The 2017 annual Junior Sprint Classic meeting was held at the Eastern Lions Kart Club at the weekend (September 30 / October 1).
153 of the best juniors entered for the meeting with a a good mix of interstate competitors in attendance including 9 Tasmanians travelling from across the Tasman, 8 from NSW and 1 Cadet 9 competitor #16 Bodhi Stevens putting in a great effort to come all the way from Darwin Northern Territory to be apart of the meeting.
KA3 Junior class
The biggest field of the weekend was the KA3 Junior class with 27 driver competing.
New South Wales driver #47 Thomas Sargent (GREN) set the pace in qualifying to take pole position with a lap time of 44.822, 1.5 tenths of a second ahead of Tasmania’s #62 Tate Frost (LKC).
In the racing it was Portland’s #25 Corey Herbertson who made an impressive jump up from the KA4 category who went on to take victory by 3 seconds in heat 1 with pole sitting #47 Thomas Sargent (NSW) just edging out Gippslands #96 Samuel Downing by 4 tenths of a second and Tasmanian #80 Callum Bishop (STKC) for victory in heat heat 2. Heat 3 produced yet another great fight at the front with Sargent winning by the smallest of margins with his nose cone just in front by .0222 of a second after a great battle with #80 Callum Bishop (STKC, TAS).
In heat 4 GKCV driver #34 Cooper Webster started to show his speed to get to the front of the pack after being down as far as 17th in heat 2, Webster in a great 4 way fight for second with Bishop, Downing and Williams all finishing within 2 tenths of a second of each other with Sargent again taking the victory.
The final and the feature race of the whole weekend was the KA3 Junior “Champion of Champions” which would see the 27 driver field battle it out over 20 laps.
#34 Cooper Webster (GKCV) had a great race with Gippsland’s #96 Samuel Downing with Webster becoming the Champion of Champions winning the final by the tiniest of margins .042 of a second at the line from Downing, New South Wales’s #47 Thomas Sargent 2 seconds behind in 3rd, Tasmania’s #45 Lachlan Dalton 4th, GKCV’s #95 Nathan Williams 5th and Tasmanian #62 Tate Frost in 6th 3 seconds behind the winner at the finish.
Final
1 #34 Cooper WEBSTER (GKCV VIC)
2 #96 Samuel DOWNING (GIPP VIC)
3 #47 Thomas SARGENT (Gren NSW)
4 #45 Lachlan DALTON (LKC TAS)
5 #95 Nathan WILLIAMS (GKCV VIC)
6 #62 Tate FROST (LKC TAS)
7 #97 Rhys KEMP (GIPP VIC)
8 #73 Wil LONGMORE (Wagg NSW)
9 #70 Jonathon MARCUSSON (WKRC, NSKC NSW)
10 #42 Wil KELLY-MERRIFIELD (WARRN VIC)
11 #44 Jack PENNACCHIA (GKCV VIC)
12 #72 Zach VAN ZANTEN (ALB VIC)
13 #17 Oliver MCNAUGHT (OAK VIC)
14 #13 Ryan BETTESS (GKCV VIC)
15 #25 Corey HERBERTSON (PORT VIC)
16 #16 Coady GORRINGE (GEEL, MILD VIC)
17 #71 Conor SOMERS (E/LIONS VIC)
18 #37 Jackson RICE (ALB VIC)
19 #80 Callum BISHOP (STKC TAS)
20 #33 Bailey SWEENY (Canb, Gren NSW)
21 #78 Connor GRIFFIN (LKC TAS)
22 #20 Kade GIBSON (SWAH VIC)
23 #23 Mia BOLTON (Canb NSW)
24 #15 Regan SOMERS (E/LIONS VIC)
25 #2 Declan SOMERS (E/LIONS VIC)
26 #10 Josh HAYNES (Canb NSW)
27 #28 Matthew HILLYER (OAK VIC)
Fastest lap
#96 Samuel DOWNING 44.722
Video of the KA3 grid rolling out for the final Champion of Champions race courtesy of the Melbourne Kart Centre instagram page.
