New Winners & Old Favourites Grace Pro Tour Podium
| 27 October 2013 |
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A group of new winners have joined with a number of regular podium sitters to conclude the opening round of the 2013/2014 Rotax Pro Tour in fine style, with a display of close racing and consistently quick lap times delivering a start to the season that sets up an enthralling race throughout 2014.
After his two victories in two of the three heat races on Saturday, Praga driver Danny Wright moved forward with his success in the pre-final to claim victory in DD2 Masters. The Albury local took the win ahead of Tony Kart pilot Adam Hunter who maintained his strong run of top three results from the heat races. Despite his failure to start heat two on Saturday, Lee Adams returned fire to take third from John Bailey and Jose Ruiz.
Above: Adam Hunter worked hard in the DD2 Masters final to take the win
pic - IKD
The roles were reversed in the longer 30 lap final as Adam Hunter took the win from Wright just three weeks ahead of Hunter’s debut on the World stage at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in New Orleans, USA. Adams again took third to complete the podium and make his first appearance there in the Pro Tour for the category dedicated to drivers over 32 with Ruiz cruising through to fourth and Steven Ellery taking fifth.
Unstoppable was the only way describe the efforts of CRG driver Rick Pringle in the pre-final for Rotax Heavy. His hard work was rewarded with victory over fellow Victorian Dylan Collett with the two subsequently comprising the first row for the start of the final. William Yarwood drove to third, making up the second row alongside Paul Rodgers with Mason Barbera securing fifth.
Pringle’s pristine performance continued into the final, taking the lead from the outset, the Melbourne driver maintained the winning feeling by taking the chequered flag from Collett and Yarwood. Michael Saller returned after a DNF in the pre-final to grab fourth with Rodgers settling for fifth. In a new initiative for the Rotax Heavy category in replacement of the World Finals seat award, Rick Pringle was granted $500 cash for his victory and given the option to secure the money or gamble it with the chance to win $2,000 with victory at the second round of the series at Todd Road. A resounding acceptance of the cash by Rick will now place the challenge on the drivers at the Melbourne event to chase the money.
Above: Rotax Heavy Podium (From L-R; 2nd Dylan Collett, 1st Rick Pringle, 3rd William Yarwood)
pic - IKD
In a performance similar to that of Rick Pringle, Sodi Junior Max Trophy Class driver Chris Bregonje drove away to victory in the category’s pre-final. After his resounding success on Saturday, Bregonje took the win ahead of Liam Ford and series debutant Hudson Heath. Marc Tulloch backed up the impressive result for the newcomers to take fourth while Jye Hopkins claimed fifth. Another faultless performance in the final by Bregonje saw him lead home the junior category at the fall of the chequered flag. While Liam Ford again secured second, an improved result for Tulloch saw the Queenslander bring home third from Mitchell Morosin and Hudson Heath with all five being presented on the podium in line with the series rules.
After finishing just inside the top five on all three occasions across Saturday’s heat races, RK Kart driver Brad Jenner took the ultimate leap and secured the win in the Rotax Light pre-final. Likewise improving his performance was New Zealand’s Daniel Kinsman as he ran second to Jenner setting up a thrilling front row for the start of the final. Andrew Carey and Matthew Smith finished third and fourth while an impeccable performance by Queensland’s Ryan Kennedy after finishing 19th, 29th and 17th throughout the heat races saw him step up and finish fifth.
Above: Brad Jenner has started the season off in style by taking victory in Rotax Light
pic - IKD
With a string of intense battles behind him throughout the race, Brad Jenner cruised to an eventual victory in the longer final race with the Victorian finishing ahead of fellow statesman Andrew Carey. Another improvement again came from Ryan Kennedy as he challenged Carey on a number of occasions for the next step of the podium before settling for third with another incredible drive by Pierce Lehane from the rear of the field to finish fourth of Rotax Light debutant James Abela in fifth.
A DNF in heat two was the only mark on a perfect track record for Formula K’s Callum Walker throughout the race weekend. A win in the pre-final set him up for the day finishing ahead of Darwin’s Bryce Fullwood with the pair making up the front row for the start of the final. Tony Kart pilot Zane Goddard went on to finish third impressing many in his first full season in the category after stepping up from the Trophy Class with West Australian Nikola Mitic finishing fourth and NSW State Champion Jayden Ojeda in fifth.
