Callow & Eisentraut Star in Archerville
| by Johnathan Males | 23 April 2015 |
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2015 McDonalds Young Guns & Round 3 of the 2015 Tasmanian Statewide Series
Round three of the 2015 Tasmanian Statewide Series on Sunday turned out to be the biggest of the series so far with 108 drivers competing for the chance to take home the red plate on offer at the completion of the series.
They were also battling for the Club Title that a win in the final race would provide and to top off proceedings there was the 2015 McDonalds Young Guns race. This was the 18th consecutive running of this event and this year there was a twist with two winners to be awarded, one for the new KA motor and also for the good old Yamaha J engine.
The picturesque Archerville Kartway was again the venue and the number of spectators watching the action was very impressive - no doubt due to the recent promotion of the sport by club promotions officer Stuart Lee and his band of helpers.
- Full points for all classes after round 3 can be downloaded HERE (PDF)
Above & Below: JNL make a mess of it
pic - TB Photography
Jake Delphin continues to improve in Cadets 9 Mini ROK. Although the only competitor as yet to move to the new Mini ROK the pint sized Praga pilot continues to better his times, and his consistency now sees him assured of taking home the red plate in this class.
The pocket rockets that make up the Cadets 9 Comer class once again entertained the crowds with their on track antics receiving constant applause and encouragement from the crowd as they hone their skills. Kaiden Ford and Elliot Bellars were able to get to the front when it mattered and for the most part extricated themselves from the fighting for positions going on behind them. In the final it was Bellars who crossed the line first ahead of Ford in second. Darcy Whelan showed no trouble in learning a new racetrack and he finished third. Ford takes a forty eight point advantage into the final round at Burnie ahead of Bellars with Kayla Sheals a further thirty seven points behind in third.
Cadets 12 Mini ROK was won by STKC driver Jesse Keeling who had a great battle with the front running Cadet 12 Yamaha J drivers, Ethan Wyllie and Callum Bishop. There is no doubt his recent mainland racing experience has been of great benefit as he keeps improving every time he hits the track.
Above: Sunday morning Drivers' Briefing
Ethan Wyllie and Callum Bishop went head to head yet again in the Cadets 12 Yamaha class. These two are simply too fast for the rest of the field and between them have taken the top two places in every race so far this series. On this occasion Wyllie took the honours with four wins on the day. This healthy point’s haul sees the NWKC driver leave Launceston with a forty point lead in the series over Bishop. Fletcher Bellars had another good day and he has broken the deadlock that saw three drivers all tied on the same points in third. Unfortunately for Tyson Phegan he was unable to compete at Launceston due to a family holiday so he has dropped to sixth in the points. The other protagonist for third in the series, Logan Dixon is now twelve points behind Bellars, but should be more used to the Highclere circuit than his rival. No doubt an interesting contest will unfold between the pair.
It could be argued that Junior National Light KA is the toughest class to win this series, with all eight competitors going into every race meeting with a legitimate chance of taking home the victory. William Reeve is the only driver so far not to have a DNF and this consistency sees him in fourth in the points well within sight of third. Going into this round, series leader Jackson Callow was a mere fourteen points in front of Mitchell Kerrison. Strong showings by both drivers on the day though moved them away from their pursuers in the title race with Kerrison now fifty two points ahead of Kurtis Love and Callow a further thirty four points ahead of Kerrison. Who will win the battle at Burnie? Only time will tell. On the day though Callow took out the final ahead of Kerrison and Lachlan Dalton was third.
Connor Griffin and Brock Lamont went head to head in the Junior National Light Yamaha class. Both drivers taking wins with Lamont claiming three race wins including the final. Griffin only requires twenty one points more than Lamont at Burnie to secure the red plate in only his second year of racing. It was good to see Leah Beechey back behind the wheel after missing the second round. Not only did she have a great day on the track taking home third, but she also won a new set of Dunlop SL1’s at presentations thanks to local Dunlop supplier, and ex karter, Bill Fulton.
Above: Launceston Kart Supplies teammates Jackson Callow (46), Tate Frost (62) and Lachlan Dalton (45) nose to tail ready for the start in Junior National Light
pic - Bree Hobden
Declan Sherburd would be sitting very comfortably atop the points standings in Junior National Heavy KA had it not been for two costly DNF’s in rounds two and three. At Hobart he failed to great the chequered flag in the final. Thankfully at Launceston it was heat three that this occurred and the Deadly Kart driver was able to recover and take the win in the final. Kiana Toon got the better of the battle of the fast femmes to beat Caitlin Fitch in the final. Only fourteen points separates the top three in this class.
