Mawson Wins Victorian Open State Karting Championship
Tweet
press release
Three-time Australian Karting Champion Joseph Mawson (right) has secured one of the biggest wins of his flourishing motorsport career on the weekend, racing to victory in the elite Clubman Light category at the Victorian Open Sprint Kart Championships.
The event held this year at Geelong’s Beckley Park Raceway is always the first State Championship of the year with young Joey happy to start 2012 off on a winning note especially having only recently stepped up to seniors after finishing off his junior campaign in 2011 with a fine second place in Junior MAX at the Rotax World Final in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
The Fujitsu Cool Driver from Hinchinbrook in New South Wales started the weekend strong qualifying third in the 31-kart strong Clubman Light field before crossing the line fourth in his opening heat. Heat two saw Mawson pick up his first race win for the weekend greeting the chequered flag ahead of fellow three-time Australian Champion James Sera.
The battle with Sera continued in the pre-final with the lead changing several times and with Mawson having led the majority of the race Sera regained the front running on the penultimate lap however the 15-year old showed maturity beyond his years to snatch the victory on the final circuit.
By virtue of his pre-final victory, Mawson then started the winner-takes-all 22-lap final from pole aboard his Australian made Arrow chassis and after a less than perfect start found himself in third at the end of the opening lap before quickly moving into second on lap two and setting out after Sera who had built a small gap in the lead.
Above: Joseph Mawson leads James Sera
Mawson quickly reeled in his rival and took the lead on the tenth lap with the weekend long battle for the lead between the pair continuing as the laps wound down towards the end with Joey crossing the line first for a well-deserved triumph.
Also looking a big chance of a podium finish in the Rotax Light class, a battery lead came adrift with just seven laps remaining in the final ending Joey’s chances of a second strong result.
“This weekend has been great, we’ve had a very good result today, unfortunately in the Rotax we didn’t go that well this weekend but in Clubman Light we went great,” said Mawson.
“To win Clubman Light at the Viccy Open in my first attempt as a senior is just awesome, it has to be one of my best state title victories in my career and while this race was one of the hardest fought, I definitely hold this win up there as one of my highest achievements.”
“James Sera and I had a great race, it was unfortunate that he had to lose his chain at the very end there but racing can be cruel sometimes, he pushed me to my limit and I definitely learnt a lot from racing hard against him all weekend.”
“I didn’t get the best of starts dropping back to third but I just kept my cool, started airboxing hoping that I could catch him (Sera) back up and by mid-race I was right with him. Towards the end we started having a few battles and we swapped the lead a heap of times but as I said before unfortunately for James he dropped his chain and I was lucky enough to get the win.”
“I can’t thank my sponsors enough as without them none of this would be possible. Fujitsu’s support has been great, Arrow Karts and Shayne Piper Race Engines for a great racing package this weekend, Bell Helmets, RADeigns, the guys at Kart 1 - Tim Craig and Fergus Symes, Xzuit and Kart X – the support I get is invaluable to me and my racing.”
Mawson’s next contest will be the Rotax Pro Tour 3 Gympie – hosted by Cooloola Kart Club on 23-25th March 2012 where he will be looking to back up his victory from Pro Tour 1 at Canberra.
