Veteran Varley Finally Snags A State Title
| AKA media | 6 October 2013 |
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After 20 years of trying, Silverdale kart racer Jason Varley broke through to claim his maiden State crown at the New South Wales Championships in Lithgow on Sunday.
Varley, a long-time Combined Districts Kart Club member, led home Queenslander Brendan Nelson and Sydney (Panania, NSW) driver Gordon Wilson in the highly competitive Clubman Heavy category.
Starting from pole position for the 22-lap Championship final, Varley led the way as former National Champions Shayne Piper, Nelson, Jason Hryniuk and others shadowed him.
Above: Jason Varley leading Brendan Nelson on his way to victory in the NSW Championships
pic - quickpixels.com.au
Throughout the race a mighty battle raged for the top ten spots with positions changing lap after lap. With four laps remaining Varley moved his CRG to the front of the field, as Borg followed him past Nelson into second place. As the trio behind him battled for second, it allowed Varley to open a slender leader before Nelson made one last gasp for the win on the final lap but Varley proved too strong.
“After racing for twenty years, it’s pretty special to have finally won a State Championship,” said a relieved Varley.
“I’ve been a bridesmaid on a number of occasions, and won a pair of National Championships, but the State Championship has always been the one that has eluded me.
“It feels pretty awesome to win it on my home track. In the final I knew that I had to stay right at the front because if I didn’t fight straight back for the lead I’d end up getting shuffled back.
“For the last five laps I didn’t even bother looking back, I knew they were there. On the last lap I could feel (Brendan) Nelson pushing my rear crash bar so I took a real defensive line into the final few turns to make sure he couldn’t get a run on me.”
The Sydney pair of Pierce Lehane (Castle Hill, NSW) and Jayden Ojeda (Claremont Meadows, NSW) both claimed two victories across the weekend. Lehane dominated both the Leopard Light and Rotax Light categories while Ojeda’s wins came in the Junior Rotax and Junior National Light classes.
Sydney youngster (Acacia Gardens, NSW) Cody Brewczynski was one of several drivers to break through for their maiden State Championship at the event.
Above: Cody Brewczynski was victorious in the Rookies category
pic - quickpixels.com.au
Competing in the Rookies category, for drivers between nine and 13 years old, Brewczynski and Victorian Jordan Caruso battled all throughout the weekend for the victory. Just as intense as the battle for the lead was the fight for third spot between the likes of third generation racer Tommy Harradine, Jack Doohan, Thomas Davies and Jai Sparey.
Throughout the final lap, Caruso and Brewczynski swapped the front running and exiting the final turn the pair were joined by Harradine in a three-way dash to the line. In the end, Brewczynski snared the win by 0.030 seconds from Caruso with Harradine 0.040 seconds further back.
Other wins went to James Foster (Senior National), Kris Walton (Leopard Heavy), Cody Gillis (Junior National Heavy), Jaie Robson (Clubman Light), Chris Farkas (Rotax Heavy), Harry Hayek (Junior Clubman) and Scott Simpson (Clubman Super Heavy) More than 300 entries were received for the Championships across the 13 categories, bringing approximately 1000 visitors to the Lithgow region for the weekend.
Next year’s New South Wales State Championships will be hosted by the Sapphire Coast Kart Club in Bega on October 3-5, 2014.
2013 NEW SOUTH WALES STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Lithgow, NSW
RESULTS: Final
Senior National
1. James Foster
2. Jason Newman
3. Sarah Collins
4. Matthew Pritchard
5. Aaron Giuntini
Race Notes: As has come to be expected over the years in Senior National competition, the battle for the positions near the front of the field in the 22-lap final of the Senior National category was intense. Queenslander James Foster was the beneficiary of the battles when National Champion Jason Newman, Matthew Pritchard and Sarah Collins challenged each other for the minor positions. In the end it was Foster who crossed the line almost one second clear of his nearest rival to claim the second state championship of his career. Newman finished second ahead of Collins.
Rookies
1. Cody Brewczynski
2. Jordan Caruso
3. Tommy Harradine
4. Thomas Davies
5. Jack Doohan
Race Notes: As has been the case all throughout the event, Jordan Caruso and Cody Brewczynski distanced themselves during the early running of the 22-lap championship final. The battle for third place was an intense one with the likes of Tommy Harradine, Jack Doohan, Thomas Davies and Jai Sparey dicing it out. With five laps remaining Brewczynski made his move to the front of the field. Over the final lap, Caruso and Brewczynski swapped the front running and exiting the final turn the pair were joined by Harradine in a three-way dash to the line. In the end, Brewczynski snared the win by 0.030 seconds from Caruso with Harradine 0.040 seconds further back.
Junior Rotax
1. Jayden Ojeda
2. Bryce Fullwood
3. Jordan Boys
4. Nicholas Andrews
5. James Abela
Race Notes: Jayden Ojeda took full advantage of his pole position to open a slender gap in the lead of the Junior Rotax final. The Exprit driver led Isaac Vaccarella and Cody Gillis. When Vaccarella and Gillis came together in turn one with a handful of laps remaining it gifted Fullwood second place and elevated Boys onto the podium.
