news page banner


Pro Tour Newcastle - Saturday Report


press release 13 April 2013
 

“Clean sweep winners and close racing open Pro Tour Newcastle”

Rotax Pro Tour Newcastle has already provided close racing, and an array of clean sweep winners as qualifying and three heat races as in excess of 160 drivers are set to face the looming finals at Mt. Sugarloaf Raceway.

Pro Tour Lithgow round winner Adam Hunter was able to secure the quickest time in the sole eight minute qualifying session for DD2 Masters, the Tony Kart driver led Tony Prendergast by a mere one tenth of a second from John Bailey, Hamish Leighton and Lee Adams. Hunter led home heat one from his lead gathered on the opening lap just ahead of Tony Prendergast and John Bailey, while Hamish Leighton led the next group of Karts with Michael Robson in fifth.


Above: Adam Hunter is backing up from his success in Lithgow and will start on pole in the DD2 Masters pre-final
pic - IKD

Hunter managed to lead away from the start of the second heat, Leighton was forceful to find his way to second in the opening laps, as Tony Prendergast worked his way past Leighton to move back to second, setting the fastest times on the track. Hamish managed to hold on for third from John Bailey and Michael Robson. It was another strong performance from Adam Hunter in the final heat, leading his Tony Kart team mate Hamish Leighton to a one-two victory for the brand. John Bailey closed late in the race on the pair, but it wasn’t enough as he settled for third ahead of Robson and Adams.

Queensland’s Brendan Nelson was able to capitalise on a slipstream midway through the qualifying session to record pole position with a 50.083 just ahead Kel Treseder, William Yarwood and Lane Moore securing an all Queensland first two rows with the reigning National Champion Matthew Wall completing the top five. The pole sitter in Nelson broke away from the opening laps, leading by in excess of a second by lap five. William Yarwood moved past Kel Treseder early in the race to hold onto second from Treseder with Lane Moore and Matthew Wall rounding the top five.


Above: Brendan Nelson #2 took victory in all three heat races in Rotax Heavy
pic - IKD

Nelson skipped away at the start of the second heat, with Treseder closely following his fellow Queenslander and the front of the field. Lane Moore led a freight train consisting of William Yarwood and Matthew Wall who had the pressure on with drivers including Matthew Greenbury working their way towards the top five. The four Queensland drivers held onto the top four placing’s at the chequered flag with Matthew Wall finishing fifth. Nelson continued his impressive run in Rotax Heavy in the final heat, pulling away to a 1.2 second lead by the completion of the race, without missing a beat, Brendan secured the win from William Yarwood, Kel Treseder, Matthew Wall and Michael Saller.

Zane Goddard was able to set the benchmark in the Sodi Junior Max Trophy Class qualifying session, being the only driver to go beneath a 52 second time, grabbing pole with a 51.965. Fellow Queenslander William Brown started the heat races alongside Goddard with Jack Black and Stephanie Stones from third and fourth and Matthew Byrne from fifth. Bryce Fullwood pulled in early with a mechanical drama, forcing him to start from the tail of the field. Goddard broke away from the outset, avoiding the minor carnage behind him.

A stunning move from Jack Black off the line fired him into second ahead of William Brown. Matthew Byrne and Stephanie Stones engaged in their own dice for the top five, with Stones moving up to fourth and a hard charging Melissa Whitmore in fifth. Jack Black capitalised from another strong start in heat two, managing to hold onto the lead throughout a close ten lap race. He took victory from heat one winner Zane Goddard, with William Brown in third, Stephanie Stones in fourth and Chris Bregonje in fifth. Goddard held a comfortable lead in the early stages of the final heat, yet a confident Black was continually reeling in the lead held by Goddard over the second half of the race. Taking a crucial opportunity, Black stormed to the lead and took the chequered flag from William Brown and Stephanie Stones, with Melissa Whitmore and Matthew Byrne completing the top five.

With the oversubscribed format of Rotax Light, the odd numbered Karts were the first of the category to face qualifying. Current National champion Pierce Lehane secured the fastest time, just fractionally ahead of Tyler Greenbury, Mitchell Hewitt, David Boyd and Jaxon Evans. With the second qualifying session for the even numbered karts in Rotax Light, the drivers were unable to narrow the gap to Lehane, with New Zealand’s Daniel Connor securing the fastest time of the second session with a 49.536 delivering him to fifth outright. Bradley Jenner took second in the group from Daniel Kinsman (NZ), Royce Sutherland and Daniel Rochford.