#34 Cooper Webster (GKCV) is the KA3 Junior Champion of Champions race winner at the 2017 Junior Sprint Classic at the Eastern Lions Kart Club. Pic courtesy of Cooper Webster instagram page.
https://www.facebook.com/kartingvic/photos/a.454622091245288.105845.186220558085444/1868613476512802/?type=3&theater
KA4 Girls class (@137kg)
4 Lady drivers were competing in the KA4 Girls class and it was Go-Kart Club of Victoria driver #66 Tiana Paterson who was the fastest of the girls in qualifying taking pole position with a lap time of 47.471. Paterson going on to take a clean sweep of the weekend winning all 4 races from Canberra’s #23 Mia Bolton who finish 2nd 3 seconds off the pace, with local Eastern Lions driver #60 Charlee Richardson in 3rd and Tasmanian #24 Kiana Toon in 4th.
1 #66 Tiana PATERSON (GKCV VIC)
2 #23 Mia BOLTON (Canb NSW)
3 #60 Charlee RICHARDSON (E/LIONS VIC)
4 #24 Kiana TOON (LKC TAS)
Fastest lap
#66 Tiana PATERSON 47.145
Pic of Tiana Paterson (racing earlier in the year at ELKC) courtesy of Tim Francis
KA4 Junior Heavy C&D class
#12 Billy Bishop from the Gippsland Kart Club was the fastest driver in qualifying setting a lap time of 47.981 over 2 tenths of a second quicker than local ELKC driver #78 Jordan Pegg.
South West Kart Club driver #95 Daniel Hookway would move forward after starting on the 2nd row to claim the heat 1 victory by 2 tenths from the pole man #12 Billy Bishop, with Bishop winning heat 2. After finishing heat 2 in 9th #95 Daniel Hookway would recover to go on an claim the victory in heat 3 by just .071 of a margin from local ELKC driver #5 Nathan Scicluna and Bishop 2 tenths further back. In the final #95 Daniel Hookway was able to get out front and build a gap of 8 seconds to take the victory, while 5 drivers battled it out in a close race for the remaining podium places with #12 Billy Bishop (GIPP) taking 2nd #78 Jordan Pegg (ELKC) 3rd, #8 Zane Bright (GIPP) in 4th, #29 Kyle Belton (SWAH) 5th and #11 Benjamin Moss (GIPP, OAK) finishing at the end of the train of karts in 6th.
Final
1 #95 Daniel HOOKWAY (STHW VIC)
2 #12 Billy BISHOP (GIPP VIC)
3 #78 Jordan PEGG (E/LIONS VIC)
4 #8 Zane BRIGHT (GIPP VIC)
5 #29 Kye BELTON (SWAH VIC)
6 #11 Benjamin MOSS (GIPP , OAK VIC)
7 #5 Nathan SCICLUNA (E/LIONS VIC)
8 #22P Ben TAYLOR (GKCV VIC)
9 #28 Ryan COOK (WARRN VIC)
10 #67 Dayna RICE (ALB VIC)
11 #44 Riley JABKE (OAK, GIPP VIC)
12 #32 Dylan MULLER (ALB VIC)
Fastest lap
#95 Daniel HOOKWAY 47.543
Pic of the KA4 Junior Heavy C&D class grid courtesy of Shane Scicluna instagram page
South West Kart Club drivers Daniel Hookway 1st in KA4 Junior Heavy C&D class and Rusty Pointing 2nd in the Cadet 9 class with their trophies at the 2017 Junior Sprint Classic at the Eastern Lions Kart Club
KA4 Junior Heavy class
Local Eastern Lions Kart Club driver Declan Somers put in a blistering lap of 46.592 in qualifying to be almost 4 tenths of a second quicker than #48 Nathan Skelton (GKCV) and #49 Liam Hall (Goulburn Valley) in the 17 driver field of KA4 Junior Heavy.
In the racing Somers continued on his way to go on and win the remaining races, taking the final victory by 5.3 seconds ahead of Alburys #37 Jackson Rice but a penalty would relegate him to 6th and GKCV pair #9 Nathan Williams and #48 Nathan Skelton would finish nose to tail in 2nd and 3rd.
Final
1 #2 Declan SOMERS (E/LIONS VIC)
2 #9 Nathan WILLIAMS (GKCV VIC)
3 #48 Nathan SKELTON (GKCV VIC)
4 #95 Daniel HOOKWAY (STHW VIC)
5 #49 Liam HALL (GOUL VIC)
6 #37 Jackson RICE (ALB VIC)
7 #33 Aidan SOLOMON (SWAH VIC)
8 #78 Jordan PEGG (E/LIONS VIC)
9 #8 Zane BRIGHT (GIPP VIC)
10 #28 Winston SMITH (GKCV VIC)
11 #11 Benjamin MOSS (GIPP , OAK VIC)
12 #12 Billy BISHOP (GIPP VIC)
13 #20 Kade GIBSON (SWAH VIC)
14 #14 Bodhi BRIGHT (GIPP VIC)
15 #44 Riley JABKE (OAK, GIPP VIC)
16 #24 Kiana TOON (LKC TAS)
17 #10 Samuel DAVIES (MILD VIC)
Fastest lap
#2 Declan SOMERS 46.721
Pic from KA4 Junior Heavy at the Junior Sprint meeting courtesy of Bohdi Bright instagram page
KA4 Junior Light class
A big field of 24 drivers were competing in the KA4 Junior Light class and it was Portland driver #30 Jobe Stewart who set the fastest lap time of 46.101 to claim pole position.
