WA State Kart Championship
| by Sean Phillips | 5 October 2016 |
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The 2016 Arise Racing WA Kart Championships held over the 1st and 2nd of October will be remembered as one of the best weekends of kart racing ever held in WA.
Over 260 entries made this WA’s biggest kart meeting of the year with huge fields and action packed racing all weekend on the world standard Tiger Kart Club Wanneroo kartway. If the action on track wasn’t enough then Mother Nature once again threw a curve ball at both competitors and officials with heavy rain showers on Friday and Saturday really stirring things up.
Above: Drying track, wet tyre - don't mix...
pic - Sean Phillips
First of all, a huge thanks to our sponsors lead by Arise Racing’s Adam Lisle who generously came on board as our naming rights supporter along with a host of other class sponsors who provided the financial assistance the club needed to be able to put on an event of this size. From all of us, thank you.
To win a State Championships you need the skill but as is often the case in racing some luck on your side as well to be in with a chance to take home that WA # 1 blue plate. Two stand out winners over the weekend were the untouchable Damon Papasergio who took home WA # 1 for all three junior classes and one of Karting’s nice guys, Simon “gumby” Gwilliam, who won two classes taking his career State Championship haul to 13 and locking himself into WA karting history.
Above: Damon Papsergio was the star of the meeting, winning three State Championships
pic - Brad Mitchell
Saturday’s heats were where things really started to heat up with constant weather changes from rain showers one minute to a wind assisted fast drying track the next. This made things almost impossible to judge if wets or slicks should be on the kart as you rolled out of the grid. Two classes that were caught out in almost the same circumstances were both TAG 125 fields where most went out on wets and within 2 or 3 laps the track dried out and turned over 60 sets of wet weather tyres into shreds. The tyres were so destroyed that any further wet racing over the weekend would have to be completed on slicks as officials would have deemed most of the tyres unsafe for racing. Thankfully for both the karters and officials Sunday’s races were all dry and slicks were the only tyres needed much to the relief of everyone.
- full results on CMS HERE
KA-3 Super Heavy (sponsored by Transcoat) has started to make a comeback to WA karting with a solid 21 kart field fronting the starter and it was great to see Jake Burton take his first Championship win after many years of trying to get that first blue plate. A few misty eyes on the in-grid after the race, none more so than Jak'es dad Steve who has put so much into Jake's racing career over the years - well done Jake. Tim White, who always comes to the fore at big meetings, took a well deserved 2nd and long time karter Craig Ryan rounding out the top 3.
Above: KA3 Super Heavy winner Jake Burton
pic - Brad Mitchell
KA-4 Jnr Light (sponsored by Cockburn Karts) had some fierce racing all weekend with some overly aggressive driving needing some attention from the stewards to settle things down. It didn’t affect Damon Papasergio though who just blitzed the field in a dominant display of driving in what was a quality field. Ryan Bender and Jake Sawyer rounded out the other podium spots but the racing was so tight right through the field any of the top 10 karts could have easily taken a podium in the final.
Open Class (sponsored by Alloysteel International) fronted with more than 20 karts and just about every kind of open kart combination out on track. The latest KZ2 karts competing against the fire breathing twins and even Courtney Gough racing a beautiful F100 single kart that made some awesome 20,000 RPM sounds at the end of the straight!!
The final was a real strategy race with Nathan Davis running a 200cc twin with IAME reeds had the horsepower to move through to 2nd at ½ distance closing right up to eventual winner Simon Gwilliam’s FMA sponsored KZ2 kart but looked to run out of tyre as the race was in the final stages dropping to an eventual 4th place. The mid range speed of a twin 200 Open kart using the last generation 100cc reed engines is still something special to watch and unique to Australian karting. Seeing a KZ2 kart being gapped by 5 kart lengths on the main straight really put into perspective how fast these full blown 200 twin karts actually are!! Tyler Peel and Josh Merritt rounded out the top 3 in what was a tyre smoking, rubber laying spectacle enjoyed by the huge Sunday race crowd.
