The FMA Coastal Classic
| by Breeana Kenny | 19 June 2013 |
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Two hundred and five entrants flocked to Australia’s south west corner on June 8-9 to compete in the Annual FMA Coastal Classic. Not only was it just an Australian wide event but we also had an appearance from some European drivers as well.
The feature class of KZ2 had a class of twenty five entrants with an appearance of some of worlds most talented drivers. Overall the racing was extremely close over the weekend with Simon Gwilam taking out fastest qualifier and being competitive all weekend Simon (Gumby) Gwillam taking out third in the final. But the person on a winning streak and looking up to win for the weekend was the World Cup champion Joey Hanson taking out all the heats and having a solid lead over the West Australian guns Klarich, Mills, Gwillam, Le Cocq, Patrizi and Currey until the second last on the last corner snapping a chain. Taking out the final in first place was youngster Jake Klarich, second Blake Mills and third was turned over to fastest qualifier Simon Gwillam.
The Rookies class all weekend was taken out by Albany youngster Keb Evans, until the final. The racing was close all weekend between the top six of Keb Evans, Ashley Morrissey, Calan Williams, Brock McGregor, Jacob De Cerqueira, and Bailey Grech. But eventually after some hard luck of Keb Evans, Ashley Morrissey took out the final to win the weekend over Keb Evans and Calan Williams.
Above: Keb Evens dominated Rookies until the final where Ashley Morrissey move through for the win
pic - Breeana Kenny
It was anyone’s game in the Sportsman 100 Super Heavy class. With a class of 8 competitors it was fairly close all weekend, with the number 37 kart of Nathan King taking out position one in qualifying and taking out heat one but going back into position three for the next two heats and taking out a solid place of second in the final. Although Ashley Pittard had a DNF in the first heat after qualifying second he came out with flying colours for the rest of the weekend and eventually took out first in the final.
Above: Sportsman Heavy winner Ashley Pittard leads William Nicholson
pic - Breeana Kenny
With a class of sixteen competitors Junior National Heavy was set to have some close racing, which it certainly brought. Young Ben Harders taking out qualifying and finishing tenth in the final, but in the end it was young Tayla Dicker taking out the Junior National Heavy final onto Mathew Combes, Bayley Bell, Dominic Marchese, Brayden Parrella, Robert Hooper, Jayden Grech and Daniel Montgomery as the top 8.
Above: JNH winner Tayla Dicker ahead of pre-final winner Oliver Baxter
pic - Breeana Kenny
Some on Western Australia’s best drivers turned out for the Sportsman 100 heavy class. Appearing in the class at the weekend was Brenton Magri, Nathan Davis, Bayley Mickler. Simon Gwilliam, Craig Ryan, John Ray Christopher Preston, Tom Ellis and Nathan Terrell. Young Brenton Magri took out qualifying with a time of 0:25.123. trailing not so far behind was Nathan Davis, Simon Gwilliam and Bayley Mickler. But in the final it was Brenton Magri to take out P1 onto Nathan Davis and Bayley Mickler.
Above: One-handers in Sportsman 100 Heavy - Brenton Magri (85) and Nathan Davis
pic - Breeana Kenny
Senior National Combined had a total of eleven drivers. Qualifying first was The number 8 Lenzo driver of Jake Truarn, then on to the long time driver of the 35 Omega kart, Cassy Nicholson and Thomas Gray in the number 18 qualifying third. During racing Jake Truarn fell behind a little but came back on top for the race the meant everything over the weekend, second was taken out by Cassy Nicholson and third was by Thomas Gray.
pic - Breeana Kenny
In the Junior Clubman class there was a total of 10 competitors. Junior Clubman qualifying was taken out by the number 14 FA kart driver, Thomas Howe with a qualifying time of 0:34.622. but in the end it was Young Cameron Nash to take out the final over Thomas Howe, Jason Betts, Connor Whitlock and Shae Thompson as your top five.
Above: Cameron Nash got up to win the Junior Clubman final from grid 3
pic - Breeana Kenny
Restricted 125 heavy had a class of 12 entrants to compete in the annual FMA Costal Classic. In this class local guy Andrew Jarvis took out fastest qualifier, trailed by Benjamin Spencer and Trevor Gaynor as the top three. But set to win the final was the number 14 kart of Benjamin Spencer second to Andrew Freeman and Andrew Jarvis taking out the last spot in the top three.