Newly crowned Australian champions #1 Jay Hanson (ELKC/GEE) moved to the front winning heat 1 from #94 Kobi Williams (OAK) and Stewart 3rd. Heat 2 would see Williams get out to the front and claim the win by 2 seconds. Heat 3 would see #1 Jay Hanson take the win by 5 seconds ahead of #80 Nicholas Sacco and Gippslands #96 Bailey Collins and in the final it again would be the #1 kart of Jay Hanson crossing the line in 1st, 2 seconds ahead of Rochesters #55 Fletcher Harris and local Eastern Lions driver #80 Nicholas Sacco in 3rd, pole sitter Portland’s #30 Jobe Stewart 3 tenths behind Sacco with #96 Bailey Collins (Gippsland), #5 Kacey Mann (GKCV), #61 Reef McCarthy (GKCV) and #14 Ethan Wyllie (NWKC, TAS) all separated by just over a second at the finish for 4th to 8th place finishes.
Final
1 #1 Jay HANSON (E/LIONS, GEEL VIC)
2 #55 Fletcher HARRIS (ROCH VIC)
3 #80 Nicholas SACCO (E/LIONS VIC)
4 #30 Jobe STEWART (PORT VIC)
5 #96 Bailey COLLINS (GIPP VIC)
6 #5 Kacey MANN (GKCV VIC)
7 #61 Reef MCCARTHY (GKCV VIC)
8 #14 Ethan WYLLIE (NWKC TAS)
9 #66 Tiana PATERSON (GKCV VIC)
10 #76 Emerson HARVEY (GKCV VIC)
11 #50 Thomas DIXON (GKCV VIC)
12 #67 Cooper JOHNSTONE (GKCV VIC)
13 #47 Steven TSESMELIS (OAK VIC)
14 #77 Campbell WHELAN (STKC TAS)
15 #10 Nerinda BEARD (WARRN, STHW VIC)
16 #64 Logan DIXON (CHKC TAS)
17 #20 Nigel LAITY (BAIR VIC)
18 #16 Tyson PHEGAN (LKC TAS)
19 #22 Joshua MAZUREK (OAK VIC)
20 #6 Jackson LEE (E/LIONS VIC)
21 #94 Kobi WILLIAMS (OAK VIC)
22 #48 Jake CUSCHIERI (E/LIONS VIC)
23 #99 Hamish FITZSIMMONS (Canb NSW)
24 #92 Adam CAMPBELL (ROCH VIC)
Fastest lap
#30 Jobe STEWART 45.780
KA4 Junior Light class winner Jay Hanson with Clint Cathcart of CC Racing
Pic courtesy of Jobe Stewart instagram page
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZwl1H6jXK_/
KA4 Junior Light C&D class
#61 Reef McCarthy (GKCV) was the fastest qualifier in the 17 driver KA4 Junior Light C&D class taking pole position with a lap time of 46.615 just 1 tenth of a second ahead of fellow GKCV driver #67 Cooper Johnstone.
McCarthy going on to win heat 1 and 2 with Oakleigh’s #95 Joshua D’Ambrosio finishing 2nd and #67 Cooper Johnstone finishing in 3rd in those heats.
Heat 3 produced a cracker of a race with the top 5 drivers only separated by .5 of a second at the finish with McCarthy again claiming victory and in the final. McCarthy would go on to make it a clean sweep of the weekend winning by .8 of a second from #95 Joshua D’Ambrosio and #67 Cooper Johnstone with GKCV driver #50 Thomas Dixon also within reach of the leader just 1.2 seconds off in 4th.
