Tasmanian Statewide Series, Round 4
| by Johnathan Males | 23 May 2015 |
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Lot’s of trophies, prizes, new champions and even a marriage proposal at Round 4 of the 2015 Tasmanian Statewide Series
Round four of the 2015 Tasmanian Statewide Series and the 2015 North Western Kart Club Titles were held on the weekend of the 16th and 17th of May at the North Western Kart Club’s picturesque Highclere facility.
Most drivers regard this as one of the toughest tracks in Tasmania, as driver skill and correct kart setup are crucial at this track.
The weather gods once again smiled upon the competitors as only a few classes were affected by a light shower that made things interesting late on the Sunday. The two day format allowed for engine measuring to be undertaken, and also a lengthy presentation of awards and prizes for the series as well as the North Western Kart Club Titles.
Speaking of prizes there was a plentiful bounty on offer via a random draw to those that competed at all four rounds. There were five sets of tyres, a Go Pro camera, an Alfano timing system, accommodation packages, movie tickets, $50 kart shop vouchers and free entries to next year’s series given away. Thanks to sponsors like Burnie Ocean View Apartments, Stanley Tourist and Cabin Park and the Bridge Hotel for their support.
I’ve been involved in the sport for a long time but I witnessed a first at presentations. After making a promise that he’d propose if he ever won a state title Daniel Hinds came good and proposed to long-time partner Renee Chettle. The crowd were in raptures and the rest of presentations struggled to match that effort. Congratulations from the whole Tasmanian karting community go out to Daniel and Renee.
Above: He won, he asked the question, she said yes, simple as that. The happy couple Daniel Hinds and Renee Chettle
pic - Stuart Lee
Bragging rights went to the Launceston Kart Club with eight of their drivers walking away with red plates followed by the North Western Kart Club and the Southern Tasmanian Kart Club on four wins apiece. Not to be left out the Circular Head Kart Club took one title.
Hard luck story has to go to Alastair Lee who had very strong chances to take at least second in both classes in which he was competing after strong results in heat one on Saturday only to succumb to a bout of gastro on the Saturday night. Bad luck mate, there’s always next year.
The only driver to take a clean sweep of wins in all their races across all four rounds was Jake Delphin in Cadets 9 Mini ROK. This ensured that he was the worthy recipient of the red plate in this class on 480 points. Along with the plate he also claimed the three club titles that were also on offer during the series aboard his Praga kart.
The future of junior racing in Tasmania looks to be in good hands after witnessing some of the racing in Cadets 9 Comer throughout the series. Kaiden Ford was simply too consistent for his rivals and he took his maiden red plate despite a rare DNF in the third heat. Second in the series went to Elliot Bellars who in turn edged out Kayla Sheals for third. Unfortunately there was a nasty incident in heat three that saw diminutive Stevie Smith come into contact with a spun kart and in turn have a nasty rollover. Despite being out for the rest of the day she was back up and running around by the end of the day which was great to see. The final was a great race, Ford, Bellars and Sheals were joined by Toby Callow and Darcy Whelan and the racing between these five drivers was great to watch. Whelan got to the front and that’s where he stayed with the rest dicing and following the STKC Haase driver in close company. At the drop of the flag it was Whelan taking the win along with the club title ahead of Ford in second and Toby Callow narrowly home in third from the chasing pack.
Cadets 12 Mini ROK once again only had only one competitor but this didn’t stop the LID Design, Tony Kart driver Jesse Keeling from racing hard and fast with Ethan Wyllie aboard his Yamaha powered machine. Keeling taking all four wins on offer for the weekend and claiming the NWKC club title.
The anticipated showdown for the red plate between frontrunners Ethan Wyllie and Callum Bishop in Cadets 12 Yamaha failed to eventuate with Bishop electing to concentrate on preparation for the National Series round to be held the following week, therefore missing the NWKC round. This meant Wyllie already had the title in the bag before racing started, nevertheless the Wyllie Tiles backed driver went out and recorded convincing wins in all four races and took home the red plate at the end of the day along with the club title. Wyllie had a VIP guest helping him out on the weekend too, recent Targa Tasmania winner and former karting champ Jason White was spinning spanners and dispensing advice, pretty handy pit crew right there! Strong performances at the first three rounds ensured Callum Bishop still finished second in the series with 310 points ahead of Fletcher Bellars on 277 points. Campbell Whelan showed he’ll be one to watch in the future as he took second on the day ahead of another STKC driver in Henry Pears.
