McKinnon & Pringle Win Retro Nationals
| 11 September 2016 |
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Retro Karting Australia (RKA) held their second Nationals at the Stony Creek circuit in Victoria on Saturday.
The event experienced a 115% increase in Formula 100 entries compared to last year (when it was known as the Go Kart Legends Nationals). While there were just 13 in an overall F100 class in 2015, this year there were two seperate fields, 13 Lights and 15 Heavies.
Victorian Jason Pringle came back from a pre-final DNF (loose rear bar) to take his CRG/Vortex to victory in F100 Light. Paul McKinnon returned for another crack at the title, this time easily winning F100 Heavy.
The other competitors should take some consolation in the fact that both winners on the day have competed overseas at World Championship level.
As per last year, the event is a bit of a 'back-to' with names and faces in the pits of people who haven't been to a kart track in many years.
Above: RKA F100 Light National Champion for 2016, Jason Pringle
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: RKA F100 Heavy National Champion for 2016, Paul McKinnon
pic - Steve Dansie
Results:
F100 Light
1. Jason Pringle
2. Lee Uhlhorn
3. Neil McAuley
F100 Heavy
1. Paul McKinnon
2. Gus Van Velzen
3. Mark Newman
- Best Presented F100 Kart: Mars Gheorghiu
- Best Presented Era 3/4: Paul Mckinnon
- Steve Ikin engine award won by Mark Vukusic
- Leigh Williamson sponsored "Spirit of Racing Award": Vas Filips
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Event round up, by Vas Filips
"It was a huge day of racing. I will let everyone tell their own stories as everyone had ups and downs and details only they know. From a drivers point we had a few stand outs. The oustanding driver of the weekend was Paul Mckinnon in the Heavies. He was just in a league of his own on the day and was dominating from the get go. With a new kart and engine, to do what he did was pretty awesome in my book. Exellent preperation, great set up and faultless drving was something to watch.
Gus Van Velzen threw everything at it and Mark Andrew Newman came out of no where in a great drive. Patrick Parry lost an engine from third in the final and Alan Saint was very unlucky after driving bloody well all day. Paul Thompson ended up with an axel at right angles after the first corner of the first race. In a fantasic determination not to give up, came back and finished the final.
A highlight in the heavies for me was to see Ashley Cutchie not only see the green flag in the final, but also the flag at the end.
We all expected the young current racers to be the ones to beat in the Lights. Jason Pringle just had a little too much for the old boys in the end and Jace Lindstrom was very fast but seemed to have issues at the critical time. The best overall drive in my opinion was Lee Uhlhorn, was fast all day and is a very clean driver. Like many of us has not raced for some time and was bloody consistent for very little seat time.
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Neil McAuley battled all day but managed to get a well earned 3rd in the final to continue his great run at Stony Creek. The lights had lots of little wins along the day. Mark Vukusic was fast again, but tangled with a flying Chris Uhlhorn in the final. Chris could have been right in it if not for this as his kart was a rocket.
The two young guys Mars Gheorghiu and Andrew Ale both did a great job for new guys. Mars ended up 4th while Andrew was unlucky to have an off in the final as did Simon Dartell who after sand bagging all day was on the move.
Even old man Filips looked ok now and then, but after spinning on my own while running a comfy 3rd in the pre final, had to start from the rear in the final and just ran out of puff to finish 5th or 6th, I am not sure. The 3rd I got in heat two was more than enough to keep me happy with a over the line celebration worthy of a world championship :) lol
Thanks for the day everyone, well done."
Above: Simon Dartell (left) and Patrick Parry down from NSW
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: RKA HQ for their second Nationals, Bronwyn Edwards Warren keeping score
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Erebus Motorsport's Barry Ryan was 4th in the F100 Heavy final
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Pringle on the spanners
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Neil McAuley fits a new engine for the final
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Ashley Cutchie
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Mechanical brake and 25mm axle in F100 (!)
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Former racer Mal Asker ready to push Mark Vukusic
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above & Below: Close call for Paul McKinnon #117 in the F100 Heavy final, narrowly avoiding a spinning Steve Ikin
pics - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Not the way to finish a race - Andrew Quinn pushes to a safe area
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Chris Uhlhorn returns to the pits after the final
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Andrew Ale ahead of Vas Filips
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Vintage demo
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: Paul Kendall bolted a rotary valve F100 engine to his old Arrow chassis that he used in Junior National all those years ago!
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: McKinnon leads Gus Van Velzen, F100 Heavy
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: Mark Vukusic leads Lee Uhlhorn, Jace Lindstrom, Chris Uhlhorn and Jason Pringle early in the F100 Light final
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: Vukusic & Uhlhorn come together and DNF
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: George Johnson and family
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: All Kart
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: Tibi Kart
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: Mike Wilson kart
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: Not sure about the peripheral vision, but it sure looked scary! Alan Saint's setup.
pic - Steve Dansie
Above: Jace Lindstrom (Tecno) DNF'd the Light final with a loose muffler
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
Above: Paul Thompson made it to the finish of the Heavy final despite spinning an axle sprocket
pic - Mark Wicks, KartSportNews
