New Winners at Vic Country Series Round 3


by Dean Thompson, DMT Sports Media 22 May 2016

Warrnambool Kart Club at their 747 metre long Buckley’s Road complex held a fantastic day's racing in the third round of the AUSTRANS Victorian Country Series with a number of karters grabbing their first win of 2016, including Simon Fallon in KA3 Senior Lights, Jaxon Johnstone in Cadet 12, Jordan Dudifled in KA 3 Junior, Jesse Lacey in Cadet 9 & Anthony Warner in TAG 125 Restricted Heavy.

Whilst Jaxson Cox KA 4 Junior Light, Benjamin D’Alia KA 4 Junior Heavy, Brayden Flood TAG 125 Restricted Light, Steven Malkin TAG 125 Restricted Masters & Scott King TAG 125 Heavy remain the only competitors still with a chance to go through the season undefeated in finals.

The fields were so strong, that none of the local Warrnambool club drivers had a top three feature race finish.

vic country series warrnambool
Above: Andrew Hayes (#15) would eventually win the day ahead of Mick Angwin (#74) - but not before a hard fought battle in the final in TAG Restricted Super Heavy
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KA4 JUNIOR LIGHT

Jaxson Cox continued his winning run in the KA4 Junior Light class with a clean sweep of qualifying right through to the final whilst his closest challenger in the series Amber Miller had a final to forget finishing in ninth.

Cox locked in the top spot in qualifying by lapping .336 faster than Kobey Sheedy. Corey Herbertson recovered from a sixth in the heat to finish third & then second in the pre final and final in what was a great result. In the final Cox & Herbertson were lapping in similar times, however Cox maintained supremacy winning by 1.5 seconds with Sheedy in third place. Cox has a clear series lead moving into round four.

Warrnambool top three: Jaxson Cox, Corey Herbertson, Kobey Sheedy

KA4 JUNIOR HEAVY

Benjamin D’Alia managed to maintain his control on the KA4 Junior Heavy class winning by a huge 5.5 seconds ahead of Naomi Brady. D’Alia was on top from the beginning taking out qualifying then all races whilst Brady was second all day accept for the heat race where Aidan Solomon finished ahead of her.

D’Alia led Brady & Solomon for the complete distance in the fifteen lap final with the field well spread out. All three drivers had clear track behind them in regards to their positions.

Warrnambool top three: Benjamin D’Alia, Naomi Brady, Aidan Solomon

vic country series warrnambool
Above: Benjamin D'alia took out all races in KA4 Junior Heavy
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KA3 SENIOR LIGHT

With the winner of the two previous rounds Jacob Dowson not competing this weekend as he was competing at the SA round of the National Championship at Monarto as were a few others, a new winner came forward in the KA3 Senior Light class. Simon Fallon took out the days final in strong fashion by over three seconds.

Fallon proved to be the dominant competitor with a clean sweep of all top placings from Haiden Smith & Giles Rogers. Fallon was faster in the final than he was in qualifying setting his fastest lap on the very last lap recording 33.412

Rogers had to get past Brodie Haskard in the final to reach third, whilst Fallon & Smith maintained the top two spots all the way.

Warrnambool top three: Simon Fallon, Haiden Smith, Giles Rogers

vic country series warrnambool
Above: KA3 Senior Light take the start with Simon Fallon (#27) and Hayden Smith (#89) off the front row
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KA3 SENIOR HEAVY

Remo Luciani led the way once more in KA 3 Senior Heavy with a handful of competitors faster than the back markers in the Lights in combined racing for the divisions. Byrce Woollard, Ryan Aitken & Christopher Thomas all out qualified Luciani and all was set for a tight tussle through the day.

However you can never write off the master as his experience shone through and brought him wins in the heat, pre heat and then the final to confirm his pre event favouritism.

In the heat Thomas was ahead before Woollard passed on the second  last lap, Thomas tried to grab the lead back with three corners to go, however tripped over Woollard, allowing Luciani to sail through for the heat win. Thomas came off the worst and managed fourth while Woollard kept second position.

Woollard was second all day finishing just .4 of a second behind Luciani after leading the first five laps in the final & looking like a possible winner whilst Thomas, Aaron Jackson & Aitken mixed things up amongst themselves for third back. Jackson finished outside the top three for the first time in the series.

Warrnambool top three: Remo Luciani, Bryce Woollard, Christopher Thomas

vic country series warrnambool
Above: KA3 Senior Heavy take the start with Remo Luciani (#20) and Bryce Woollard (#40) off the front row
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CADET 12

A third winner in three rounds crossed the line when Jaxon Johnstone proved too good for Ryan Morgan & Matthew Domachenz in the Cadet 12s.

