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Lights Are On For Night-Time Pro Tour

press release

19 June 2013

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With just two rounds remaining in the 2013 Rotax Pro Tour, attention is switching towards the rankings and driver’s positioning in the standings as the Rotax National Championships are close in sight. This weekend, the Pro Tour returns to Queensland and with it, some added interest, as the first ever day/night round will be held at the Ipswich Willowbank Racing Complex.

As a new concept for the Rotax Pro Tour, racing under lights has many of the 138 entered competitors across the six classes ecstatic at the opportunity to test their abilities under lights. The event will run over a two day format, with qualifying occurring on Friday afternoon, followed by heat one on Friday evening. A slightly later start on Saturday morning will then commence with heat two and three and the pre-final before a dinner break and the finals back under lights on Saturday night.

Another healthy field for DD2 Masters will ensure the competition will be at its peak, with so many drivers capable of standing on the podium. Tony Kart duo, Adam Hunter and Jason Richards Memorial award winner and current rankings leader, Hamish Leighton (pictured right with Jason Prinlge - IKD pic) are two drivers who cannot be overlooked for the victory, aswell as Victorian Exprit driver Daniel Richert and Sydney’s Michael Robson. With many of the drivers back on home soil for the first time this season in the Pro Tour, competitors such as Steven Ellery, Dean Penrose and Cameron Harch will be among the many vying for the silverware.

Rotax Heavy Pro Tour Geelong round winner Travis Kodric will be looking to capitalise on his success from the May event, which was a strong event in the manufacturers points for Kodric and team mate Dylan Collett who both stood on the podium for Formula K. Regular front runner Brendan Nelson will be seeking home state success to challenge for the lead alongside fellow statesman Matthew Greenbury. Brother combination, Lane and Trent Moore will be looking to follow Nelson and Greenbury’s goal of success in their home event, though there remains to be plenty of competition charging for points including Troy Woolston, Rick Pringle, Paul Rodgers and Michael Saller. New Zealand’s Brendon Hart returns to the Pro Tour, bringing with him, debutant Simon Hunter adding extra interest in the competitive category.

Above: Travis Kodric (Rotax Heavy) will be looking to back up his winning success in Geelong
pic - courtesy of IKD

Yet more interest continues in the Sodi Junior Max Trophy Class with another new driver to the category this weekend, Queenslander Jye Hopkins who is sure to profit from the gap provided by Jack Black who has now made the transition to the JMax category. Much attention will be on the class’ frontrunners from the season including Zane Goddard, Stephanie Stones, and Jordan McGregor while William Brown will be also looking to capitalise on local track knowledge as he seeks to continue his trend of success.

Reigning Australian V8 Ute Champion and current V8 Ute Series points leader Ryal Harris will join the field in Rotax Light this weekend. Harris is no stranger to Karting in the past having achieved numerous top level results in his Junior and Senior Karting career. On the back of a round win in Darwin last weekend, Harris is keen to test his skills against some of the country’s best drivers.

Above: Reigning Australian V8 Ute Series Champion and current V8 Ute series points leader, Ryal Harris, will join the Rotax Light field this weekend

The competition level in Rotax Light is at its regular high as Pierce Lehane returns from a 7th place finish at the Rotax Max Euro Challenge in Italy in May and will make his Rotax debut aboard the Redspeed chassis. Rankings leader Daniel Rochford will be seeking to extend his lead in the series and will also be on debut aboard a new Monaco chassis after confirming a deal with Drew Price Kart Technology. Tyler Greenbury will be on home soil and will be out to use his experience at Ipswich to gain a good result. After his round win in Geelong, Brad Jenner is greatly confident of another successful weekend, there will be a fight for top position right up to the end.

Gladstone’s Cian Fothergill will join the Pro Tour at Ipswich for Gold Coast based outfit, Project X Racing. The CIK Stars of Karting regular has jumped at the chance of being aboard a Rotax in his home state. Joining Fothergill in the team will be Jess Golding, a Pro Tour regular who is now also recognised for her success in the winter sport of Skeleton. The former Formula Ford and Formula BMW test driver has her sights on competing in 2018 Winter Olympics. New Zealand’s Daniel Connor returns and currently sits fifth in the Rotax rankings after his successes through the first half of the season alongside reigning New Zealand National Rotax Light Champion, Daniel Kinsman, completing a four man squad from across the Tasman.

Above: Queensland’s Jess Golding returns to karting as she prepares to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics

A genuine mix of Pro Tour rookies and experienced young guns comprise yet another large Junior Max field. Exprit driver James Abela has been blistering in his performances to date this year, promising that he will again be one to watch and is almost assured a place on the Australian Team that will travel to New Orleans in November. The New South Wales driver will be hot on the heels of Geelong Pro Tour winner Jordan Boys who will be out to continue his run of good results. An impressive performance in his first event in the category at Geelong by Darwin’s Bryce Fullwood will ensure he will be another driver to watch. Aaron Seton, son of former V8 Supercar driver Glenn Seton returns to the Pro Tour, and will bring with him a raft of Queensland debutants, Thomas Steele, Nathan Trenear, Blake Brooks, Jack Smith and Brock Lannoy, thus displaying the strength of the Junior Max category in the Australian Karting landscape.

After his stunning victory in Geelong which saw Victorian Jason Pringle also take home the Jason Richards Cup, he will again be the one to watch in the feature category. Reigning National Champion Lucas Ward and Brendan Nelson who will be on double duties with Rotax Heavy will be using their local knowledge and a new chassis for Troy Bretherton will all mean Pringle will have a number of drivers looking to secure a podium as the business end of the season approaches. Both Michael Stewart and Thomas MacDonald have showed a string of strong performances across the year and the pair will be ones to watch as the rankings race tightens up.

Round six of the Rotax Pro Tour returns to Ipswich, Queensland from the 21st – 22nd of June and will be the inaugural day/night event on the Pro Tour. Racing will commence from 3.30pm and entry for spectators is free.

• To follow the event online throughout the weekend, like Rotax Pro Tour on Facebook, follow Rotax Pro Tour on Twitter and tune into the live audio commentary via Ustream at www.ustream.tv/user/internationalkarting.

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