Above: Open Performance winner simon Gwilliam
pic - Brad Mitchell
Cadet 9 (sponsored by Ben Trager Homes) is where our next Daniel Ricciardo is sure to come from. James Micucci-Allen was the star of the weekend along with young Ethan Trager who both went hell for leather in the final. Unfortunately the drivers came together ending them both a chance at the title and leaving the door open for Jackson Mitchell-Rosenauer to take his very first WA championship. Jacksons mum Yasmin is one of our club's most dedicated members who constantly gives up her time to steward our events (including this one) while Dad Mark spins the spanners and between times also helps the club out with anything and everything he can (although he seems to have a penchant for wearing funny hats!!). The win could not have gone to a more deserving karting family, well done guys!!! Bodhi Stevens took out 2nd place with a solid drive, unfortunately 3rd to 5th are under appeal and as yet not confirmed in their final places.
Above: Jackson Mitchell-Rosenhauer took victory in Cadet 9
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: Darwin's Bodhi Stevens was 2nd in Cadet 9
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: Video of the Cadet 9 final
KA-3 Light (sponsored by Flat Out Karts) featured the top guns from the next generation of WA karting champions. It’s only recently most of the front runners moved out of juniors and now find themselves fighting against each other in the Senior classes. Jake Kostecki took pole and would be hoping to replicate the feat when he competes at Bathurst in the Dunlop V8 supercar series next weekend. As expected the racing was tight in every heat wet or dry and in the 20 lap final it was Thomas Schou, Nicola Mitic and Brock Kenny taking out the top 3 places. Well done to them and all the drivers in this class first or last the racing was intense.
Above: KA3 Senior Light winner Thomas Schou
pic - Brad Mitchell
TaG 125 Heavy (sponsored by Attested Pressure Services) fronted with a 32 kart field and along with a HUGE field of 125 Lights this weekend the popularity of TaG racing in WA is showing no signs of slowing down. Simon Gwilliam took pole and the win in the final but it was not all his way during the heat races that’s for sure. Bayley Bell and Robert Hooper seemed to have the pace running right at the front during the heats but in the final it was all Simon Gwilliam taking out his 13th Championship win to a huge applause from the crowd. Jake Burton put in an amazing drive to finish 2nd with Bayley Bell rounding out in 3rd place.
KA-3 Junior (sponsored by SupaCool Air-conditioning) is where the cream of WA’s Jnr talent get to prove who is the top Jnr driver in the state. Once again it ended up being dominated by Damon Papasergio, without a doubt he’s currently the #1 junior driver in WA and in the top echelon of Jnr karters in Australia. Keb Evans and the superfast Corey Minton rounded out the podium places with some outstanding driving right through the field as every driver in this class is at the elite level of Jnr Karting. Times were dropping into the mid 49 seconds for the top KA-3 Jnr drivers equivalent to the pole time set in TAG 125 Heavy so these kids sure are moving and remind me of the Junior International class back in the 80s and 90s where some of the fastest times on race weekend were set by the Jnr class.
Above: Papasergio victory speach
pic - Sean Phillips
KA-3 Heavy (Sponsored by OJG Engineering) had 17 karts face the starter and it was Braedyn Bowra taking the blue plate home in the final. Nathan Davis pushed him to the end but couldn’t get the pass done in the 20 lap final having to settle for a well deserved 2nd place. Alex Barboutis drove a strong race for 3rd holding off Michael Jones and Lewis Sutherland in the final stages. Congratulations to Braedyn on taking the #1 position for KA-3 Heavy and great result with his recent move up from Juniors.
Above: Braedyn Brown, KA3 Senior Heavy winner
pic - Brad Mitchell
Cadet 12 (Sponsored by Styles Electrical) is always a great class and I’m sure many of the general public who came to watch the racing would have been amazed at the speed and skill shown by these little dynamos of the race track. Jacob Fimognari experienced the drama that always comes with State Championship events with a devastating DNF in the pre final making a small error on the wet track while leading. It takes a real champion to pick themselves up and get on with the job though and that’s just what he did in the final working his way through for an amazing win. Luke Sawyer and Max McCrae brought it home in 2nd and 3rd but any of the top 8 drivers in this final could have pulled off the win they were all so close ducking and diving the whole race. The in grid was a mix of celebration and some tears as well for those that missed out on the win, you really feel for the drivers and see in their faces how much effort they put in and how driven they are to win. To be honest every driver in this class deserves recognition and especially so to the families who support them and make many sacrifices to give their kids the opportunity to compete at this level of karting, well done to everyone.