Local Justin Murphy returned to the track after a short sabbatical and he demonstrated that the time out of the seat hadn’t dulled any of his performance in Junior National Heavy Yamaha. By the second heat he had already carded a victory and a second place and although he dropped to fourth in the third heat he rebounded to take the win and the club title in the final ahead of Zevie Eisentraut and series leader Andrew Lee in third. Lee will be aiming for a consistent, trouble free run at Burnie to preserve the handy thirty three point buffer he has over Eisentraut in the series. As will Jesse Sheals, who after a very consistent run sits in third going into the final round at his home track.
Above: Junior National Heavy Yamaha points leader Andrew Lee finished third on the day
pic - TB Photography
One thing is for sure, Gemma Wyllie has rediscovered her mojo in Senior National Light. After struggling in the first two rounds, with what was discovered to be a slightly bent chassis the Wyllie Tiles Tony Kart driver has returned to the front in emphatic style. She simply had too much pace for Bodie Reading who was next best and took home a healthy bag of points along with second place on the day. The battle for third is on in earnest with both Samuel Jackson and Keenan Slater tied on points in third and Keenan Slater and Jade Waddington both well within striking distance. Waddington had a good return taking third on the day.
Above: Gemma Wyllie was back to top form taking the win in Senior National Light
pic - Bree Hobden
Yet another consistent race meeting for Daniel Hinds saw the Tim Hinds Motorsport driver extend his lead in the series to thirty five points in Senior National Heavy. His main title rival Alastair Lee was the only other competitor able to take up the fight to the “Ned Kelly bearded” CHKC driver. After a very close tussle Hinds took the win in the final as Lee couldn’t find a way past in the closing laps. Josh Hardy crossed the line in third narrowly ahead of Mark Crocker after a fantastic race long duel. Crocker too, like his father was returning after a nasty crash in recent times. Hardy though would have to be the biggest improver, he now sits two points clear in second place for the title and the young STKC driver has really made a marked improvement in the last six months.
Another clean sweep in the Masters Pro class saw Johnathan Males all but wrap up the 2015 Statewide Series title. Males only needs a further four points to ensure the red plate will be bolted to the AWC Motorsport/Signpoint/Launceston Kart Supplies Arrow. It was good to see Steve Crocker return to racing after a nasty rollover at last year’s state title meeting that saw the moustached marauder sidelined for a lengthy spell. Crocker showed he’d lost none of his pace or racing acumen and he took the fight right up to Males finishing second in all four races. Third on the day was Michael Vaughan who will undoubtedly get much faster once he further comes to grips with his new steed after having to retire his much loved (and very successful) Monaco GP3.
Having missed the opening round of the series one would assume Scott Wrigley would be very unlikely to be challenging for the red plate in the Masters Super Heavy class. However even though the Wrigley’s Karts and Parts driver sits in fifth place in the series he is only thirty points behind the leader Darren Williams. In fact the battle in this class is so close that only thirty five points separates the top six! Trying to work out who will walk away from Burnie with the red plate in this class will be as they say “harder to pick than a broken nose”. On the day though, Wrigley took home the Club Title, ahead of John Lee aboard his Hadspen Excavations CRG. Robert Miller had another good weekend and he took third on the day.
Above: Scott Wrigley took another win in Masters Superheavy. Here he leads John Lee and Greg Wood
pic - Bree Hobden
It just goes to show it’s not over till it’s over and Clubman Light Yamaha was a perfect example of this. Shane Bray left Hobart licking his wounds as he suffered two crippling DNF’s to put him well behind the eight ball in his quest for his first red plate. However he responded in the best possible way by simply going out and winning every race at Launceston. He was aided in no small part by his opposition suffering from the bad luck that he faced at Hobart. Poor Sam Jackson went from leading the series by thirty points to being forty points adrift of Bray by the time the sun went down on Sunday! James Pinfold too suffered engine dramas and he fell to fourth in the series although he recovered to finish third in the final race of the day. Maddieson Hollick was the big winner on the day though, a mid-series switch to an OK1 chassis reaped a substantial reward for the STKC rookie racer and she recorded her best result to date taking second on the day. Another driver to impress was Andrew Sluce, who if not for an exhaust header issue in the final was on course to finish on the podium in his first race meeting.
