Frost Goes Back-To-Back at Young Guns

by Stuart Lee

16 January 2017


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Launceston Kart Club’s Tate Frost claimed the 2017 McDonald's Young Guns trophy for the second time in two years on Saturday with an all-the-way win in the 20 lap race.

The McDonalds Young Guns is the biggest Junior race in Tasmania and was run for the 21st time on Saturday.

Above: Tate Frost, KA4 Junior Light (pic - LeahB Photography)

Frost started on pole for the race after topping the one lap qualifying session earlier in the day. Frost held off another Launceston Kart Club member in Lochie Dalton and Hobart’s Campbell Whelan to take the win.

Frost had earlier claimed the win in KA4 Junior Light to start the year off like he finished 2016.

Above: 2017 McDonalds Young Guns Podium (L-R) - Lochie Dalton 2nd, Tate Frost 1st, Neil Richardson (life member LKC), Campbell Whelan 3rd

In the Cadet 12 Wyllie Family Young Guns shield, local Toby Callow scored the win after dominating the four races on the day. Callow qualified 5th but was able to take the four wins on the day and claim the top step on the podium. Second went the way of another LKC member in Jake Delphin with William Blair third.

Zane Wyatt claimed the win in the Open Performance class which included the KZ shifter karts as well as the Super 200 Twin engine karts. Second went to Alastair Lee, who had earlier set the outright lap record in qualifying with a lap of 33.338 seconds, with Launceston’s circuit racing star Adam Garwood third.

Above: Cadet 12 Wyllie Family Shield podium (L-R) - Jake Delphin 2nd, Toby Callow 1st, Dion Wyllie, William Blair 3rd

Hobart’s Zevie Eisentraut took the honours in TaG Restricted Light after a good battle with Brodie Sward and Harry Ward who both had heat wins during the day.

In TaG Restricted Medium Allan Sheahen had the win in sight, but after a nasty rollover involving his brother Troy, Allan elected to stop and check out his bro’s condition. Unfortunately, as the race was declared, he was excluded from the results giving reigning state champ Shane Stonehouse the win ahead of Caitlin Fitch and the returning Joseph Armstrong.

KA3 had a small but quality field with a couple KA4 drivers making the step up. In the final Johnah Slater took the win ahead of Jackson Callow and Matthew Distill.

TaG 125 light saw a battle of three all day with Ryan Jenkins, Sam Jackson and Matthew Distill all pretty close. In the end though, Distill showed his experience in lapped traffic taking the win ahead of Jenkins and Jackson.

Ever green Launceston kart Club member Freddy Cocca grabbed the win in KA4 Masters after a good battle with Ben Davey and Tim Hinds. Scott Wrigley claimed another win in the Super Heavy class from Terry Pinfolds.

Above: Ethan Wyllie, KA4 junior Light (pic - LeahB Photography)

As the Launceston Kart Track has changed to the clockwise direction a number of new lap records were set:

* new record set on the 14/01/2017

Cadet 9 - Brodie Thomson (VIC) 40.757
Cadet 12 - Toby Callow (TAS) 39.408 *
KA4 Junior Light - Tate Frost (TAS) 36.772 *
KA4 Junior Heavy - Lachlan Dalton (TAS) 37.905 *
KA3 Junior - Callum Bishop (TAS) 35.529
KA4 Senior Light - Gemma Wyllie (TAS) 39.384
KA4 Senior Heavy - Alastair Lee (TAS) 40.428
KA4 Masters - Alfredo Cocca (TAS) 39.739 *
KA4 Masters Super Heavy (TAS) Scott Wrigley 40.744 *
TaG Restricted Light - Kayd Donnelly (TAS) 36.257
TaG Restricted Medium - Shane Stonehouse (TAS) 36.935 *
KA3 Senior Light - Simon Fallon (VIC) 35.688
KA3 Senior Medium - Zane Wyatt (TAS) 36.041
TaG 125 Light - Matthew Distill (VIC) 34.596 *
TaG 125 Heavy - Troy Stone (TAS) 35.357
Open Performance - Alastair Lee (TAS) 33.338 *

Above: Alastair Lee, Chris “CJ“ Wyatt and Zane Wyatt with the Wyatt’s Twin Demon XP Alastair Lee drove to second place in the Open Performance final