Whyalla Kart Club - Rnd 9 Wraps Up Season
| by Jeremy Head | 2 December 2013 |
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Overcast conditions welcomed everyone to the Whyalla Kart Track on December 1st for the final round of racing for the year.
What a day it was with a new class being run for the first time and drivers fighting for the best positions for the day to earn those much deserved over all positions for 2013.
The first class out for the day was the Sportsman SA. This class is, as you all know, close to this writer’s heart. It is a great beginner’s class for adult drivers with clean close racing. Numbers were down also due to work commitments and being a Sunday event. However the racing was as close as ever with Karl Lawson taking out the first race with a 300ths of a second win over 2nd place Dennis Cumerlato. This set the tone for the day with close wheel to wheel racing. This was more than evident in the 20 lap final. Karl Lawson takes the first corner with Dennis Cumerlato and Jeremy Head taking to his heels. Dennis soon overtook Karl followed by Jeremy the next lap. These were the final positions for the end of the race however the excitement continued with Robert Butt and Karl Lawson exchanging places in the fight for 3rd place. Jeremy Head and Dennis Cumerlato fought for 18 laps with nothing between the two as the race finished.
The Cadets A went out for their inaugural run as a class in their own right. This class is a developmental class for first time drivers. Brayden Stewart and Lilly Reid showed that yes they are still learning to race but they have the passion to get fast. Brayden took his first race win and Lilly showed the boys that they need to be watching their backs in the future.
The Cadets B were next on track with three boys vying for points towards the end of year championship. The boys were all geared up and focused on the business of the day. For those that have watched Cooper Jones, Tyler Craig and Aaron Oliver over the last year they will have noticed how close the boys have become in ability. This was demonstrated in the racing on the weekend. The boys only changed position on the first lap or two and from there a rhythm set in and positions didn’t change. Tyler led Aaron and Cooper respectively for the day.
Above: Cooper Jones in Cadets B
Young Corey Datson unfortunately was making up the numbers today being a solo driver in his class. However he proved his ability is getting better and better as he started making his way through the Cadets. This was not something he was able to do earlier this year. Nice work mate.
The Junior National Heavy class was again down to our 2 regular ladies. This class is a cheap and great learning area for those wanting to get into motorsport. It has also been shown that children who race karts or other forms of motorsport are more respectful towards the road rules etc. when they get their licenses.
The stand out in this class this weekend was Isabella Cumerlato. Her driving was smoother and at times she was taking it to the quicker Bethany Simpson. The girls finished with Bethany 1st and Isabella 2nd.
Clubman/Restricted 125 Light and Heavy combined hit the track to finish the days racing. The Lights led the field with some great racing happening. The day was dominated by Chris Reid who no matter where he was at the start of the race finished at the pointy end. This was shown in his mid-pack start in the pre final when he took off like the lightening that was starting to show itself around the track and completed a convincing 1st place. The pre-final also had one of the more spectacular incidents in this class with Julian Black well fighting from rear of field to 6th place when he made contact with another kart causing the rear wheel to come off the kart. Fortunately there was no serious damage and Julian made the final. Final standings were 1st Chris Reid, 2nd Aiden Sossa and 3rd Dennis Cumerlato.
The 125/Clubman Heavy class was also incident filled. This time in the final with the club grounds man being sent off the track and deciding to give the weeds a mow before coming back on. The class also welcomed first time driver James Marsland who came out with a very nicely presented Alonso Kart. Unfortunately it ended up a little dusty after going into the gravel trap in the first race however James proved he is now slouch with a 3rd place in the final. Final 3 were Craig Marshall, Brian Sampson and Stephen Oliver.
Racing will start back in February 2014.
