High Energy at 4-Hour Enduro

2.89 seconds was the winning margin, and three karts were on the lead lap after 4-hours of hard racing at the end-of-year Tag Enduro at Todd Rd yesterday.

The Energy Karts entry of Matthew McLean/James Golding took a narrow victory over David Sera/Anton De Pasquale, with Glen Wood/Trent Harrison third.

Glenn Riddell/Matt Wall won the Masters section, taking 8th outright.

With a diminishing gap to second, but stuck in traffic, the pressure was on James Golding in the final phase, the #2 crossing the line 2.89s ahead of #96, the top three completing 243 laps (pic – KSN/Wicks)
  • Lots more photos on Pace Images Facebook HERE

The key factors of the 4-hour were: two drives per team, three compulsory timed 10 minute stops, and closed pit entry whenever there was a full course yellow to retrieve karts. There were plenty of those and they had significant impact as the slower pace benefited those who were lucky enough to already be in the pits.

The X30-powered WA team of Kip Foster/Adam Levi qualified fastest ahead of Rotax engined locals Jason Pringle/Adam Lindstrom.

Kip took the KF Kart into the lead at the start. With four hours and 240+ laps ahead, you’d think turn one would be a conservative and straight forward affair. Not so…

Kip Foster leads into turn one as chaos is about to break out behind (pic – Pace Images)
The eventual winner (and several others) went to the back of the pack because of this (pic – Pace Images)

Foster stayed in front for a number of laps before Harrison Hoey came through, leading for much of the first hour before pitting.

After that, the race lead was not much of a guide as to who was in contention, the 10-minute stops dropping each team about 11 laps – assuming the race stayed green.

With rain looming and the first ‘logically strategic’ pit window open, the leader board started to light up with mid-field and tail-end teams as they delayed their stops. Of course, it’s all swings and roundabouts and wasn’t until after everyone’s 3rd and final stop that the real order could be determined.

Dramas for Cody Gillis/Ashley Seward in the roll up lap. Their day didn’t get any easier (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Team mechanic Anthony Contarino recovers the Cameron Waters/James Sera MKC kart after early contact broke the steering (pic – KSN/Wicks)
The Hoey/Walton machine was pitted while the drizzle hung about, wheels (and carby!) off, waiting for the call – slicks or wets? (pic – KSN/Wicks)
A few extra psi for the #20 tyres at the first stop during the drizzle (pic – KSN/Wicks)

As the race entered it’s final half hour, and the Joe Pasquale/Tony Ciccone kart pitted from the lead, it was the Matt McLean/James Golding team that was in control.

McLean was surprised they had the lead. “I can’t believe it, not after a turn one crash and a fouled plug” he said. “We were lucky there was a really long safety car just after we pitted James, that got us back in it.”

Golding led the field to the final restart, and with second placed Dave Sera stuck in traffic at the back of the field, let some of the faster karts go, trying to stay out of trouble.

Meanwhile, Darren Hossack was waving a “Catch Golding!” pit board to Sera, and Dave was giving it everything he had, even sending it up the inside of other drivers in the horseshoe section.



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But in the end, Golding was mistake free, beating Sera by 2.89s

Sera fought for the win, made possible by some clean and fast stints by co-driver Anton De Pasquale (pic – KSN/Wicks)

Third place went to The Smokey in the pack, Glen Wood/Trent Harrison. They very much flew under the radar, dropping way down the order early in the race but ended up third, on the lead lap and just 12 seconds off the win.

Having been on the pace and executing a clean race, the Foster/Levi combo would be frustrated with fourth. Kip was actually two laps down after the final round of stops, but recovered one of those by passing the leader.

Kip Foster leads the early running. Note the exposed wrist watch. (pic – KSN/Wicks)

In 5th was the strong combination of Harrison Hoey and Kris Walton. Like several others, they got through the race without any problems and did just their three mandatory stops. “We wanted Kris in the kart if the rain came because he’s the heavier driver” Troy Hoey said. “We managed that by pitting Harry at 50 minutes and had Walton do a double stint (when the clouds were threatening), then Harry finished it off.”

Rounding out the top 6 was Cody Brewczysnki/Fergus Symes, a solid effort considering Fergie has virtually no recent seat time or race fitness.