Once again Tabatha Badger had a fight on her hands at the front of Clubman Light KA 100. Jason Conroy is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with and he, along with Badger and the Yamaha powered Shane Bray put on a display of great racing out the front of the field. Tabatha has committed to the National Series this year and even though she’s only competed at the first round so far the improvement in her race craft and pace is already noticeable. One solitary point is all that is required for her to take her first red plate at Burnie, I’m sure Burnie can’t come soon enough for Tabatha. On the day she took the win narrowly ahead of Conroy who snagged his first race win in the second heat.
Above: Current series leader in Clubman Light KA, Tabatha Badger all ready to hit the track aboard her Haase Kart
TAG Restricted Light is another class that should come right down to the wire. Only twenty four points separate Kayd Donnelly, Adam Garwood and Lewis Robinson. Robinson must surely be rueing costly mechanical dramas that have seen him exit a race whilst leading on more than one occasion. On the day though, it was Donnelly who took the win in the final ahead of Robinson. Third went to Jason Conroy who was able to take full advantage of a late race tangle between Adam Garwood and Jade Westbrook to sneak past both of them. Up until that point Westbrook was having his strongest outing to date and there’s no doubt with chief mechanic and father Daryl in his corner he will only get faster.
Local Shane Toon staked his claim for a spot on the series podium with an impressive performance in TAG Restricted Heavy. Never far from the front Toon went one better than his heat 3 results and crossed the line first in the final to claim his first club title. Following him home was Tassie Karts and Parts CRG driver Andrew Wagner who recovered from a DNF in the second heat. Third on the day went to Brodey Lovett who quietly went about his business to collect points towards back to back red plates in this class. Toon is now second in the standings but Renee Chettle and Cameron Robinson are tied in third on two hundred and twenty eight points apiece with Wagner twenty points adrift in fourth. Special mention should go to Abe Manion who despite this being his first race meeting managed to mix it with far more experienced competitors, definitely one to watch in the future.
Nathan Zuj is certainly coming to terms with the TAG Light class and at Launceston he was able to assert the similar type of dominance that he has displayed in the Clubman Light class over the last few years. A second placing in the first heat was followed by wins in the next three to take the win on the day and a fifty eight point lead in the series. His closest rival has been Bradley Hobden aboard his Haase kart. Since joining the series at the second round the young STKC pilot has been consistently at the front and is well positioned to have a tilt at finishing in the top three in the series. Only eleven points separates Jordan Smith, Alastair Lee and Hobden. Smith took third place on the day after passing Lee on the last lap of the race.
Above: Nathan Zuj out front in TaG Light
pic - Bree Hobden
Troy Stone took full advantage of a brand new kart and some local knowledge to take a clean sweep of all four races in the TAG Heavy class. His consistency was matched by Jeffrey Dickson who finished second in all four races. Dickson elected to forego his regular drive in the local Hyundai racing series to compete as there was unfortunate date clash. He was rewarded with second place in the series and sits eleven points adrift of Stone. The final series positions should be made up of these two along with Jake Rice who finished third on the day. The trio having too large a point’s margin for fourth placed Jonathan McDonald to overcome.
The showpiece for the day though is always the McDonalds Young Guns race. All the competitors from Junior National compete for the prestigious trophy in a one off race at the end of the days racing at a combined pro weight with a random draw to decide their starting position. The previous winners list of this event reads as a veritable “who’s who” of Tasmanian karting and the current quality of the state’s junior drivers meant this race was going to be a cracker. With the introduction of the new KA engine this year the club decided to offer first place for both engine types as the performance parity is simply too far apart for the many competitors who still run the Yamaha J to be competitive. With all the other competitors finished for the day the fences were lined with spectators all looking forward to the ensuing spectacle.
In the KA category local hotshot Jackson Callow had his work ahead of him as he would start from position seven, whilst Mitchell Kerrison had a front row start. A clean getaway saw the field sort itself out going into the first corner with Kerrison getting a handy buffer on the rest of the field in the opening few laps. By half race distance though Callow had systematically moved to second and began the task of reeling in the leader. With two laps to go Kerrison was under attack and although he fought valiantly he couldn’t stop Callow from moving to the lead, a lead he would hold on to for the remaining few laps. Kerrison shadowed Callow across the line with Tate Frost really starting to come to grips with his new FA Kart, and he finished right behind the two leaders in third.