Final
1 #61 Reef MCCARTHY (GKCV VIC)
2 #95 Joshua D’AMBROSIO (OAK VIC)
3 #67 Cooper JOHNSTONE (GKCV VIC)
4 #50 Thomas DIXON (GKCV VIC)
5 #20 Nigel LAITY (BAIR VIC)
6 #46 Coby DUNLOP (BEN VIC)
7 #6 Jackson LEE (E/LIONS VIC)
8 #44 Jett WILSON (OAK VIC)
9 #7 MASON KELLY (OAK VIC)
10 #16 Tyson PHEGAN (LKC TAS)
11 #60 Charlee RICHARDSON (E/LIONS VIC)
12 #84P Toby WAGHORN (E/LIONS VIC)
13 #22 Joshua MAZUREK (OAK VIC)
14 #88 Liam HAWLEY (SWAH VIC)
15 #19 Charlee ZAMMIT (GKCV VIC)
16 #64 Logan DIXON (CHKC TAS)
17 #92 Adam CAMPBELL (ROCH VIC)
Fastest lap
#67 Cooper JOHNSTONE 46.221
Pic of the KA4 Junior Light C&D class podium 1st Reef McCarthy (GKCV VIC), 2nd Joshua D’Ambrosio (OAK VIC), 3rd Cooper Johnstone (GKCV VIC). Pic courtesy of Cooper Johnstone Racing instagram page
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZyLC_GjMx5/
Cadet 12 C&D class
Having moved up from the Cadet 9 class #9 Caleb Spence (ELKC/OAK) set the fastest time in qualifying in the 20 driver field with a blistering time of 49.321 1.7 tenths ahead of #21 Isaac Woodhouse (GKCV) who was doing the double across the weekend racing in both of the Cadet 12 categories.
#21 Isaac Woodhouse going on to use the extra racing to his advantage taking a clean sweep of the remaining heats winning by very narrow margins with nothing in it at the line in the final with Woodhouse winning by just .065 of a second ahead of #9 Caleb Spence (OAK/ELKC) and Tasmania #99 Darcy Whelan doing a great job to take the final step of the podium just edging out Albury’s #81 Luke Van Zanten by under 1 hundredth of a second for third.
Final
1 #21 Isaac WOODHOUSE (GKCV VIC)
2 #9 CALEB SPENCE (E/LIONS, OAK VIC)
3 #99 Darcy WHELAN (STKC TAS)
4 #81 Luke VAN ZANTEN (ALB VIC)
5 #73 Liam O’DONNELL (OAK VIC)
6 #10 Jordan CHAPMAN (ALB VIC)
7 #15 Denzil SARGENT (NWKC TAS)
8 #34 Ruby GIBSON (GEEL VIC)
9 #86 Ethan SMEAD (ALB VIC)
10 #39 James LODGE (GKCV, GEEL VIC)
11 #46P Ethan WILSON (E/LIONS, OAK VIC)
12 #88 Harrison MARTIN (GIPP VIC)
13 #62 Joshua KING (E/LIONS VIC)
14 #75 Jake KRASNA (MILD VIC)
15 #72 Ryan NEWBORN (GKCV VIC)
16 #2 Ethan BRIGGS (GKCV VIC)
17 #25 Jordi BELTON (SWAH VIC)
18 #52 Marcus PISANI (GKCV, GEEL VIC)
19 #22P Ethan CORNWILL (BEN VIC)
20 #23 Harrison LUDLOW (GIPP VIC)
Fastest lap
#73 Liam O’DONNELL 49.249
Young and old karters! Denzil Sargent from Tasmania (NWKC) who was racing in the Cadet 12 C&D class with supercar driver and former Mildura Kart Club racer Todd Kelly at the 2017 Junior Sprint Classic held at the Eastern Lions Kart Club
Cadet 12 class
In the 18 driver strong Cadet 12 class, Geelong Kart Clubs #66 Will Harper took pole with a lap time of 48.503, 1.7 tenths ahead of GKCV’s #17 Hugo Simpson and Oakleigh’s #56 Damon Woods. Simpson went on to take the win in heat 1 but Harper was able to regain the lead in heat 2 where he then went on to win the remaining heats and the final by just .348 tenths of a second ahead of Simpson and Oakleighs #56 Damon Woods after a great close battle between all 3 drivers with GKCV driver #21 Isaac Woodhouse also finishing just off the leading pack 1.2 seconds behind to claim 4th.
