpas (Davtec/Internode Zip-BRC) and Steven Murray (East Coast Lubes/R & R Powersports PVP-Honda), both lapping in the 17 bracket. Kristian Stebbing was next ahead of Rod Prickett (Rocket Race Engines Anderson-Safe), Mark Hanson (Phoenix Dental Laboratory Zip-BRC) and Stevens.
Martin Latta (Viper Racing UK/MJR Bricklaying Anderson-Honda) was the fastest driver in the 250 National class, although his advantage over Luke May (Marron Excavations/Dunlop Stockman-Yamaha) was just half a second as the pair circulated in the 1:19 second bracket. Brendan Luneman was making a very effective debut of his new kart, the Anderson-Yamaha driven by May at the opening round of the series. He and STR Truck Bodies team mate Matt Palmer are fighting over third fastest.
Jeff Reed (Cycle City Stockman-Honda) led the 125cc class recording a mid 1:21 lap time, although Steven Tamasi looks ominously quick in the Domain Prestige Homes Stockman-Honda. Keeping Reed company in the timesheets are series leader Darren Dunn (Broadbent Compressor Services Topkart-Honda) who spent some time off track after contact with another kart, and Tim Philp in the Floth Engineering Avoig-Honda. Philp had an engine problem as well, nipping up his good barrel, but struck back strongly in the afternoon, proving the value of local experience.
42 karts are scheduled to take to the track tomorrow for the first qualifying session. Superkarts will begin proceedings at the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships on Saturday morning with the first qualifying session of the day. The first Superkart race of the weekend is scheduled for 2:30 in the afternoon, a ten lap dash ahead of three races on Sunday which will decide the Rockpress Australian Superkart Champions of 2010.
