Race Report: Oakleigh's September Club Day
| by Paul Griffiths | 27 September 2016 |
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September Club Day at Oakleigh dawned sunny and a bit windy but evolved into a fine day for racing. Numbers were a little down, maybe affected by the Australian Kart Championships being run at GKCV’s Todd Rd circuit in Port Melbourne, but those who turned up at Oakleigh had, for the most part, a good day’s racing.
I see that a couple of ex Oakleigh racers triumphed at Todd Rd too, with Dave Sera taking out national Title #18, this time in KZ2, and Matt Mclean who also turned many laps at Oakleigh as a Junior taking the KA3 title – well done to both of them (and anyone else I missed!).
Restricted 125 Heavy
Heat 1 and fastest Qualifier Gavin Dorning was under pressure from Tristan Fusinato and William Hewett from the green light, with Fusinato getting through to the lead, then holding on for the duration of the heat, Hewett dropping back to 5th as Zachary Marshall and Michael Jones moved through to take 3rd and 4th.
Heat 2 and Fusinato and Dorning off the front with this time Dorning into the lead and Marshall holding 3rd – and that’s the way it ended up.
Dorning off pole and away well in the Final with Fusinato and Hewett duking it out behind him, Hewett moving into 2nd at one stage, but Fusinato claiming the spot back a short time afterwards and that’s how they crossed the line, a big gap back to Jones and Brett Pennington in 4th and 5th.
Above: Gavin Dorning took out TaG R Heavy
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
TAG Masters
Anthony Westaway was P1 for the heat and lead away Richard Matera, Robert Baldacchino and Robert Barnes and that’s how they stayed until Baldacchino spun at Tony Kart turn handing Barnes 3rd place as he followed home Westaway and Matera.
Westaway off the front with Matera and Barnes, and Barnes through to 2nd pretty smartly and after Westaway who looked great out front until with 4 laps to go I think it was his air box that fell off, so a DNF for him; Barnes, Matera and Shane Alabaster then the top 3.
Barnes away from pole with Matera beside him and Alabaster behind him, then Mick Fisher in 4th, but it was the front 3 who turned on all the action in TAG Masters, while Fisher recorded a DNF and then Westaway, in a club day he’d rather forget, also DNF’d leaving Barnes and Matera to cross in 1 and 2, Alabaster behind them in 3rd.
Above: 1st in TaG MAsters, Robert Barnes
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
Cadet 9
Thomas Patching, Lucas Quattrocchi, Nate Young, Giancarlo Artho, Hayley Zammit and William Warren the qualifying order in Cadet 9 and Patching and Quattrocchi ended up in a lonely race out front which Patching eventually won.
Heat 2 a repeat of heat 1 but with the top 2 reversed, Quattrocchi holding off Patching who seemed to have plenty of pace but wasn’t able to find a way past, with Artho home in a distant 3rd.
Patching off pole but Quattrocchi held on around the outside to take the lead at JSKC on Lap 1 and was never headed, Patching again looking like he had the mumbo to keep up with Quattrocchi, but not able to pass him, while Artho and Zammit brought up a distant 3rd and 4th.
Above: Cadet 9 winner Lucas Quattrocchi
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
KA3 Senior Heavy / Super Heavy
In Heavy it was John Reynolds, Adam Corbett and Brenden Jenner the top 3 qualifiers, then in Super Heavy, Aaron Hocking, David Martin and Eric Zurek; in Heavy they started and finished that way with Reynolds going to a big lead, while in Supers, Henry Zurek overtook Eric Zurek to take out 3rd behind Hocking and Martin
Reynolds still dominant in Heat 2, but behind him this time it was Jenner then Corbett, while in Super Heavy the order was Hocking, Martin and Henry Zurek.
So to the final where again it was Reynolds putting on a class in how to win a go kart race; then Corbett and Jenner behind him, while in Supers Martin took the chocolates.
Above: KA3 Senior Heavy winner John Reynolds
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
Above: David Martin (18) won KA3 Super Heavy, here leading Darren Kemp
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
Restricted 125 Light
Hirotaka Chong and Darran Wade off the front row and drove away with it here, leading home Stephen Marshall in a lonely 3rd.
Again Chong and Wade out front of R125L but this time it was David Hutchinson home in 3rd.
The final a carbon copy of Heat 2 with Chong again the victor ahead of Wade and Hutchinson, Marshall closing in 4th but not enough to get past.
Above: TaG R Light winner Hirotaka Chong leads Darran Wade
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
Cadet 12
Steven Tsesmelis our fastest Cadet 12 qualifier, ahead of Liam O’Donnell, Joshua Hocking and Joshua D’Ambrosio, but it was O’Donnell who got to the lead with D’Ambrosio through to 2nd and these 2 were close together for most of the race, D’Ambrosio eventually getting to the lead. Towards the end Hocking and Tsesmelis closed up on the lead pair but D’Ambrosio held on for the win.