A classic final was delivered with Johnstone & Domachenz exchanging the lead five times between them whilst Morgan for the most part, was back in third before securing second with two laps to go in the final.

Johnstone qualified first, won the heat, pre final and the final with Morgan and Domachenz the challengers, Bronson Boult had a final to forget when he failed to finish after coming into the event as one of the top three with Johnstone & Domachenz.

Warrnambool top three: Jaxon Johnstone, Ryan Morgan, Matthew Domachenz

vic country series warrnambool
Above: Jaxon Johnstone (#33) worked hard for his win in Cadet 12, Matthew Domaschenz (#92) chasing hard in this heat
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TAG 125 RESTRICTED LIGHT

A huge twenty five Kart field lined up for the TAG 125 Restricted Light class including round one & two winner Brayden Flood. Flood set the tone for his day pipping Tom Owen in the qualifying session to secure top spot in the racing.

Flood wasn’t about to make any mistakes & a win in the heat & pre final set him up for the final whilst positions behind him shuffled about on track with the action. 

Warrnambool local Owen had seconds right up until the final whilst Michael Clemente came from outside the top three drivers to snaffle a podium result in the final. During heat racing at various stages Owen had the lead, with Flood passing before the races ended.

Flood had a huge distance between he and second as he took the win with Jimmy Mason back almost 6 seconds & Clemente in third a further couple seconds back. Owen got tangled up in the final whilst battling for second and third, dropping out of contention and allowing Mason to snag the final podium position.

Warrnambool top three: Brayden Flood, Jimmy Mason, Michael Clemente

vic country series warrnambool
Above: Brayden Flood (#23) takes back the lead from Tom Owen (#30) in TAG Restricted Light
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TAG 125 LIGHT

What a sensational race in the TAG 125 Lights with Kyle Rethus coming out on top in the barest of margins after fifteen gruelling laps.

Earlier in qualifying the top six drivers were within .3 of each other with Rethus clocking in at 33.020 ahead of Ashley Lear, Kirby Hillyer, Jordan Rae, Mitchell Sutej & Jordan Pianezzola.

Rethus won everything qualifying right through to the final with Hillyer & Lear swapping the minor placings. Rethus led from the green to the finish with Hillyer and Lear in chase only defeating Hillyer by .09 of a second at the line.

The consistent Lear now has three third placed finishes from three rounds and takes a step to the top of the points table.

Warrnambool top three: Kyle Rethus, Kirby Hillyer, Ashley Lear

vic country series warrnambool
Above: For the second round in a row, TaG Light is on the out grid when the only shower of the day hits. Kyle Rethus (#43) made light work of slicks on a wet track.
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KA3 JUNIOR

Jay Coul who has been consistent in the KA3 this season put himself right in the fight for series honours when he qualified top in the field ahead of Jordan Dudfield in the KA3 Juniors with a one lap time that would be faster than the best time in the final, 33.370.

Dudfield won all three races ahead of Coul in the heat, pre final & final.

Dudfield set a 33.482 lap time in the final leading every lap & winning by almost eight seconds with Jack Haverland & Benjamin D’Alia in a close three way finish with Coul. Coul’s consistency results in him heading to the top of the series points.

Warrnambool top three: Jordan Dudfield, Jay Coul, Jack Haverland

TAG 125 RESTRICTED MASTERS

Steven Malkin once again showed he was the racer to beat in the Restricted Masters. Malkin qualified first, one the heat, pre final & final with John Page second all day whilst Andrew Stubbs got the better of John Heath to take third.

In the final Malkin with a track full of competitors managed to go faster than his qualifying time earlier setting a 34.685 lap around .04 of a second quicker than he was in qualifying. Malkin led for the complete distance in the final. Page & Stubbs results see them fighting for second overall at the moment as they head to the fourth round, where anything can happen.

Warrnambool top three: Steven Malkin, John Page, Andrew Stubbs

CADET 9

A twenty Kart field in the Cadet 9’s began with Jesse Lacey dominate in the qualifying session recording a time .4 of a second better the rest of the field including the driver to beat Brocklan Parker.

Lacey however did not have things their own way as results were shared around in the racing with Sam Whitford winning the heat, Lachlan Brady the pre final, before Lacey went on to beat Whitford & Brady in the final after Whitford passed Brady on lap five.

