The 2017 Tasmanian State Championship

words –  Stuart Lee
photos – Kyle Love and Leah Beechey, podiums by Sharon Lee

The 2017 Tasmanian championships have been run and won after a great weekend of racing at the Circular Head Kart Club.

  • full results on CMS HERE

Cadet 9

Victorians Lewis Francis and Stefan Karajcic joined locals Cameron Jeffrey, Rhys Jeffrey and Kahley Luttrell to battle it out for the blue plate. Francis clean swept two heat races and took the final with a commanding win. Unfortunately Karajcic DNF’d the final which gave 2nd to Cameron Jeffrey with younger brother Rhys 3rd.

Lewis Francis

Cadet 12

A stellar field greeted the starter in Cadet 12 with a host of Victorians travelling over for the state title. Heat wins went to Jesse Lacey (Vic) and Joe Fawcett (Vic), but Brodie Thomson (Vic) had the pace in the final to take the win ahead of Tasmanian Toby Callow 2nd, Cadel Ambrose (Vic) 3rd and Fawcett 4th.

Brodie Thomson

KA4 Junior Light

Once again a good mix of mainlanders and locals greeted the starter in KA4 with Rhys Smith (NSW) taking qualifying honours. Heat racing was close and exciting with Jay Hanson (vic) and Smith sharing wins. In the final it was a battle of two with Australia 1 Jay Hanson and Smith out front. Hanson held on for the win with Smith 2nd, Kobi Williams (vic) 3rd and Nicholas Sacco (vic) 4th.

Jay Hanson

TaG Restricted Light

A good field of 13, with Victorian George Evgeniadis joining the locals. From the very out set though, Hobart’s Harry Ward lead them a merry dance completing another clean sweep of the championships. Ward claimed a dominant victory in the 28 lap final with Launceston’s Brodie Sward the best of the rest with Justin Duncombe 3rd and Paul McKenzie 4th.



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Harry Ward

TaG Restricted Medium

In what looked to be a fairy tale win for local Daniel Hinds, the karting Gods decided it was not going to be the home town boys championship. After taking out qualifying and all three heats, Hinds was set for the decider and for 26 laps he lead the field. Coming in to the final corner in front of a very vocal and supportive crowd to greet the white flag the unthinkable happened – a broken chain. Hinds rolled to a stop in what was a cruel blow for the popular driver, this however left Scott Hildyard to pick up the blue plate after many years of trying. 3rd went to Shane Stonehouse.

Scott Hildyard

KA3 Senior Medium

A top field of 16 drivers started the campaign to secure a blue plate in KA3. NSW’s Bonito Montalbano was however too good for the locals taking all race wins after qualifying 3rd. Locals Jackson Callow (pole) and Jorden Distill were the best of the rest and had great battles during the heats. In the final Distill claimed 2nd Callow 3rd and Kurtis Love 4th.

Bonito Montalbano

TaG 125 Light

Another quality field of 16 greeted the starter for one of the premier classes. Victorians Justin Frances, Dean Foster and James Fyfe were keen to show the locals they were here to take the blue plate back across the water.

Francis qualified on pole after correctly heading out on slicks on a drying track alongside Burnie’s Jade Waddington. The rest went on wets which in the end was the wrong choice.

Francis won all three heats with Lochie Dalton the best of the rest. In the final however, Launceston’s Alastair Lee, who qualified in 12th, had the pace to drive to the front after starting on grid 8 to claim his maiden State Title in a very popular win, 2nd went to Foster, Hobart’s Brad Hobden 3rd and Francis 4th.

Alistair Lee

TaG 125 Heavy

The final class of the championship also saw a first time champion in Hobart’s Mitch Evans. Evans had been a perennial podium attendee and had claimed more pole positions than Lewis Hamilton but the likable southerner had never made it to the top step.

In the heats, wins went to Evans and Launceston’s Troy Stone the defending state title holder. But in the final Evans had far too much pace and drove off leaving Zane Wyatt to climb thru the field to take 2nd with former Tasmanian and now Victorian Ben Walter third.

Mitchel Evans






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TaG Light podium
Cadet 12 racer Denzil Sargent
(pic – Sharon Lee)
Jonty Darcy, TaG R Light
Alistair Lee takes victory in TaG 125 Light
(pic – Sharon Lee)
Ethan Wyllie, 5th in KA4 Junior Light
(pic – Sharon Lee)
Lachlan Dalton leads Dean Foster, TaG Light
Jesse Lacey DNFd the Cadet 12 final after two wins and a second in the heats
(pic – Sharon Lee)
Jay Hanson takes a narrow victory over Rhys Smith in KA4 Junior Light
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