Superkart Nationals - Friday Report

By Mark Jones

The Australian non-gearbox Superkart Championships got underway with free practice at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit yesterday (Friday). Most of the the Victorian and South Australian entries were in early for a first chance to tune set-ups, at round 6 of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships. Most competitors though were wary of what could be achieved on Friday with weather predicted to be variable over the weekend.

It was a bad day for some, reigning Rotax Heavy Champion Ron Goldfinch had two engine failures aboard the Safe Fire Electrical Viper.

Fastest of the day though was the reigning Rotax Light champion Michael Rogers in the Ian Williams Tuning Arrow. Second fastest was gearbox Superkart racer Jason McIntyre, making his return to kart racing after an injury enforced layoff. McIntyre, who set the non-gearbox lap record at Phillip Island back in 2002, settled into the Marron Excavations Wizzer Race Engines Monaco quickly to be second fastest.

Victorian Formula Ford racer Gerad McLeod is also racing Superkarts this weekend, leasing a BF Racing Arrow for the weekend and was surprised to see the kart was painted up in 1987 Mobil Holden Dealer Team colours, the colours his father wore to victory at the 1987 Bathurst 1000 co-driving with Peter Brock and David Parsons.

"I haven't told Dad yet about the kart," grinned McLeod who usualy spends his race weekends engineering Jason Bright's Fujitsu Racing V8 Supercar Ford Falcon. "The kart stopped out on the track with a broken accelerator cable but I fixed it and got it back. I'm looking for another two seconds for where I'd like to be."

A big field of 36 racing karts will take part over the weekend as the Australian titles are decided for the Rotax Light, Rotax Heavy and Junior Rotax classes.

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