Above: Restricted 125 Heavy 1st place - Ben Spencer
pic - Breeana Kenny
Having some of Australia’s best competing in the Cadets class was set to bring on a show. With the top three competing in the east week in week out they sure set on a good show. With the number seventy seven kart of young Damon Papasergio taking out P1 in qualifying. Trailing not so far behind was Jack Harders, Aaron Love, Griffin Gardiner, and Bartholomew Horsten qualifying fifth. But in the main race everything changed and the final position ended up going to Jack Harders, Damon Papasergio and third going to the 78 kart of Aaron Love.
Above: Cadet podium
pic - Breeana Kenny
In the Sportsman 100 Light the FA driver of Jesse Elliott qualified a credited first place but in the final had some bad luck and finished the weekend off with a DNF. The cards were a lot better for the Kart Force driver of Scott Foster starting the weekend out by qualifying second and finishing on top in the final followed by Aaron Grossman, Ben Johnson, Michael Jones and finishing in fifth was Kristy Nowlan.
Above: Jessie Elliott qualified the Kart Force FA machine fastest in Sportsman 100 Light
pic - Breeana Kenny
In the Sportsman 125 heavy class the 84 kart of Blake Preston took out the first position in qualifying one with a time of 0:33.943 but Raymond Cochrane to out P1 in both heat one and two and finished the prefinal in seventh. But in the end no one could take the win away from the number 4 Arrow kart of Ryan Barron taking the win in the final over Timothy White, Raymond Cochrane, Blake Preston, Mark Phee, Michael Demarte, Vince Demarte and Joshua Randall.
Above: Having finished 2nd all day, Ryan Barron got up to wint he Sportsman 125 Heavy final
pic - Breeana Kenny
The nine contenders for the crown of the 2013 Junior MAX FMA Motorsport Coastal Classic was set to be quite a race to watch. WA state title holder Nikola Mitic took out P1 in qualifying. But in the end when the final flag dropped the number 8 kart of Zachary Vassallo came out with flying colours in the wet final. Second was taken out by Nikola Mitic then onto Alexander Barboutis, Jordan Love, and taking fifth place was Joshua Wood.
Above: Zachary Vassallo moved through from mid-pack to take out a wet Junior MAX final
pic - Breeana Kenny
In the class where many of the men have been racing for longer then some of the cadets have been racing it was game on. The top qualifier of the Over 40’s was the number 3 kart of Craig Ryan with a time of 0:35.394 followed by Greg Dicker in the new X3 chassis and taking out the final position in the top three was the Kart Force member Craig Willis. But the great battle wasn’t over between Craig Ryan and Greg Dicker it had only just started. They took it up to each other all weekend and had some fantastic battles to watch but in the end Greg Dicker in the 71 kart was victorious.
Above: Despite a pre-final DNF, karting veteran Greg Dicker got up to win the Over 40s final
pic - Breeana Kenny
The Sportsman 125 Light class was another to watch, the times in qualifying were very close but eventually Jesse Elliott driving the 17 kart was to take the win in qualifying again for his second pole of the weekend followed by several time national champ Kip Foster, Lewis Shugar, Nathan Davis, and in P5 it was Peter Bergman. But again it just wasn’t meant to be for youngster Jesse Elliott who didn’t finish in the final. When the chequered flag dropped again the race standing were Lewis Shugar in the CRG 66 kart followed by Nathan Davis in the KTEQ sponsored machine, Peter Bergman in the number 15 Arrow kart.
Above: Lewis Shugar was on the money all weekend in Sportsman 125 Light
pic - Breeana Kenny
There was no about it that Western Australia’s best Junior National Light were in Bunbury at the weekend and that we were in for a show. With three hundredths between some drivers in qualifying it was set to be a close weekend and eventually taking out P1 in qualifying was the young Bunbury bullet Brock Kenny in the 14 TonyKart with a time of 0:37.308. Second going back to the number 12 of Jesse Thomas with a 0:37.333, and Nikola Mitic in the 96 machine in third with a 0:37.447. But the race that counted was taken out with a 1.1 second lead by the 79 Monaco machine of Jordan Love, followed by Nikola Mitic, Samuel Dicker, James Howe, Alexander Rullo, Henry Lake, Cameron Nash, Brock Kenny, Mitchell Parrella and in tenth Ross Rann.
Above: JNL winner Jordan Love
pic - Breeana Kenny
The final class of the weekend was the Restricted 125 Lights. The fastest qualifier was Thomas Spence in the 66 Kart Magic machine with a time of 0:34.734, trailing behind was Kerry Foster in the 31 Kart Force Machine and taking out third was Salvatore Russo in the 17 machine. What shocked everyone was the p-plater in the 50 kart of Josh Mulholland who finished on the top of the score sheets. But in the end the final results came out as Josh Mulholland, Thomas Spence, Brendon Harders, Andrew Freeman and Benjamin Spencer taking out fifth position.
pic - Breeana Kenny
