2010 Horsepower Heaven

Adam Hughes and Remo Luciani grabbed the two National Championships up for grabs this weekend at Geelong, winning Formula 100 Light and Formula 100 Heavy respectively. In glorious sunshine, the two Kosmic drivers won their finals easily - but not without earlier problems; a seized engine for Luciani and speedy opposition from Dean Foster for Hughes.

Foster ultimately DNF’d the F100 final, but won the Leopard Light Shootout Grand Final. Lee Mitchener took out Leopard Heavy. Dominic Albanese dominated the 200cc Super class while David Sera completed a perfect weekend with victory in KZ2. Full meeting results are HERE.

Above: KZ2 brings the crowd to the fence.
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

F100 Light
Adam Hughes was looking to reclaim his F100 title from 2008 and started the best way possible, qualifying fastest, setting his quick time in the second session. Less than one tenth covered Hughes from Dean Foster, Reece Kawitzki and Sarron Caddy.

Adam won both of Saturday’s heats, fractionally ahead of Foster. Come Sunday, and some changes to Foster’s kart added some speed, the Master Karting driver winning the third heat and pre-final – but only just, with Hughes right behind and a consistent Kawitzki right there too.

The final was pretty straight forward for Hughes, leading into turn one and never headed. Foster was soon out of the equation, seizing at the end of the opening lap. “It felt sluggish at the start when he (Hughes) jumped me” Foster said.

Above: Up until the final, Reece Kawitzki, here leading Aaron Ivermee, was having a great run.
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Victorians Sarron Caddy and Mark Domaschenz filled the podium, Domaschenz having started last after a pre-final crash. Queensland’s Adam Mercer enjoyed his best result of the day with 4th while Reece Kawitzki’s consistent run came to an end with a DNF.

1 Adam Hughes (Kosmic)
2 Sarron Caddy (Azzurro)
3 Mark Domaschenz (Kosmos)
4 Adam Mercer (Kosmic)
5 Aaron Ivermee (BRM)

Above: Adam Hughes atop the F100 Light podium
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

F100 Heavy
At the same venue he won his first Australian Karting Championship, Remo Luciani has wrapped up what could quite possibly be his 7th and last national title.

Almost twenty years (and, as Remo put it, another 20 kilos!) after he won his first Australian karting championship (1992, International 100cc Light aboard PCR/Atomik), Remo decided to give the modern day equivalent of the class (Formula 100) a crack.

”I won my fist nationals when I was thirty and I’ve won my last one at 50” he said. So is this the end for Remo, 7 National Championships? “Well, let’s be realistic – I am 50 years old!”

Above: A seventh Australian Championship for karting veteran Remo Luciani. “This win didn’t just happen, I made it happen" Remo told karting.net.au "I’ve always said that you only get out of things what you get put into them. While everyone else was at home watching Bathurst, Formula One and the Moto GP over the past few weeks I’ve been here doing laps all day long to get myself ready for this weekend.”
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Having enjoyed a trouble free Saturday, and surprised how easily he was able to drive away from the competition, Luciani seized his Formula A spec IAME when a mechanical mix-up saw him start the morning warmup with a loose spark plug. To compound the dramas, he was hit after seizing, bending a stub axle. “The bloke upstairs is making me earn it” Remo sweated as he feverishly worked on the kart to make heat three, switching to his back-up engine, which was built to ICA spec and about 2hp down on his primary motor.

Not that you’d have noticed, as he cleared away to win all the remaining races. The interest was in the battles for second place which eventually went to Dominic Albanese ahead of Matthew Mills, Zane Wyatt and former top-level junior, Michael Hazelton, who recovered to 5th after spinning out of the pre-final.

1 Remo Luciani (Kosmic)
2 Dominic Albanese (BRM)
3 Matthew Mills (First Kart)
4 Zane Wyatt (Arrow)
5 Michael Hazelton (CRG)

Above: Remo rushes to fix his kart before the 3rd heat
pic - KartSportNews.com

Leopard Final Shootout - Light

Leopard Light was Kosmic territory as Dean Foster made amends for his F100 disappointment. Foster and his Kartune/Master Karting entry was undefeated, though, as usual, Adam Hughes was right on his tail.

Ben Edwards caught the two leaders towards the end of the final, his rebuilt kart coming on strong over the closing laps (Edwards’ Kosmic was unpainted after chassis repairs due to a big crash at the recent City of Adelaide titles –the refurbishment certainly worked!).

Above: Fozzy backed up his Leopard national title by winning the grand final shootout
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Cian Fothergill was on for a podium until a dropped chain put him out mid race.

1 Dean Foster (Kosmic)
2 Adam Hughes (Kosmic)
3 Ben Edwards (Kosmic)
4 Adam Willison (Tony Kart)
5 Matt McRae (Kosmic)

Above: Leopard Light podium
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Leopard Final Shootout - Heavy

Michael Griffiths was, again, looking good for a win in Leopard Heavy. The Victorian qualified fastest and won every race, then led all of the final – except for the last two laps.

Lee Mitchener ran second from the start and after initially falling back a little, the National Champ was soon onto Griffiths and made the pass with 2 laps to go. Michael was unable to fight back, these two finishing well ahead of the pack.

Zane Wyatt was third ahead of Tim Barnes and Ben Walter. Walter had been having a great run earlier with a string of second places, but a pre-final DNS put him off the back for the final.