Clubman Heavy
1. Jason Varley
2. Brendan Nelson
3. Gordon Wilson
4. Kris Walton
5. Aaron Borg
Race Notes: There was action of plenty in the Clubman Heavy final with polesitter Jason Varley leading the way as Shayne Piper, Brendan Nelson, Jason Hryniuk and others shadowed him. Piper and Hryniuk were eliminated in separate incidents on lap four and five. A mighty battle raged for the top ten spots with positions changing lap after lap. With four laps remaining Varley moved his CRG to the front of the field, as Borg followed him past Nelson into second place. As the trio behind him battled for second it allowed Varley to open a slender leader before Nelson made one last gasp for the win on the final lap but Varley proved too strong.
Rotax Light
1. Pierce Lehane
2. Reece Davidson
3. Nicklaus Litchenberger
4. Royce Sutherland
5. Mitchell Hewitt
Race Notes: In another Pierce Lehane domination the TF Race Engines Redspeed driver was unstoppable on his way to victory in the 22-lap Championship Final of Rotax Light. Reece Davidson was solid in second ahead of Nicklaus Lichtenberger.
Above: Castle Hill driver Pierce Lehane added two State crowns to his ever-growing resume across the weekend
pic - quickpixels.com.au
Leopard Heavy
1. Kris Walton
2. Joshua Pontello
3. Shay Mayes
4. David Knight
5. Jason Hryniuk
Race Notes: Queenslander Kris Walton confirmed his National Championship victory early in the year in the Leopard Heavy category was no fluke by winning the Championship Final at Lithgow. Walton led home New South Wales veteran Joshua Pontello for the win as Shay Mayes got the better of the battle for third.
Junior National Heavy
1. Cody Gillis
2. Jordan Boys
3. Gus Flynn
4. William Hawkes
5. Cameron Boys
Race Notes: Tony Kart driver Cody Gillis and National Champion Jordan Boys had the pace of the field in the Junior National Heavy final. Behind the leading duo Jeffrey Rahaley and Aaron Cameron were dicing it out for third place. When Gus Flynn joined Rahaley and Cameron it was a three-way battle for third before the later duo came together mid-race eliminating Rahaley. Nothing separated Gillis and Boys over the closing stages with Gillis claiming the win by 0.089 seconds.
Clubman Light
1. Jaie Robson
2. James Sera
3. Brock Plumb
4. Nicholas Rowe
5. Dean O'Brien
Race Notes: The battle for the Clubman Light title was a three way fight between National Champion Jake Coleman in his CRG, James Sera in his FA Kart and Dimitri Agathos in his Kosmic Racing Australia entry for the majority of the 22-lap journey. Agathos showed good speed just after half race distance to move past Sera and battle with Coleman for the lead. With five laps remaining Agathos and Coleman came together leaving Coleman to watch on from the sidelines and allowing Jaie Robson into the lead with a handy buffer. After crossing the line second, Agathos was later excluded for the contact with Coleman.
Above: Oatley driver Jaie Robson proved too good in the Clubman Light category
pic - quickpixels.com.au
Rotax Heavy
1. Chris Farkas
2. Craig Stauner
3. Michael Saller
4. Mason Barbera
5. Ben Ritchie
Race Notes: Queenslander Chris Farkas led from start to finish in the Rotax Heavy final. Craig Stauner appeared to match Farkas’ speed but as the race continued, Farkas proved too good.
Junior Clubman
1. Harry Hayek
2. Bryce Fullwood
3. Chris Sandrone
*4. Jacob Prestipino
*5. Jake Klein
*results under appeal
Race Notes: Darwin driver Bryce Fullwood got the jump from the outside of the front row in the Junior Clubman final before it became a seven-kart freight train at the front of the field. By mid race Fullwood and Kosmic Racing Australia’s Harry Hayek had broken away from Chris Sandrone in third. Hayek moved into the lead with three laps remaining before crossing the line four kart-lengths ahead of Fullwood’s FA Kart.
Above: Kensington teenager Harry Hayek was victorious in the Junior Clubman category, here ahead of Spencer Aackermann and Bryce Fullwood
pic - quickpixels.com.au
Clubman Super Heavy
1. Scott Simpson
2. Mason Barbera
3. David Knight
4. Ben McKinlay
5. Bradley Moody
Race Notes: Day Light was a serious contender in the Clubman Super Heavy final before finishing both second behind Scott Simpson and fourth behind Mason Barbera. Behind the dominant duo came David Knight, Ben McKinlay and Bradley Moody.
Leopard Light
1. Pierce Lehane
2. Aaron Borg
3. Leigh Nicolaou
4. Nicholas Rowe
5. Gordon Wilson
Race Notes: After starting from the outside front row in the Leopard Light final, James Sera’s campaign lasted only one corner. With his nemesis on the sidelines, Pierce Lehane went on to dominate the race. Behind Lehane, it was Aaron Borg, Leigh Nicolaou and Nicholas Rowe who battled for the remaining two places on the podium. In the end it was Borg who claimed the runner-up spot in his ART Grand Prix Australia entry.
Junior National Light
1. Jayden Ojeda
2. William Brown
3. Joshua Carr
4. Aaron Cameron
5. Dylan Hollis
Race Notes: A capacity field of Junior National Light faced the starter in the 22-lap final and leading them away was Sydney driver Jayden Ojeda. The Exprit driver was unstoppable on his way to claiming his second Championship of the day. Toowoomba’s William Brown had a lonely race for second while the battle for third was intense.
Above: Jayden Ojeda was victorious in both the Junior National Light and Junior Rotax categories
pic - quickpixels.com.au
To view the full results please click here.