Back in the pack the battle was no less intense amongst the Yamaha J competitors with last year’s outright winner Zevie Eisentraut embroiled in a ding dong battle with Brock Lamont and the returning Justin Murphy. Murphy got the better of Eisentraut in the race for the club title but Eisentraut was able to turn the tables and make it back to back wins, a feat that shouldn’t be underestimated. Murphy finished second with Brock Lamont next across the line to make it a Haase first and third.
Above: 2015 Young Guns winners Zevie Eisentraut and Jackson Callow
pic - Brock Lamont Motorsport
With the dust still settling from the action at Launceston, competitors are now turning their attention to the title decider at the North Western Kart Club’s Highclere circuit on the 16th and 17th of May. This will be a two day race meeting to allow for engine measuring on the Sunday along with a rather elaborate trophy presentation for all the competitors throughout the series to enjoy. I’ve had a bit of a peak into the trophy room and have to say the prizes are top notch this year. Word on the street is there will be prizes not only for the placegetters in their respective classes but also some very impressive random prizes to be given away. See you all at Burnie.
Above: William Reeve aboard his three wheeling Praga
pic - TB Photography (digitally edited)
Above: Mitchell Kerrison had a strong day finishing second in Junior National Light KA and also in the Young Guns Race
pic - TB Photography
Above: Jackson Callow drifting his way through turn one
pic - TB Photography
Above: Brad Hobden and mentor Jackson Evans talk tactics pre race - or “Hey Jackson. Yes Brad. Dad hasn’t touched the kart has he? Just drive it Brad”.
pic - Bree Hobden
Above: Tayla Heath (25) leading Kurtis Love (35)
pic - TB Photography
Above: Tayla Heath heading for the woodchips, and a DNF in the first heat
pic - TB Photography
Cadets 9 Mini ROK
1st Jake Delphin
Cadets 9
1st Elliot Bellars
2nd Kaiden Ford
3rd Darcy Whelan
Cadets 12 Mini ROK
1st Jesse Keeling
Cadets 12
1st Ethan Wyllie
2nd Callum Bishop
3rd Fletcher Bellars
Junior National Light KA
1st Jackson Callow
2nd Mitchell Kerrison
3rd Lachlan Dalton
Above: Jackson Callow
pic - Brock Lamont Motorsport
Junior National Light Yamaha J
1st Brock Lamont
Junior National Heavy KA
1st Declan Sherburd
2nd Kiana Toon
3rd Caitlin Fitch
Junior National Heavy Yamaha J
1st Justin Murphy
2nd Zevie Eisentraut
3rd Andrew Lee
Senior National Light
1st Gemma Wyllie
2nd Bodie Reading
3rd Jade Waddington
Senior National Heavy Yamaha J
1st Daniel Hinds
2nd Alastair Lee
3rd Joshua Hardy
Masters Pro
1st Johnathan Males
2nd Steve Crocker
3rd Michael Vaughan
Masters Super Heavy Yamaha J
1st Scott Wrigley
2nd John Lee
3rd Robert Miller
Clubman Light KA
1st Tabatha Badger
2nd Jason Conroy
Clubman Light Yamaha S
1st Shane Bray
2nd Maddieson Hollick
3rd James Pinfold
Above: Kurtis Love leads the Junior National Light pack
pic - TB Photography
TAG Restricted Light
1st Kayd Donnelly
2nd Lewis Robinson
3rd Jason Conroy
TAG Restricted Heavy
1st Shane Toon
2nd Andrew Wagner
3rd Brodey Lovett
TAG Light
1st Nathan Zuj
2nd Bradley Hobden
3rd Jordan Smith
TAG Heavy
1st Troy Stone
2nd Jeffrey Dickson
3rd Jake Rice
2015 McDonalds Young Guns KA
1st Jackson Callow
2nd Mitchell Kerrison
3rd Tate Frost
2015 McDonalds Young Guns Yamaha J
1st Zevie Eisentraut
2nd Justin Murphy
3rd Brock Lamont
Above: 2015 McDonalds Young Guns Yamaha Podium
pic - Brock Lamont Motorsport
Above: 2015 McDonalds Young Guns KA Podium
pic - Brock Lamont Motorsport
