Superkart Nationals - Jnr MAX Title Begins

By Mark Jones

One of the features of the non-gearbox Australian Superkart Championships is the ability for junior sprint karters to be able to compete for a long track Australian title, and a field of emerging teenage racers have arrived at Phillip Island for Round 6 of the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships.

"It's a very good thing being here, I love this track," enthused reinging Junior Max champion Sean Whitfield.

The thirteen year old racer from Canberra has spent the last eighteen months criss-crossing the country racing the WIld Digital supported Hyprmax Phoenix-Rotax, with the highlight being the championship win last October at Mallala, near Adelaide.

"It's much longer obviously but it's a lot more challenging mentally because in sprint karting all you've got to do is turn where as here you have to think when to turn and how to turn."

There are other advantages for developing young racers too.

"It's great to be out here at a bigger track and learning what racing cars do," said Rhys Newman the recent crowned South Australian Youth Champion. Newman was fastest in the Junior Max class on Friday in what is effectively the championship swansong for the sixteen-year-old Adelaide resident before he progresses to senior age group next year.

"It is all pretty similar, the bigger track you've obviously got more time to think about what is happening and the corner approaching. This track being wider and longer than my home track Mallala we've got more room to let the kart flow and to take different lines."

Newman, racing the Ian Williams Tuning Arrows AX9, also noted the size of Phillip Island brought other benefits.

"Drafting is a big thing too, especially as the straights are so long. If you can get a tow from someone and they can tow you around the track and you can pull away from anyone. So getting in and tucking in behind another kart to tow you along is important.

The Junior Max competitors are one of three classes racing as the Australian non-gearbox Superkart Championships, the primary mechanical difference between the Junior and Senior classes is the Senior classes but the class does allow Sprint Kart chassis to race on long track with chassis like Monaco, Arrow, Phoenix, Azzurro, Tony and Viper amongst the entry. Junior Max karts run their Rotax 125 engines without power valves but are otherwise the same as Rotax Heavy and Rotax Light, which does allow the Junior Max karts to get out of corners faster.

Today will feature qualifying and the first of four races with the three championships to be decided after the fourth race tomorrow afternoon.

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