Jackson Callow has been the driver to beat in Junior National Light KA for the last six months, but his opposition are fast catching up. The likes of Mitchell Kerrison, Kurtis Love, Tayla Heath and Tate Frost have stepped it up a notch and are all operating at a noticeably higher level. But one driver in particular at Burnie really took it up to Callow and that was team mate Lachlan Dalton. Four DNF’s throughout the series meant the Glass Supplies, Arrow driver wouldn’t challenge for the series but the Club Title was still on offer. A few chassis tweaks by father Michael and a borrowed set of rims really made a difference and the final turned out to be a great race. Dalton, Kerrison and Callow were out front putting on a great display of racing with Heath well within striking distance. Unfortunately for Kerrison he was in the wrong place at the wrong time when the quartet encountered lapped traffic and he spun out of contention. Callow wasn’t going to let Dalton get the win easily and the pair swapped the lead on several occasions before Dalton was able to eke out a small advantage to cross the line first from Callow and Heath. The series standings saw Callow take back to back titles with 417 points ahead of Kerrison on 376 points and Kurtis Love on 308 points.
Above: Junior National Light KA - 2nd Mitchell Kerrison, 1st Jackson Callow, 3rd Kurtis Love
pic - Stuart Lee
Both Connor Griffin and Leah Beechey are first year racers but this didn’t stop the pair taking the top two spots in Junior National Light Yamaha. Both raced hard and fair throughout the series and will both undoubtedly be ones to watch in the future. In the end though Griffin aboard his Wrigley Karts and Parts Arrow came out on top with 425 points ahead of Beechey on 288 points, despite missing the second round of the series. This finishing order was also how they crossed the line at Burnie with Griffin taking his second club title for the year.
Junior National Heavy KA really came down to the wire. Declan Sherburd undoubtedly had the most pace amongst the three vying for the title but three DNF’s throughout the series meant he was really behind the eight ball going into racing on the Sunday. However the young STKC Deadly Kart pilot put his head down and simply concentrated on getting the best result he could in the remaining races and let the point’s situation look after itself. Throw into the mix regular front runner Justin Murphy having his first run with the new KA motor and there were plenty of nervous parents watching every lap unfold. After sixteen races across four different circuits a mere seven point separated first to third. In third place on 368 points we had Kiana Toon, whose highlight of the series would have to have been her win at round two. In second place was the vastly improved Caitlin Fitch on 373 points. But our winner was Declan Sherburd who amassed a final total of 375 points. First on the day was Justin Murphy taking the club title ahead of Sherburd and Fitch was third.
Above: Junior National Heavy KA - 2nd Caitlin Fitch, 1st Declan Sherburd, 3rd Kiana Toon
pic - Stuart Lee
The battle was on in Junior National Heavy Yamaha to see whether or not Zevie Eisentraut could bridge the gap to series leader Andrew Lee. Going into the final race Lee had a slender twelve point buffer over Eisentraut meaning he only needed to finish to claim his first state title. At the start Eisentraut seemed to have some difficulties and he dropped down the order and found himself right behind Lee, there he stayed glued to Lee’s rear crash bar for several laps before negotiating his way past and setting off after leader Nicholas Walpole. However the gap was too great and Walpole held on to take the win ahead of Eisentraut and Lee third. This meant the Hadspen Excavations CRG driver Lee was victorious and he was the proud owner of a shiny new red number plate, much to the delight of his support crew in father John, mother Francis and uncle Garry. Eisentraut came up nine points shy in second, a very good effort considering he missed the first round. Walpole also missed the first round and his win in the final saw him just sneak ahead of Jesse Sheals for third in the series by a solitary point.
Above: Junior National Heavy Yamaha - 2nd Zevie Eisentraut, 1st Andrew Lee, 3rd Nicholas Walpole
pic - Stuart Lee
Bodie Reading staked his claim of being one of the best drivers to come out of the junior ranks in Tasmania in recent years by taking back to back titles in Senior National Light. Both he and Gemma Wyllie have been the pace setters in this class in recent times and the two drivers went toe to toe once again. Wyllie’s first two rounds were below her usually high standards and once the problem was identified and rectified she was once again able to challenge Reading in the remaining two rounds. At Burnie though, it was Reading who took the club title ahead of Wyllie with Jade Waddington home in third. In fact that’s how the series top three panned out in the end, despite Waddington missing round two of the series for his wedding.