Engine dramas hampered the Leigh Nicolaou/Michael Caruso entry. Here, Caruso demonstrates the same driving stance he did all those years ago aboard Jim Morton’s Tony Karts (pic – KSN/Wicks)

Final Result:

1 James Golding/Matthew McLean (Energy/X30)
2 David Sera/Anton De Pasquale (Sera/X30)
3 Glen Wood/Trent Harrison (FA/X30)
4 Kip Foster/Adam Levi (KF/X30)
5 Kris Walton/Harrison Hoey (Compkart/Rotax)
6 Cody Brewczysnki/Fergus Symes (Compkart/Rotax)
7 Morgan Feast/Christian Pancione (Arrow/X30)
8 Glenn Riddell/Matt Wall (Silhouette/X30) – 1st Masters
9 Chaz Mostert/Adam Mercer (Kosmic/X30)
10 Troy Farley/Tyler Howard (Tony Kart/Rotax)

  • full results on speedhive HERE
  • highlights video scheduled for release on Tuesday – see below for Dave Sera’s teaser…

Fastest lap went to Adam Lindstrom/Jason Pringle in the CRG/Rotax. Considering they suffered a bent axle early in the race, then a battery failure, finishing 13th and 5 laps down wasn’t a bad result (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Matt Wall/Glenn Riddell #64 took out Masters. Check out the marbles off line… (pic – Pace Images)
Chaz Mostert is distracted as the #41 gets a re-alignment (pic – KSN/Wicks)

Earlier in the day, Lewis Francis came out on top in the 30-minute combined Cadet enduro.

Jesse Lacey qualified fastest ahead of Harry Arnett, but in the end Francis won by almost 8 seconds over Miley Miller. James Anagnostiadis was third and best placed of the Cadet 9 drivers.

Cadet winner Lewis Francis pushes into the scales after 30 minutes + 1 lap of racing (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Jesse Lacey leads into turn 1, Cadet enduro (pic – Pace Images)
Cadet podium (pic – Pace Images)

In the 45-minute Junior race, James Wharton was able to edge away from the field and, other than losing the lead during the pit stop cycle , was never headed. Wharton won by 8.9s ahead of Emerson Harvey and Kacey Mann.

Hugh Barter was strong in the early running, initially going away with Wharton at the start, but faded late in the race.

Starting P2, Harvey was shuffled back at the start but progressively worked back up the order, inheriting the lead when Wharton pitted. He sat second once the stops had been completed.

Junior enduro, turn 1 (pic – Pace Images)
Hugh Barter (68) held on to James Wharton (13) in the early part of the race (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Emmo gets final instruction from dad for his last race as a Junior (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Junior podium (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Ben Walter with instructions for Lochie Dalton – or his dad? – made from a 50mm axle (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Oi! Over here! Troy Woolston teamed with Toby Pope, but lost a chain (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Third placed Glen Wood/Trent Harrison #48 sandwiched between Cody Brewczynski/Fergus Symes (18) and Dean O’Brien/Benito Montalbano (pic – Pace Images)
The Pro Karting entry of Lukas Janev/Jordie Lindstrom (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Thomas Randle brings in the damaged Arrow/Rotax of Brad Jenner/Daniel Rochford (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Troy Farley waits for pit release at his final stop. By pitting late, the Farley/Tyler Howard combo enjoyed a multi-lap lead late in the event (pic – KSN/Wicks)
3-wheels is not enough for Matty Smith/George Evegeniadis (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Final front end setup on the Richo machine (pic – KSN/Wicks)
It’s all over for the Jake Kostecki/Jordan Love team (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Cameron Longmore/Benjamin McMellan (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Intense pre-race prep (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Declan & Conor Somers (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Joe Pasquale/Tony Ciccone enjoyed a run in the lead for several laps until their final stop (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Single-file running and pit entry closed during full course yellows (pic – Pace Images)
3rd outright and top Cadet 9 honours for James Anagnostiadis (pic – LAJ T Photography)
Jake Santalucia finished 4th in the Cadet race (pic – KSN/Wicks)
Richo, are you geared up and ready to go? (pic – KSN/Wicks)
P1 James Golding teamed with Matthew McLean, Energy Karts Australia (pic – KSN/Wicks)
  • Lots more photos on Pace Images Facebook HERE

 



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