Above: Jacob Fimognari tells the crowd how good it feels to win
pic - Sean Phillips
KA-3 Masters (Sponsored by Westside Auto Wholesale) is where the more experienced racers get to show they still have the skill and determination to put on a great show and that’s exactly what we got to see over the weekend. Top guns like Shane McPherson and multiple champion Anthony Higgs probably have been to more races than just about anyone in karting but it was the quiet achiever Duilio Salvador who really came on strong in the pre final and was walking away in the final when a mechanical drama ended his race at ½ distance. Probably the most unlucky driver on the weekend with what looked to be an easy win Duilio was devastated to have a State Title slip through his fingers through no fault of his own. McPherson and Higgs got into it during the final stages with Higgs taking the win over McPherson but not without some drama that’s for sure. John Brennan rounded out the places with a solid 3rd place finish.
Above: Anthong Higgs picked up the KA3 Masters win
pic - Brad Mitchell
KA-4 Jnr Heavy (Sponsored by Coco’s) has struggled for the past few years with numbers but they all seemed to come out of the woodwork for the State Titles with 15 young guns on track and racing hard all weekend. Unfortunately for the rest of the drivers Damon Papasergio was in the field and once again put on a clinic in speed, skill and determination to absolutely dominate proceedings. Every 10 years or so a Jnr driver comes through the sport where you just know they have something special and in this era there is no doubt Damon Papasergio is it. Jake Sawyer and Max Whiting came in 2nd and 3rd after a great dice and all the drivers in this class put in 100% effort and kept the crowd on their feet all weekend, great stuff.
TaG 125 Light (Sponsored by Kart Mart) was THE race of the weekend with an amazing 40 kart field that seemed to snake ½ way around the track. The crowd were three-deep right around the track with every vantage point taken to see this great spectacle first hand. What a field of drivers stacked with the cream of Australia and the world with the European Marijm Kremers competing against the legendary Kip Foster, super fast Adam Levi and the new group of young guns in Sam Dicker and Ben Harders.
Kremers looked to be off the pace somewhat in the heats and pre final but it was clear in the final he was keeping some in reserve and pulled some moves off that had to be seen to be believed. He marched through to 2nd place within a few laps and looked to be hunting down Ben Harders who had broken away to an lead early. This is where Ben showed how much he’s come on in the past 12 months and held a 6 kart lead over Kremers right through to the flag winning an awesome TaG 125 final. Foster, Levi and Dicker went at it hammer and tong the whole race with Adam keeping things cool to bring home 3rd and Foster and Dicker in 4th and 5th. The front five karts were not really able to duck and dive with each other too much because there was no way you could actually drive one of these 125 karts any faster than these guys were going. It’s impossible to out brake another driver that’s absolutely taking it to the limit and these guys were absolutely on the limit the whole race, a real thrill to see karts being pushed so hard for so long. The other 35 drivers put on a fantastic show where just surviving each race was a miracle in itself but racing in a field this size that’s all part of the game.
Above: Ben Harders had a great run to win TaG 125 Light
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: Marijn Kremers was runner-up in TaG Light
pic - Brad Mitchell
Well that’s brought an end to what was a massive event for WA Karting and particularly the Tiger Kart Club. A huge thanks to our sponsors, the TKC committee and volunteers, the officials and race staff, Meg Clarke and her canteen crew and everyone else that worked so hard up to and during the event . I’d also like to make a special mention to Paul Brophy our vice president and his dedicated crew of Wanneroo helpers who had the facility looking world class and presenting karting to the many first time spectators as the high level professional motorsport it is, well done!!!
Above: Sunday's crowd was huge
pic - Sean Phillips
Above: Cadet 12 winner Jacob Fimognari
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: Bayley Bell, 3rd in TaG 125 Heavy
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: TaG 125 Light winner Ben Harders, a little bit happpy!
pic - Sean Phillips