Parker had a terrible result in the pre final and it made it difficult for him to recover from their finishing in fifth. Lacey’s win margin was .179

Warrnambool top three: Jesse Lacey, Sam Whitford, Lachlan Brady

vic country series warrnambool
Above: Cadet 9 is second to hit the track after an interrupting shower. Jesse Lacey (#16) and Lachlan Brady (#8) looking like old hands in conditions that would have tested many seniors.
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TAG 125 RESTRICTED SUPER HEAVY

Andrew Hayes took his second win in a row following up Portland with a win at Warrnambool ahead of Michael Angwin.

After qualifying in the top spot by just .031 of a second, Hayes would finish second to Angwin in the heat, second to Kevin Hitchcock in the pre final were rain came with only Hitchcock on wets before surging to victory in the final. Hitchcock in the pre final amazingly spun & rejoined the field and passed everybody to go on to win with everybody else on slicks.

Angwin led the early part of the final and set the fastest one lap race time of 35.365, however on lap seven Hayes made his move and was never headed winning from Angwin & Aldo Distefano. Hayes & Angwin were seven seconds ahead of the field.

Warrnambool top three: Andrew Hayes, Michael Angwin, Aldo Distefano

vic country series warrnambool
Above: Kevin Hitchcock spins after contact turns 1 to 2, but would recover to win the heat in TAG Restricted Super Heavy while the field remained on slicks
pic - vcs

TAG 125 HEAVY

Qualifying in the TAG 125 Heavy’s was sensational with the top five Karts separated by just .3 of a second & this time it would be Adam King who would trump his brother Scott by qualifying top with a 33.789. Ryan Aitken, Scott King, Aaron Jackson & Paul Feely were all so very close with the small .3 margin separating them all.

When it came to the racing, Adam could only manage at best third place results as Aitken won the heat & his brother the pre heat and final yet again to stretch his lead in the overall points. Scott in a new Intrepid Kart put together only on Friday evening was able to win handsomely despite brake issues & was never headed in the final that he won by just .298 of a second in a close finish with Aitken.

Scott King has three wins from three finals in the series whilst Adam King took a firm grasp on second for now.

Warrnambool top three: Scott King, Ryan Aitken, Adam King

TAG 125 RESTRICTED HEAVY

Standings in the series overall for TAG 125 Restricted Heavy had a shake up with first & second coming into the weekend Matthew De Stefano & Barry Clough both outside the top three placings & De Stefano outside the top five.

Anthony Warner won the qualifying ahead of De Stefano, whilst the latter would set a faster one lap time later in the final. Ben Armstrong & Clough were both down in eighth & ninth on the charts and that made things tough in the racing. Warner won the heat, Clough a brilliant win in the pre final before Warner took the big final race victory.

Warner led every lap with Armstrong in second all the way putting him right up amongst it with De Stefano & Clough in the overall & a wonderful drive by Brett Jenkin seen he come from tenth on lap one to third by lap six.

Warrnambool top three: Anthony Warner, Ben Armstrong, Brett Jenkin

vic country series warrnambool
Above: Matthew De Stefano (#19) launches into the side of Barry Clough (#99) in TAG Restricted Heavy
pic - vcs

Congratulations to the Warrnambool round "Kerbriders of the day". Each driver took home a Kerbrider hat, T-shirt, OMP race boots, race chain and OMP visor whirly via a steward vote.

  • Cadet: Lachlan Brady
  • Junior: Amber Miller
  • Senior: Bryce Woollard

Round four will be at Wimmera Racing Kart Club Horsham on the 513 metre track on July 17th.

Victorian Country Series wish to thank:

  • AUSTRANS Container Services
  • Kerbrider
  • RaceCulture Motorsport Design
  • KFC
  • Remo Racing
  • AllStar Graphics
  • Ballarat Bolts and Fasteners
  • Wimmera Design and Print

vic country series warrnambool
Above: Daniel Macolm (#19) has a huge rollover in Cadet 12 and was lucky to walk away
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vic country series warrnambool
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vic country series warrnambool
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vic country series warrnambool
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vic country series warrnambool
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vic country series warrnambool
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vic country series warrnambool
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vic country series warrnambool
Above: Jimmy Mason (#74) launches off a kerb in TAG Restricted Light before climbing up to 3rd in the final
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vic country series warrnambool
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vic country series warrnambool
Above: Simon Fallon did not look troubled in KA4 Senior Light all day
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vic country series warrnambool
Above: Sam Whiteford (#18) attacking the high speed downhill esses on slicks, Cadet 9
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vic country series warrnambool
Above: Kirby Hillyer (#88) takes turn 1 on slicks
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vic country series warrnambool
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vic country series warrnambool
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vic country series warrnambool
Above: Lachlan Brady (#8) and Brocklan Parker (#7) tearing down the hill together
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