Above: Senior National Light - 2nd Gemma Wyllie, 1st Bodie Reading, 3rd Jade Waddington
pic - Stuart Lee
Daniel Hinds had a comfortable thirty five point lead in Senior National Heavy going into racing at Burnie, but no doubt the Tim Hinds Motorsport number two driver was starting to sweat under his flying hat after witnessing title rival Alastair Lee’s performance in the first heat. Lee not only left the heavy pack behind but also scythed his way through the light competitors to finish fourth on track in a very impressive display. This meant that Hinds had to ensure he didn’t record a DNF on Sunday or he would be right back fighting with his pursuers for the title. However in a cruel twist of fate Lee succumbed to a bout of gastro on Saturday night and was unable to compete on the Sunday meaning Hinds all but had the title. Hinds came out and showed the speed he has displayed at all four rounds on the Sunday though and at the end of Sunday was a very worthy first time red plate recipient. He also collected a fiancé during presentations which nobody else got to do! Second in the series went to Josh Hardy, Hardy would have to be one of the most improved drivers in the state over the last six months, no doubt due in no small part to the effort that he and father Dion have been putting in recently. Third on the day and also the series went to James Pinfold. It was good to see Mark “Sparky” Crocker bounce back from a truly wretched run of luck and take second on the day.
Johnathan Males only required four points to claim the title in Masters Pro at Burnie. This he achieved in the first race by taking the win narrowly ahead of Scott Hildyard. From then on the attention turned to who would come out on top for the remaining positions in the series with Fred Cocca, Michael Vaughan and Scott Hildyard all in with a chance. Add the returning Ben Davey to the mix and the battle was on in earnest. The final turned into an interesting affair with a light sprinkle of rain during the roll up laps meaning that the drivers would be slipping and sliding around on their slick tyres until the track dried out. Males and Vaughan opened up a handy buffer in the early stages that allowed them to cruise home at the end with Males crossing the line seven seconds ahead of Vaughan who had a similar advantage over Hildyard in third. This meant that Males took the red plate with 475 points aboard his AWC Motorsport/Launceston Kart Supplies/47 Kart Tuning Arrow from Michael Vaughan on 307 points. This left Hildyard and Cocca tied on 296 points apiece after Cocca had a poor result in the final race. Hildyard got the podium result via a count back due to the fact he had a race win in the first heat of the first round.
Above: Masters Pro - 2nd Michael Vaughan, 1st Johnathan Males, 3rd Scott Hildyard
pic - Stuart Lee
Masters Super Heavy provided an absolute nail biter of a finish. Despite missing the first round Scott Wrigley, aboard his trusty Wrigley Karts and Parts OK1 was only thirty points off the title lead at the start of racing on Saturday. He then went on to take wins in all four races which turned the spotlight back on to his title rivals Darren Williams and his Omega Karts team mate Gregory Wood who both, couldn’t afford any mistakes. At the competition of racing Wrigley took the club title ahead of Williams, with Wood third. So where did this leave the trio in the points standings? The answer was close, extremely close, in fact only four points separated all three! Wrigley and Wood tied on 325 points with Williams narrowly the victor on 329 points. On count back of race wins Wrigley took second place ahead of Wood.
Shane Bray ensured the title in Clubman Light Yamaha would be his by producing another commanding performance. The NWKC driver was always going to be strong on his home track and he used his local knowledge to take all four wins on the day to take the red plate by sixty points over Sam Jackson in second. Maddieson Hollick will be one to watch in the future as she took third in the series despite finishing fourth on the day behind James Pinfold. It was Maddieson’s first tilt at a state series and she performed well above expectations.
Above: Clubman Light Yamaha - 2nd Samuel Jackson, 1st Shane Bray, 3rd Maddieson Hollick
pic - Stuart Lee
Tabatha Badger and Jason Conroy battled it out at the front once again in Clubman Light KA With Tabatha only needing a solitary point at Burnie to give her an unassailable point margin, this she more than achieved by taking wins in the first three heats. Unfortunately for the Haase pilot she succumbed to a DNF in the final which allowed Jason Conroy to take his second win for the series and along with it the NWKC club title. Badger took her first red plate with 415 points ahead of Conroy on 360 points.