Final
1 #66 Will HARPER (GEEL VIC)
2 #17 Hugo SIMPSON (GKCV VIC)
3 #56 Damon WOODS (OAK VIC)
4 #21 Isaac WOODHOUSE (GKCV VIC)
5 #5 Brodie THOMSON (GEEL VIC)
6 #18 Sam WHITEFORD (GKCV VIC)
7 #92 Matthew DOMASCHENZ (GEEL VIC)
8 #16 Jesse LACEY (GKCV VIC)
9 #33 Jaxon JOHNSTONE (WARRN, STHW VIC)
10 #46 Ayrton FILIPPI (BEN VIC)
11 #14 Aiva ANAGNOSTIADIS (OAK, GKCV VIC)
12 #52 Marcus PISANI (GKCV, GEEL VIC)
13 #34 Ruby GIBSON (GEEL VIC)
14 #75 Jake KRASNA (MILD VIC)
15 #9 CALEB SPENCE (E/LIONS, OAK VIC)
16 #2 Ethan BRIGGS (GKCV VIC)
17 #39 James LODGE (GKCV, GEEL VIC)
18 #43 Owen KEMP (DNF 18 GIPP VIC)
Fastest lap
#56 Damon WOODS 48.633
Pic of the Cadet 12 podium 1st Will Harper (GEEL VIC), 2nd Hugo Simpson (GKCV VIC), 3rd Damon Woods (OAK VIC), pic courtesy of Hugo Simpson instagram page.
Cadet 9 class
Fresh of his victory in the Australian Rotax Micro Max class championship Bendigo Kart Clubs Harry Arnett kept his momentum going to set the fastest time in qualifying for the 14 driver Cadet 9 class head of South West Kart Clubs #21 Rusty Ponting and a few tents further back was Albury’s #89 Anthony Alessi in 3rd, GKCV’s #49 Peter Bouzinelos 4th and Darwin’s #16 Bodhi Stevens.
In the racing Ponting would make sure Arnett wouldn’t have it all his own way with the 2 drivers proving to be the ones to catch having a great tussle for the victory in all of the races across the weekend. Ponting winning the first heat from Arnett by .059 and then Arnett taking the victory from Ponting in heat 2 by .096, heat 3 by .062 and in the final Arnett taking the Cadet 9 class win by just .169 of a second from Ponting and was amazing to see 2 drivers race so close together over an entire weekend.
The battle for 3rd which was 5 seconds behind the leaders after a great 4 way battle would see #16 Bodhi Stevens (DARW, NT) take the final step of the podium, local ELKC driver #8 Kristian Janev 4th, Albury’s #89 Anthony Alessi in 5th and Oakleigh’s #48 Benjamin Birchall 6th with the 4 drivers only separated by 5 tenths of a second at the line.
Final
1 #40 Harry ARNETT (BEN VIC)
2 #21 Rusty PONTING (STHW VIC)
3 #16 Bodhi STEVENS (Darw NT)
4 #8 Kristian JANEV (E/LIONS VIC)
5 #89 Anthony ALESSI (ALB VIC)
6 #48 Benjamin BIRCHALL (OAK VIC)
7 #6 Cooper STAPLETON (OAK, GKCV VIC)
8 #81 Levi DAUNCEY (E/LIONS VIC)
9 #28 Chelsea HUMPHREY (BEN VIC)
10 #20 Ewan ANDERSON (PORT VIC)
11 #29 William BRINSLEY (GKCV VIC)
12 #70 Cody BOYS (GIPP VIC)
13 #5P Ashton ARDLEY (E/LIONS VIC)
14 #46 Peter BOUZINELOS (GKCV VIC)
Fastest lap
#21 Rusty PONTING 49.923
Pic. Bendigo Kart Clubs Harry Arnett continues his hot streak after winning the Australian Rotax Micro Max championship and takes out victory in the Cadet 9 class at the 2017 Junior Sprint Classic at the Eastern Lions Kart Club.
South West Kart Club driver Rusty Pontings acceptance speech for his great 2nd position result in the Cadet 9 class at the 2017 Junior Sprint Classic at the Eastern Lions Kart Club
4th place trophy for Eastern Lions Kart Club driver #8 Kristian Janev in the Cadet 9 class at the 2017 Junior Sprint Classic at the Eastern Lions Kart Club
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZsgmssHvjf/
Flashback to the 2006 Junior Sprint Classic at Eastern Lions Kart Club, Puckapunyal. Can you spot the 2 current V8 Supercar drivers in this picture? Tony Kart came 1st & 2nd in the final Champion of Champions race.
(Courtesy of Tony Kart Australia instagram page).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZADGCBjSvj/?taken-by=tonykartaus
