Australian Superkart Grand Prix


by Aaron Lawson 30 October 2014
 

The 50th edition of the Australian Superkart Grand Prix was run by the Adelaide Superkart Club at Mallala Motorsport Park on Sunday.

250cc International Class

The “250s” are awesome machines, with power in excess of 90bhp and top speeds well in excess of 230kph, but on a damp track at Mallala they proved a real handful for the drivers in the first race.  Notable exception was Matthew Ramsden in his Zip/BRC who shot to the front in the first corner and was never challenged after that.

Subsequent races saw much improved driving conditions and it was the veterans of Dean McGinty and Chas Maddern in their PVP Yamahas who started to trade fastest laps and an exciting tussle for the lead.  Reliability was the key for the day, and with many suffering from engine problems and overheating rear brakes, it was Dean McGinty who took out races 2, 3 and 4.


Above: Shaun Jones took 2nd place in 250 International
pic - Michelle Newman

The feature final race of the day was a gruelling 12 lap affair.  The firm favourite Dean McGinty suffered exhaust problems on lap 7 and was forced to retire.  From this point on it was smooth racing for Shannon Novaski in his PVP-Yamaha who went on to record the fastest lap time of the day 1:08.6686 and to take out his first Superkart Grand Prix at Mallala Motorsport Park.  Second place went to Shaun Jones PVP-BRC with a consistent drive all day and third to Aaron Lawson PVP-Yamaha.

250cc International Class
1st Shannon Novaski
2nd Shaun Jones
3rd Aaron Lawson   

australian superkart grand prix mallala 2014
Above: Shannon Novaski (and his son), winner of the 250 International class

125cc Open Shifter Class

Sunday's weather was very unpredictable with rain, high winds and extreme temperatures. This provided some exciting racing.

Qualifying saw a wet track with David Brewer and Brett Purdie opting for slicks and Frankie Maiolo on wets. David poled it from Brett then Frankie.

Race 1 Saw Brett give both 125s and 250s a master class on how it’s done in the wet leaving David and Frankie in his tracks.

Race 2 was completely dry and it was Frankie's turn to show how his KZ powered kart can mix it with the others, taking the win from Brett then David.

Race 3 was much the same however things were very close between Brett and David 'till David knocked his plug cap off and dropped back to 4th.

Race 4 was the race of the day. Brett got a break early whilst David and Frankie diced. David managed to reel Brett back in and Frankie came with him leaving a three-way entertaining dog fight for the closing laps with Brett taking line honors from David and Frankie.



The final feature raced panned out to be not so spectacular with Frankie nailing the engine setup and driving off into the distance. Brett got a gap early on David and that's how it stayed.

125cc Open Shifter Class
1st Frankie Maiolo
2nd Brett Purdie
3rd David Brewer

125cc Stock Honda Class
1st Ben McNamara

australian superkart grand prix mallala 2014
Above: 125cc Open Shifter Class podium - 1st Frankie Maiolo, 2nd Brett Purdie (left), 3rd Dave Brewer (right)

125cc Non Gearbox

The 125 non-gearbox classes are powered by the 125 Rotax Max engine, and the racing was fairly close at the front all day.  Gavin Newman got the best start by winning heat one in the rain,  but after that Anthony Rugolo slowly made his way up to the lead in the last 3 heats to take outright victory on the day.

The minor placings were very hotly contested all day, sometimes with drivers running three wide at the kink in the main straight and also into the esses. In the end it was a crash on the last lap of the final that separated the 2nd to 6th placed drivers who were all traveling as a group, with the veterans Gavin Newman and Ian Williams coming through to take the minor placings.


Above: Anthony Rugolo is the current CAMS National Junior champion. He won the Grand Prix outright in only his third race meeting since moving up to seniors
pic - Michelle Newman

In the second division there were some wildly varying fortunes with some drivers not having experienced the wet and changing conditions previously, so again a veteran in Graham Jensen won and second place went to the first time driver Evan Rickards.  It was an unfortunate Sohkon Pin  finishing 3rd with  engine gremlins slowing him after having begun the day by qualifying on pole. 

125cc NGB Rotax Senior Light - Division 1
1st Anthony Rugolo
2nd Gavin Newman
3rd Ian Williams

125cc NGB Rotax Senior Light - Division 2
1st Graham Jensen
2nd Evan Rickards
3rd Sokhon Pin

australian superkart grand prix mallala 2014
Above: The Scorpion karts team drivers and crew on the grid planning their clean sweep of 1st to 3rd in both of the 125 Rotax classes on the day.
pic - Michelle Newman

australian superkart grand prix mallala 2014
Above: 125 Rotax Light class 2nd place getter Gavin Newman easily won the first heat in the rain
pic - Michelle Newman

australian superkart grand prix mallala 2014
Above: Brett Purdie’s Zanardi Corse 125cc Open Shifter Class kart

australian superkart grand prix mallala 2014
Above: Chas Maddern, 250 International class
pic - Michelle Newman

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