TAG Restricted Light was another class that had three protagonists out front and all in with a chance of bringing home the bacon. For mine Lewis Robinson was a standout in this class. He really improved after moving up from juniors and if not for mechanical gremlins at critical points throughout the series the final results could have been much different. But as they say to finish first, first you have to finish and Kayd Donnelly did just that. After two consistent rounds to start the series the LKC driver ramped up the pressure with two very strong showings at the final two rounds to take the title on 396 points. Despite taking three wins on the day, which included the final, Robison came home in second on 387 points. The third driver in the lead pack was second generation racer Adam Garwood who showed glimpses of great raw pace throughout the series, and he took the last step on the podium with 362 points. On the day it was Robinson who took the club title at his home track followed by Donnelly and Garwood home in third.
Above: TAG Restricted Light - 2nd Lewis Robinson, 1st Kayd Donnelly, 3rd Adam Garwood
pic - Stuart Lee
Brodey Lovett turned up with his race face on at Burnie and he ensured none of the other drivers got a sniff at the title in TAG Restricted Heavy by taking wins in all four races and joining the ranks of the others drivers who managed to take back to back titles in their respective classes. When the racing was over and the numbers were counted the Kerbrider backed Energy driver tallied 452 points, 129 points clear of second place Shane Toon on 323 points. Toon having made the successful transition from Masters Superheavy to TAG Restricted with great aplomb and showing there is more than one string to his bow. A further eight points adrift was Cameron Robinson on 315 points who managed to leap frog Renee Chettle in the very last race of the series by a mere three points. In the chase for the club title it was Lovett who won out on the day over Robinson with Andrew Wagner home in third.
It might be a different class to what we’ve become accustomed to seeing him in but the result was the same with Nathan Zuj once again winning a state title, this time in TAG Light. Title number seven in fact. The Launceston Kart Club pilot has been the benchmark in Tasmania for several years and the fact that he is able to remain at the front, year after year, against all comers, new and old is a testament to his driving abilities and the rapport he shares with his number one mechanic, father Alex. Zuj had a good round with three wins that included the final and he finished on 394 points. Second on the day and also in the series was young 3D Kartsport Omega driver Jordan Smith who finished on 314 points. Third in the series went to Bradley Hobden who took advantage of Alastair Lee’s non-attendance on the Sunday to leap frog Lee by 34 points. Impressive on debut was Kelsey Sapwell who took third in the final. We’re used to seeing Kelsey up the front of Senior National Light and after taking a short break it was good to see her back and right back at the front of the field.
Above: TAG Light - 2nd Jordan Smith, 1st Nathan Zuj, 3rd Bradley Hobden
pic - Stuart Lee
Troy Stone made it back to back red plates, only this time it was in the TAG Heavy class. Going into the final round the Tazzie Karts and Parts, CRG driver had a slender eleven point lead over Jeffrey Dickson. However Stone was able to sneak away to twenty nine point winning margin by the end of the weekend by virtue of two wins and two second placing’s. A strong performance by local Jake Rice saw him take the win on the day and along with it a narrow second place in the series, only one point ahead of Jeffrey Dickson in third.
Above: TAG Heavy - 2nd Jake Rice, 1st Troy Stone, 3rd Jeffrey Dickson
pic - Stuart Lee
So there you have it folks, another series done and dusted. I have to say I think it’s been one of the best series in recent years and rest assured there are plans afoot to make it even bigger and better for next year. Thanks to the quiet achievers in the background that made this series possible. All four clubs, their race secretary’s and volunteers. The likes of Steph Peters, Stuart Lee, Janine Evers and Andrea Smith all played a major role. Series officials Mark Sergeant, Jo Sapwell, Mark Close and all their helpers. And Jade Stone for his help with the collation of the series points. Also big thanks to those that supplied photos for the articles, especially Tabatha from TB Photography.
The focus now turns to the rest of the racing for the year which culminates in the race for the blue plate at Launceston Kart Club’s Archerville Kartway in November. With the news coming through that this event will be open to everyone across Australia the LKC and Karting Tasmania are feverishly planning for the influx of competitors to one of Australia’s premiere karting facilities. See you all in November.