D’Ambrosio a great start off pole and drove clear, leaving Hocking then Tsesmelis then O’Donnell in his wake.
Also like Heat 2, D’Ambrosio took off in the final and drew clear of Hocking who engaged in something of a duel with O’Donnell and Tsesmelis, Hocking emerging victorious in this race within a race, but D’Ambrosio a comfortable winner.
Above: Cadet 12 winner Joshua D'Ambrosio leads Liam O'Donnell
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
KA3 Senior Light
Jack Bell fastest qualifier with Michael Carless, Mark Appleby and Bryce Fullwood behind him and these 4 put on a great show with Carless getting to the front early on. Eventually Bell got past him but wasn’t able to pull away, although he held on for the win, Carless, Fullwood and Appleby behind him.
A great 2nd heat in this class too with Bell, Carless, Fullwood, then a gap back to Appleby as they settled into a rhythm about the halfway mark. Then Bell pulled away leaving Carless and Fullwood to put on a show; Carless getting ahead of Fullwood on lap 8 in the Dipper, Fullwood back under him a short time late and held on to take 2nd, Bell already victorious.
Best final and best race of the day here as Bell, Carless, Fullwood and Appleby fired around the Oakleigh circuit nose to tail for a number of laps at the start – Carless to the lead on lap 4 ahead of Bell, then a lap later it’s Bell in the lead, Fullwood, Carless and Appleby behind him; Lap 6 and Fullwood goes to the front ahead of Bell – then 2 laps later Bell’s back under him and into the number 1 spot – great racing! From there they held station pretty much until the end – never much between them, but no moves being made until Fullwood – who had to have a go - threw it up the inside at Grid Hairpin on the last lap in a good clean pass, but carried just a fraction too much momentum and Bell was able to switch back on him and retake the lead as they swept around Page Bros Corner for the last time and so it was Bell who greeted the flag, closely followed by Fullwood, Carless and Appleby.
Above: Jack Bell, KA3 Senior Light winner
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
KA4 Junior Light / KA4 Junior Heavy
In Light Jai Stephenson topped the time sheets ahead of Matthew Hillyer, Bradley James, Callum Potter and Hamish Allan, while just the 2 Heavys in Jack Martin and Antonio Cafiso – Martin putting in a time that saw him start midway through the Lights in 7th place. Hillyer and Stephenson drove away from the rest with Hillyer leading for most of the race until Stephenson put a move on him at Arrow corner that saw Hillyer back to 4th and Stephenson take the lead ahead of Potter and James. A post-race hearing saw Stephenson penalised a number of positions for the start of Heat 2 and Potter elevated to the win.
So Potter and James the front pair with Hillyer and the Heavy in Martin behind them as we got underway. Stephenson was out on the first lap, getting tangled up in someone else’s accident at Tony Kart while coming through from 7th, while James dropped back to 4th (3rd in class) as Martin got past him. By Lap 4 it was Potter and Hillyer hard at it out front and lap later Hillyer had the lead and from there he and Potter drove away with it, Martin home 1st in Heavy then James, Allan and Cameron Hutchinson behind him.
Potter and Hillyer the front pair here and off they went with Martin mixing it well with the front running Lights, including James who slotted into 4th (3rdin class). By lap 2 Stephenson was through to 5th and ranging up on James, so a good recovery there. Meanwhile Hillyer had rounded up Potter for the lead and these 2 drove away. Then disaster struck James with 3 laps to go as he rolled to a halt just entering the Carousel – I think a chain the culprit. So Stephenson moves to 3rd but can’t catch the lead pair of Hillyer, who takes the win, and Potter, who follows him over in 2nd; Martin the victor in Heavy with Cafiso 2nd and back in amongst the rest of the Lights.
Above: KA4 Junior Heavy winner Jack Martin
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
Above: KA4 Junior Light winner Matthew Hillyer
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
TAG 125 Light
Daniel Griffin and Jack Scanlan, then James Barnes and Andrew Sotiropoulos the front 4, and other than Sotiropoulos moving ahead of Barnes to take 3rd nothing changed; Griffin victorious.
Start of Heat 2 and Scanlan to the front ahead of Griffin and Sotiropoulos and that’s how they finished in the end, quite a gap back to Barnes in 4th.
And so to the last Final of the day and a pretty settled affair it turns out to be with Griffin to the lead off Pole, then Scanlan slotting into 2nd, Sotiropoulos 3rd and Barnes 4th – and from there on there was no change, Griffin the winner over Scanlan in cruisy style.
So, until next month, that’s all folks!
Above: Daniel Griffin won TaG Light
pic - Andrew Daley, AKD Photos