Callum Walker was able to replicate his pre-final performance into the feature event of the weekend by taking the win in front of battling the second and third place karts, fundamentally helping him to push on and cross the line to greet the chequered flag. The battle was engaged throughout the entire event between Ojeda and Goddard with the two putting on a genuine display of close racing as the Exprit driver finished second ahead of Goddard while Nicholas Andrews and Bryce Fullwood rounded out the top five.
Above: Junior Max Podium (From L-R; 2nd Jayden Ojeda, 1st Callum Walker, 3rd Zane Goddard)
pic - IKD
Continuing his run of good results across the weekend was CRG driver Mark Flood as he took the win in the pre-final for DD2. Flood was thoroughly engaged in a battle with fellow Sydneysider Jaie Robson for much of the race with Robson eventually settling for second. World Finals entrant Jason Pringle held on for third handing fourth to fellow Victorian Troy Woolston while local Jordan Boys recorded fifth.
The front running battle of Mark Flood and Jaie Robson resumed in the final with Flood assuming the lead for much of the race. Multiple challenges were delivered by Robson with an attempted pass on the final corner bringing Flood unstuck and falling to finish 15th in the race. Though Robson took the chequered flag, a post-race penalty applied saw him finish in a revised ninth position, handing the win to Jordan Boys. The young driver took the victory graciously ahead of Jason Pringle and Troy Woolston, while the amended results saw Adam Lindstrom finish fourth and Travis Millar finish fifth.
Above: DD2 Podium (From L-R; 2nd Jason Pringle, 1st Jordan Boys, 3rd Troy Woolston)
pic - IKD
Final Results – Top Ten (full results on CMS HERE)
DD2 Masters
1 – Adam Hunter
2 – Danny Wright
3 – Lee Adams
4 – Jose Ruiz
5 – Steven Ellery
6 – Klinton Hancey
7 – Stephen Hampson
8 – Mark Gillespie
9 – Clinton Menegazzo
10 – Tony Bregonje
Above: DD2 Masters Podium (From L-R; 3rd Lee Adams, 1st Adam Hunter, 2nd Danny Wright)
pic - IKD
Rotax Heavy
1 – Rick Pringle
2 – Dylan Collett
3 – William Yarwood
4 – Michael Saller
5 – Paul Rodgers
6 – Mason Barbera
7 – James Reid
8 – Scott Howard
9 – Joshua Willett
10 – Leigh Cocker
Junior Max Trophy Class
1 – Chris Bregonje
2 – Liam Ford
3 – Marc Tulloch
4 – Mitchell Morosin
5 – Hudson Heath
6 – Alec Morse
7 – Charlotte Poynting
8 – Jye Hopkins
9 – Christopher Davies
Above: Sodi Junior Max Trophy Class Podium (From L-R; 4th Mitchell Morosin, 2nd Liam Ford, 1st Chris Bregonje, 3rd Marc Tulloch, 5th Hudson Heath)
pic - IKD
Rotax Light
1 – Bradley Jenner
2 – Andrew Carey
3 – Ryan Kennedy
4 – Pierce Lehane
5 – James Abela
6 – Daniel Kinsman (NZ)
7 – Alex Baker
8 – Reece Davidson
9 – Troy Woolston
10 – Jordan Boys
Junior Max
1 – Callum Walker
2 – Jayden Ojeda
3 – Zane Goddard
4 – Nicholas Andrews
5 – Bryce Fullwood
6 – Isaac Vaccarella
7 – Cody Gillis
8 – Thomas Prascevic
9 – Mitchell Maddren
10 – Hunter McElrea
DD2
1 – Jordan Boys
2 – Jason Pringle
3 – Troy Woolston
4 – Adam Lindstrom
5 – Travis Millar
6 – Thomas MacDonald
7 – Troy Bretherton
8 – Ryan Rannard
9 – Jaie Robson
10 – Nick Chapman
Round two of the 2014 Rotax Pro Tour will take place at Todd Road, Melbourne, VIC in early 2014 (Date TBC).