Above: 2015 Tasmanian Statewide Series Trophies and Prizes
pic - Stuart Lee
Cadets 9 Mini ROK NWKC Club Title Results
1st Jake Delphin
Cadets 9 Mini ROK Series Results
1st Jake Delphin
Cadets 9 Comer NWKC Club Title Results
1st Darcy Whelan
2nd Kaiden Ford
3rd Toby Callow
Cadets 9 Comer Series Results
1st Kaiden Ford
2nd Elliott Bellars
3rd Kayla Sheals
Cadets 12 Mini ROK NWKC Club Title Results
1st Jesse Keeling
Cadets 12 NWKC Club Title Results
1st Ethan Wyllie
2nd Campbell Whelan
3rd Henry Pears
Cadets 12 Series Results
1st Ethan Wyllie
2nd Callum Bishop
3rd Fletcher Bellars
Above: Some of the Launceston Kart Supplies team with their trophies
pic - Stuart Lee
Junior National Light KA NWKC Club Title Results
1st Lachlan Dalton
2nd Jackson Callow
3rd Tayla Heath
Junior National Light KA NWKC Series Results
1st Jackson Callow
2nd Mitchell Kerrison
3rd Kurtis Love
Junior National Light Yamaha J NWKC Club Title Results
1st Connor Griffin
2nd Leah Beechey
Junior National Light Yamaha J Series Results
1st Connor Griffin
2nd Leah Beechey
Junior National Heavy KA NWKC Club Title Results
1st Justin Murphy
2nd Declan Sherburd
3rd Caitlin Fitch
Junior National Heavy KA Series Results
1st Declan Sherburd
2nd Caitlin Fitch
3rd Kiana Toon
Junior National Heavy Yamaha J NWKC Club Title Results
1st Nicholas Walpole
2nd Zevie Eisentraut
3rd Andrew Lee
Junior National Heavy Yamaha J Series Results
1st Andrew Lee
2nd Zevie Eisentraut
3rd Nicholas Walpole
Above: 2015 Junior National Heavy Yamaha winner Andrew Lee and his proud father John
pic - Stuart Lee
Senior National Light NWKC Club Title Results
1st Bodie Reading
2nd Gemma Wyllie
3rd Jade Waddington
Senior National Light Series Results
1st Bodie Reading
2nd Gemma Wyllie
3rd Jade Waddington
Senior National Heavy NWKC Club Title Results
1st Daniel Hinds
2nd Mark Crocker
3rd James Pinfold
Senior National Heavy Series Results
1st Daniel Hinds
2nd Joshua Hardy
3rd James Pinfold
Masters Pro NWKC Club Title Results
1st Johnathan Males
2nd Michael Vaughan
3rd Scott Hildyard
Masters Pro Series Results
1st Johnathan Males
2nd Michael Vaughan
3rd Scott Hildyard
Masters Super Heavy Yamaha NWKC Club Title Results
1st Scott Wrigley
2nd Darren Williams
3rd Gregory Wood
Masters Super Heavy Yamaha Series Results
1st Darren Williams
2nd Scott Wrigley
3rd Gregory Wood
Clubman Light KA NWKC Club Title Results
1st Jason Conroy
Clubman Light KA Series Results
1st Tabatha Badger
2nd Jason Conroy
Above: Clubman Light KA - 2nd Jason Conroy, 1st Tabatha Badger
pic - Stuart Lee
Clubman Light Yamaha S NWKC Club Title Results
1st Shane Bray
2nd Samuel Jackson
3rd James Pinfold
Clubman Light Yamaha S Series Results
1st Shane Bray
2nd Samuel Jackson
3rd Maddieson Hollick
TAG Restricted Light NWKC Club Title Results
1st Lewis Robinson
2nd Kayd Donnelly
3rd Adam Garwood
TAG Restricted Light Series Results
1st Kayd Donnelly
2nd Lewis Robinson
3rd Adam Garwood
TAG Restricted Heavy NWKC Club Title Results
1st Brodey Lovett
2nd Cameron Robinson
3rd Andrew Wagner
TAG Restricted Heavy Series Results
1st Brodey Lovett
2nd Shane Toon
3rd Cameron Robinson
Above: TAG Restricted Heavy - 2nd Shane Toon, 1st Brodey Lovett, 3rd Cameron Robinson
pic - Stuart Lee
TAG Light NWKC Club Title Results
1st Nathan Zuj
2nd Jordan Smith
3rd Kelsey Sapwell
TAG Light Series Results
1st Nathan Zuj
2nd Jordan Smith
3rd Bradley Hobden
TAG Heavy NWKC Club Title Results
1st Jake Rice
2nd Troy Stone
3rd Jeffrey Dickson
TAG Heavy Series Results
1st Troy Stone
2nd Jake Rice
3rd Jeffrey Dickson
Above: The NWKC Club Title Trophies
pic - Stuart Lee
- Download a PDF of the final points and placings HERE
