Tasmanian Statewide Series - Round 1
| words - Johnathan Males photos - Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com |
7 February 2013 |
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Near perfect conditions greeted competitors for the Southern Tasmanian Kart Club Titles and Round 1 of the 2013 Tasmanian Statewide Series on February 2nd and 3rd.
112 competitors faced the starter at the Andrew Walter Constructions Raceway. Many of the competitors have changed class or moved up an age group since last year and some of these drivers showed they were going to be a force to be reckoned with this year.
Above: The race of the weekend was the Clubman Light final, Brad Hobden (87) showing the classy field how it's done. Nathan Zuj (74) was second.
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
Both the Slater brothers had a memorable weekend with both joining the rollover club. Keenan rolled his kart in the first heat of Senior National Light at Muskett’s corner and Jonah on the Sunday shortly after the start of the third heat. Both were able to continue racing later on and fought back to score good finishing positions in the finals.
STKC member Zevie Eisentraut made his debut in Junior National Light after moving up from Rookies and put on quite a display. Not only did he claim pole position in qualifying he won every race. What made this all the more impressive was that he did it in a 13 year old chassis that his father bought off gumtree! Jonah Slater recovered from his third heat roll to charge back to second place in the final and was followed home by the much improved Bree Hobden, who was fresh back from racing at Lithgow the previous week.
Above: Junior National Light victor Zevie Eisentraut proved you don't need the latest gear to win!
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
Nathan Zuj chose to retire his much cherished and very successful BRM chassis at the end of 2012 and turned up to defend his title in Clubman Light in a brand new Kosmic. After some sorting out early in the race meeting he was back to his old pace and recorded a strong second place in the Final. However it was young Brad Hobden who showed everyone how it’s done by taking his first win in Seniors aboard his Toyworld sponsored Monaco. Zuj was second and Brody Appleby came home in third.
Troy Stone was keen to defend his title from last year in Clubman Heavy and he nearly got off to the perfect start. Stone took wins in all four of the races and the only thing missing was the 5 points on offer for pole position. That honour went to Trent Palmer who also took second on the day ahead of Mitchell Evans.
Above: Troy Stone who-wheels his way to the Clubman Heavy win
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
Morgan Jakobovski took the spoils in Junior National Heavy in his new Tony Kart. He was never really challenged and took a clean sweep with pole position and four wins. Wade McLean moved from light to heavy and took second on the day from Jairus Holmes who finished third in the final race of the day.
Brock Lamont and Lachlan Dalton were simply dominant in Cadets and put on a very polished display of fast, clean racing. Dalton took the pole position and the first heat honours but Lamont fought back to take the next two heats and Final. Both swapped positions regularly whilst still managing to pull away from the rest of the field. Dalton’s performance was all the more impressive considering his new kart hadn’t turned a wheel up until first practice Saturday morning! Third on the day was the fast improving William Reeve.
Above: Cadets - Brock Lamont leading Lachlan Dalton
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
The pressure was on Mitch Evans in TAG Light. He was making his debut in the class and the Kosmic kart he was using for the event had won one national title and two state titles in the karts only three previous race meetings! Jade Waddington had also made the switch to the brand and between them they took all the race wins and Evans the pole. Waddington won the final but Evans’ luck ran out after being crashed out by another competitor. Luke Wilton came through for second and Steven Wrigley recovered for third.
Kelsey Sapwell made it hard for herself by entering late and had to start from the back of the field in the first three heats of Senior National Light. In her absence her teammate Gemma Wyllie took over and took the pole and two race wins. However nobody could stop Sapwell in the final and she narrowly held off Bodie Reading in second and Wyllie in third. Both Reading and Wyllie were debuting in seniors and showed they’ve got what it takes to run at the front of the class.
Above: Kelsey Sapwell leads Gemma Whyllie and Bodie Reading, Senior National Light
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
Danton Evans took pole position in Senior National Heavy by 0.133 of a second over Johnathan Males but that was as close as anyone got to him until the final. Evans took relatively untroubled wins in the heats but he had to work hard for the win in the final. Evans, Males and Mark Crocker were nose to tail by half race distance and things were shaping up for a typically close J race. Unfortunately the trio got caught up in a dice with some of the Light class competitors late in the race and the result was a DNF for Males and Crocker going “bush” to avoid the incident. This left Evans to take the win and maximum points from Robert Pike and Murray Dadson.
Above: Jono Males leads Mark Crocker, Senior National Heavy
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
Brock Evans followed on from his strong form from last year and took pole position and two race wins in the Rookies class. One of those wins was the final where he led home Samuel Gala and Tayla Heath.
TAG Restricted Heavy saw Jason Close take control with a dominant performance. The Tax Centre sponsored driver took another clean sweep for the weekend with pole position and four race wins. Andrew Wagner came home in second and Brodey Lovett brought his Intrepid home in third. Wagner, Lovett and Matthew Clark are all tied in second place in the title chase on 98 points. This should prove to be tight tussle over the ensuing rounds.
Above: Jason Close leads a big field of TaG Restricted Heavy
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
Senior National Over 40’s Pro is usually all about Steve Crocker but he was seriously challenged by fellow Hobartian Anthony Butler at this round. Butler took pole and a race win off Crocker before Crocker got into top gear and took the win in the final. Butler took second on the day with the father of R360 Driver Training’s Chris Schofield, John Schofield taking third.
Scott Wrigley seems to have met his match in the Senior National Over 40’s Super Heavy class with Troy Sheehan demonstrating that he has what it takes to take it right up to the current State Champion. After narrowly losing to Wrigley at Burnie last year Sheehan stormed to pole position and took two race wins. However in the final Wrigley once again got the win from the resurgent Rod Bender and Sheehan in third.
Above: State Champion Scott Wrigley in Over 40s Senior National Super Heavy
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
The series now moves onto round 2 to be held at the Circular Heat Kart Club’s Titles to be held at the Briant Park Raceway on February 16th and 17th. With strong entry numbers already received this should prove to be every bit as exciting as the first round.
Cadets
1st Brock Lamont
2nd Lachlan Dalton
3rd William Reeve
Rookies
1st Brock Evans
2nd Samuel Gala
3rd Tayla Heath
Above: Brock Evans killed the field in Rookies
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
Junior National Light
1st Zevie Eisentraut
2nd Jonah Slater
3rd Bree Hobden
Junior National Heavy
1st Morgan Jakobovski
2nd Wade McLean
3rd Jairus Holmes
Above: Morgan Jakobovksi steering his new Tony Kart to victory in Junior National Heavy
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
Senior National Light
1st Kelsey Sapwell
2nd Bodie Reading
3rd Gemma Wyllie
Senior National Heavy
1st Danton Evans
2nd Robert Pike
3rd Murray Dadson
Senior National Over 40’s Pro
1st Steve Crocker
2nd Anthony Butler
3rd John Schofield
Above: Jonah Slater receving treatment shortly after his rollover in JNL
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
Senior National Over 40’s Super Heavy
1st Scott Wrigley
2nd Rod Bender
3rd Troy Sheehan
Clubman Light
1st Brad Hobden
2nd Nathan Zuj
3rd Brody Appleby
Clubman Heavy
1st Troy Stone
2nd Trent Palmer
3rd Mitchel Evans
Above: Kosmic duo Jade Waddington ahead of Mitch Evans, TaG 125 Light
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
TAG Restricted Heavy
1st Jason Close
2nd Andrew Wagner
3rd Brodey Lovett
TAG Light
1st Jade Waddington
2nd Luke Wilton
3rd Steven Wrigley
Above: Senior National forming up for a start
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- Brad Segda Seggiesnaps.com
