Inglis Wins The Battle; Walton Wins The War
| from Brad Mitchell | 13 May 2015 |
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2015 West Australian 200 Open Super Series
Round 2 Dirt Trackers Kart Club, May 9th & 10th 2015.
The 2015 West Australian 200 Open Super Series put on a fantastic show at the Dirt Trackers Kart Club in Perth over the weekend of the 9th and 10th of May. This race meeting was Western Australia’s biggest event the annual “Ken & Ces Ditchfield Memorial Open”.
Twenty four of the twin engine machines were in the Dirt Trackers pit area including the South Australian trio of National Champion Ben Brown, South Australian champion Mark Burford and Port Pirie driver Chad Rodda. The field was further strengthened by last season’s Ken & Ces winner John Thompson.
Above: Craig McIntyre won the Best Presented Kart and Team award
pic - Brad Mitchell
Qualifying would start the weekend’s proceedings where only the fastest sixteen karts would race in three heat races whilst the remaining karts would race in a pair of Last Chance Qualifiers. The top seven point scorers from the heat races would go directly to the A Dash with the remaining drivers from the heats starting at the front of the Lucky Dog B Dash followed by the Late Chance drivers. Finishing positions in the A and B Dash would then determine starting positions for the 12 Lap Final. The winner of the Final would be crowned the 2015 Ken & Ces Ditchfield Memorial winner whilst the high point scorer across all events would be the 200 Open Super Series round winner.
Several shocks occurred during qualifying not the least national champ Ben Brown flipping the Australia #1 BRK on his run to the green flag. He would put that setback behind him to record a time that would put him third fastest behind Mark Burford and local racer Craig McIntyre who set quick time in his self-built Apache chassis.
Above: A Vintage Twin paces the field prior to the Final
pic - Brad Mitchell
John Thompson narrowly made the field in sixteenth in the last transfer position but the likes of Chad Rodda (17th), Luke Morton (18th), Luke Robertson (19th) and surprisingly point leader and round one winner Joel Ettridge in a lowly 20th.
Heat one saw a South Australian quinella with Burford having a good win over Brown, McIntyre and James Inglis who put in a blinder storming through the field to finish fourth after starting back in thirteenth.
A reverse grid heat two saw a turn one incident between Inglis and pole sitter Thompson resulting in a flat left rear to Thompson. Inglis and Nathan Walton would swap places a couple of times until Walton would get the upper hand and a great win in the KT Twin Benson TWINgle. Third place would go to Adrian Haywood over Joe Chalmers in fourth.
The heat three grid was set with highest point scorers to the front with McIntyre / Brown, Walton / Burford, Haywood / Chamlers occupying the first three rows. Brown would win but not before having to contend with the super quick Walton who had a great start. McIntyre would be third with Inglis again putting in a solid drive for fourth.
Above: National 200 Open Champion Ben Brown's weekend started badly with this flip in qualifying
pic - Brad Mitchell
The pair of Last Chance Qualifiers would see wins going to Luke Morton and Max Fowler with series leader Joel Ettridge finishing in the runner up spot in both races.
The Lucky Dog B Dash would see the win go to John McDonnell from Luke Hughes, Thompson and Luke Morton with McDonnell advancing to the A Dash where he would start in eighth spot.
The seven high point scorers were now locked into the all-important A Dash along with the B Dash winner. After the ballot draw for starting positions the field would be Brown / McIntyre, Walton / Haywood, Burford / Inglis and Chalmers / McDonnell. At the start Brown would snap the accelerator cables whilst McIntyre would have a racing incident and spin leaving Walton to have another win from Inglis, Haywood and Burford and earn the right to start the Final from pole.
The sixteen kart field would greet the green flag for the Final with the red lights coming on the opening lap due to Luke Hughes receiving an electrical shock. After the complete restart Walton would get the jump over Inglis and hold that until a couple of corners to go where tragically he spun a front sprocket nut on one of his engines allowing Inglis to win Western Australia’s biggest race. Walton would finish in second with Brown, McDonnell, Thompson and Fowler completing the top six.
Above: Round Two winner Nathan Walton
pic - Brad Mitchell
When the points were tallied for the round a small consolation for Walton was the fact he won the series round on 93 points over Inglis 84 and Brown third with 78.
Both drivers are now locked on 160 points at the halfway mark off the series with the next round scheduled for August 8 at the Busselton Dirt Kart Club which is a track where these karts can really stretch their legs.
The success of the series wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of sponsors Asteel Powdercoaters, WA Workshop Supplies, WA Bolts, Hearth House Mandurah, Revolution Racegear and Plus Fitness 24/7 Halls Head & Pinjarra.
Above: Ken & Ces Memorial Open winner James Inglis
pic - Brad Mitchell
Results:
Plus Fitness 24/7 Best Presented Kart & Team Award: #5 Craig McIntyre.
Qualifying: 1. Craig McIntyre, 2. Mark Burford, 3. Ben Brown, 4. Matt Morton, 5. Joe Chalmers, 6. Mark Davis, 7. Adrian Haywood, 8. John McDonnell, 9. Nathan Walton, 10. Chris Griffiths, 11. Nathan Richards, 12. Luke Hughes, 13. James Inglis, 14. Chris Biddle, 15. Brock Zonca, 16. John Thompson, 17. Chad Rodda, 18. Luke Morton, 19. Luke Robertson, 20. Joel Ettridge, 21. Matt Bosveld, 22. Shane Dalton, 23. Max Fowler (no time), 24. Michael Butler (no time).
Heat 1: 1. Mark Burford 2. Ben Brown 3. Craig McIntyre
Heat 2: 1. Nathan Walton 2. James Inglis, 3. Adrian Haywood
Heat 3: 1. Ben Brown, 2. Nathan Walton, 3. Craig McIntyre
Last Chance Qualifier # 1: 1. Luke Morton, 2. Joel Ettridge, 3. Luke Robertson
Last Chance Qualifier # 2: 1. Max Fowler 2. Joel Ettridge, 3. Chad Rodda
B Dash: 1. John McDonnell, 2. Luke Hughes, 3. John Thompson
A Dash: 1. Nathan Walton, 2. James Inglis, 3. Adrian Haywood
Ken & Ces Ditchfield Memorial Final: 1. James Inglis, 2. Nathan Walton, 3. Ben Brown, 4. John McDonnell, 5. John Thompson, 6. Max Fowler, 7. Joe Chalmers, 8. Matt Morton, 9. Craig McIntyre, 10 Joel Ettridge
200 Open Super Series Round Points: 1. Walton (93), 2. Inglis (82), 3. Brown (78), 4. McIntyre (68), 5. Chalmers (66), 6. Burford (61), 7. McDonnell (55), 8. M. Morton (38), 9. Thompson (35), 10. Hughes (34), 11. Ettridge (30), 12. Davis (28), 13. Fowler (26), 14. L. Morton (24), 15. Griffiths (24), 16. Robertson (18), 17. Richards (18), 18. Rodda (16), 19. Dalton (14), 20. Biddle (3), 21. Bosveld (1), 22. Butler (0).
Above: Round and series progressive points
Above: Show Me the Money! Ben Brown 3rd, winner Nathan Walton, and James Inglis 2nd
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: John Thompson's heat two finished on the opening corner
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: Max Fowler on his way to winning the second of the Last Chance qualifiers
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: Game over for Luke Hughes after blowing an engine in the Final
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: John McDonnell leads Luke Hughes in the B-Dash
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: South Australia's Mark Burford and National Champion Ben Brown
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: Luke Morton
pic - Brad Mitchell
Above: Matty Bosveld had a horror weekend blowing two engines
pic - Brad Mitchell