Above: Pierce Lehane will start from pole position in the Rotax Light pre-final
pic - IKD

Pierce Lehane broke away to a comfortable lead in the first round of heats for group A and D, a determined move from Daniel Connor saw him move to second ahead of David Boyd and the current New Zealand Rotax Light National champion Daniel Kinsman in fourth with Joshua Crossingham holding on for fifth. Tyler Greenbury led away from the start in the opening heat from group B and C, with Victorian Brad Jenner slotting in behind Greenbury in the opening corners. Daniel Rochford diced to move up to second in the latter stages of the race behind Greenbury, with Jenner finishing third from Jaxon Evans and Mitchell Hewitt. Lehane led away heat two for group A and C from the start, extending his gap to in excess of a second over second place Hewitt from the outset. Daniel Connor held onto a comfortable third place from Jaxon Evans and Joshua Crossingham.

Tyler Greenbury continued his strong performances in heat two for group B and D, stepping away from the start to a comfortable lead and eventual win over Brad Jenner and a hard charging Daniel Rochford. Aaron Borg was the leader of a healthy pack from David Boyd in fifth place across the line. A slightly chaotic start for heat three for group A and B, as Pierce Lehane and Tyler Greenbury diced for the lead in the opening laps.


Above: Tyler Greenbury showed some impressive pace in the Rotax Light heat races and will start from second in the pre-final
pic - IKD

The determination from Lehane saw him skip away to a comfortable lead in the latter stages of the eight lap race with Greenbury holding on for second from Brad Jenner, Daniel Connor and Reece Davidson. Starting from pole, Mitchell Hewitt led away comfortably from the outset of the group C and D final heat over Jaxon Evans who finished second from Aaron Borg, Andrew Carey and Scott Sorenson.

Sydney’s James Abela managed to secure pole position in a close trademark qualifying session for Junior Max, managing to hold off Callum Walker by less than two tenths from Joseph Burton-Harris, Nicholas Andrews and Isaac Vaccarella.


Above: James Abela took a clean sweep in Junior Max in all three heat races
pic - IKD

Abela managed to avoid the first corner traffic to lead away, with five karts being involved in an incident, all drivers involved were ok. Callum Walker moved to second from the outset behind Abela which is where he would remain as the leaders broke away. Liam McLellan led the next three karts of Isaac Vaccarella and Nicholas Andrews for the top five. Some of the closest dicing seen throughout the heat races saw James Abela hold on for a close win from a hard charging Nicholas Andrews in second, Callum Walker maintained his consistent performances in third with Stankovic and Burton-Harris completing the top five. It was another faultless drive from James Abela in the final heat for Junior Max, the action continued behind him in the final lap that saw Nicholas Andrews step up to take second ahead of Callum Walker, Joseph Burton-Harris and Liam McLellan.

Jason Pringle narrowly secured pole position in a closely fought out qualifying session for DD2, late in the session it was Troy Bretherton who managed to slot in just behind Pringle, with Michael Stewart taking third from Thomas MacDonald and Brendan Nelson. Troy Bretherton held an impressive start of heat one to hold the lead in the opening laps, with Canberra young gun Michael Stewart moving to second by lap three. Polesitter Jason Pringle fell to third from the outset, as the determined CRG driver managed to work his way back to second with Stewart ailing to the finish with a mechanical dilemma. Brendan Nelson finished third from Thomas MacDonald and Mark Flood. Pringle had to defend the fast pairing of Stewart and MacDonald throughout the entire second heat, with the Victorian managing to hold on, while his CRG counterpart Mark Flood finished fourth from Kel Treseder in fifth. Troy Bretherton stepped away from the start to a comfortable lead in the final DD2 heat, Jason Pringle had to defend numerous challenges from Thomas MacDonald, yet the Victorian managed to hold on behind Bretherton who took the chequered flag, Michael Stewart finished fourth behind Pringle and MacDonald with Lucas Ward finishing fifth.


Above: Jason Pringle will start from pole in DD2
pic - IKD

Round 4 of the 2013 Rotax Pro Tour concludes tomorrow at the Mount Sugarloaf Circuit, Newcastle, NSW.
To follow the event throughout the weekend, like Rotax Pro Tour on Facebook, follow Rotax Pro Tour on Twitter and tune into the audio commentary via Ustream at www.ustream.tv/user/internationalkarting.

Home



kartsportnews promo banner