Above: Lee Mitchener in a heat race ahead of Luke Andaloro (17), Tim Barnes (27) and Zane Wyatt.
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

1 Lee Mitchener (Tony Kart)
2 Michael Griffiths (Kosmic)
3 Zane Wyatt (Arrow)
4 Tim Barnes (Kosmic)
5 Ben Walter (Arrow)

Above: Leopard Heavy podium
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

200cc Super
Dominic Albanese simply drove away from the rest for an easy win. Tyler Greenbury charged to second position in a matter of corners but there was no way he’d challenge The Dom, so resorted to some lurid slides to entertain himself on the way to second place. Ross Sears grabbed third in the ex-Jason white Swiss Hutless.

Prior to the final, Greenbury hadn’t had a lot of track time. He missed the second heat when parts were ratted off his Twin-engined kart for the KZ2 machine. Then for the third heat, the right-side chain snapped leaving him stranded trackside and another DNS.

1 Dominic Albanese (Arrow/TM)
2 Tyler Greenbury (Brian Hicks/Parilla)
3 Ross Sears (Swiss Hutless/TM)
4 Jason Yould (Butch/TM)
5 Phil Straughen (Kosmic/Yamaha)

Above: The Dominator had it all his own way in 200cc twins.
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

KZ2 Shifter

David Sera and Arrow’s win in KZ2 was perfect preparation for the upcoming SKUSA Supernats in Vegas. The Monster-backed driver dominated the category in all areas – except the run from green light to turn one.

Chris Hays made another signature rocketship start to lead the opening lap of the final as Sera fell to fourth. Lee Mitchener was soon through to the lead, but Deadly Dave was on a mission, taking P1 on lap six and driving away from the field.

Above: The Number 96 was just too good, here leading Wall, Woolston, Toninelli, Hays, Mitchener, Lindstrom and Pringle in a heat race.
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Wall-e was best of the rest, moving up from a P5 start to take second ahead of Mitchener, Hays and Jason Pringle. Next was Tyler Greenbury, using a second engine after his original kept jumping out of gear in the pre-final. Jordie Lindstrom charged back to 7th in the DR Kart after contact with Fergus Symes saw him DNF the pre-final.

1 David Sera (Arrow)
2 Matthew Wall (BRM)
3 Lee Mitchener (DR Kart)
4 Chris Hays (Tony Kart)
5 Jason Pringle (CRG)

Above: Reif Corbett ahead of Symes, Justin Ruggier, Pringle, Kel Treseder, Lindstrom, Greenbury, Mitchener, Andrew Gillespie etc. Corbett exited the final in spectacular fashion, clipping the rear wheel of the kart ahead and pirouetting into the gravel.
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Above: Jon Targett busy on Chris Hays Vodafone kart. Seat and axle changes were made for the final as the team searched for those elusive tenths to catch Sera.
pic - KartSportNews.com

It was interesting to watch the teams manage their tyres. In this category, each driver is allowed to use up to 6 Dunlop slicks, and they can manage their usage however they see fit. A few drivers fitted two new ‘sticker’ tyres to the outside (right side) of the kart for the pre-final, and a handful elected to just take a right-rear.

Most elected to save their extra tyres for the Final. Again, it was either full right-side stickers, or just right-rear. Interestingly, both Luxor karts of Toninelli and Shugg had a new right-rear and left-front for the final. Unfortunately, we never got to see how this cross-kart strategy panned out as Toninelli didn’t make the start and Shugg suffered a broken reed valve early in the race.

It appeared Sera’s Arrow never enjoyed new sticker tyres at all, but the Arrow team had actually roaded their new rubber in Sunday’s warm up before fitting them for the final.

Above: KZ2 podium
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Above: It was great to have an international name in Roberto Toninelli at the event. The vastly experienced shifter driver was super-smooth on the race track. Many were wondering if the Italian, who doesn’t speak a word of English, was foxing, cruising around looking after the gear before unleashing in the final. Or was he genuinely not able to keep up with the top locals? Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait for Kalgoorlie to answer that...
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Above: While Sera and Wall had solid runs in preparation for their trip to the USA, Kel Treseder was left scratching his head, unable to locate the extra tenth or two he needed. “With the calibre of driver here, you only need to be a tenth off and you’re out of it” he commented. Pictured ahead of Toninelli and Gillespie for the final, a new seat position didnt help his cause.
pic - KartSportNews.com

Above: Broken gear stick on Troy Woolston's kart. Woolston didn’t complete a lap in the final, snapping the shifter shaft off the line.
pic - KartSportNews.com

Above: Formula 100 Heavy podium
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Above & Below: Express way to WA - a dozen karts were stacked in racks and sent to WA, many of them to front up at Kalgoorlie for the KZ Dash for Cash meeting in two weeks.
pics - KartSportNews.com

Above: Lenzo/Luxor kart boss Michele Lenzo checks the gearbox problem on Toninelli's machine. Toninelli pitted with gear selection woes on the roll-up laps, the international star travelling all the way from Italy to not even start the final. Behind, Troy Woolston and CC Racing's Peter Cathcart prepare to pack up their package which demonstrated podium pace until the gearstick broke.
pic - KartSportNews.com

Above: Ben Walter (Arrow) was consistently up front until the pre-final of Leopard Heavy, suffering a DNS caused by a carby that wasn’t holding pop-off pressure. A new carby kit fixed the problem and he went from the rear to 5th in the final
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Above: Podium, 200cc Super
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

Above: F100 national champ Adam Hughes slides into turn 1
pic - Ash Budd, photowagon.com.au

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