by Stuart Lee
AWC Motorsport Academy Drivers dominated the Launceston Kart Clubs KA3 Clubman Cup meeting on Saturday. All three “Cups” were taken home by the squad with Fletcher Bellars taking out KA3 Junior, whilst Lochie Dalton claimed the KA3 Senior Light win and Alastair Lee went “Back-to-Back” by winning KA3 Senior Medium for the second year running. To add to the AWCMA trophy hall Sam Walter (son of AWCMA founder Andrew) claimed the KA3 Masters win.
The racing was hard and fast all day with the weather changing from light shower with a very wet track in the morning to a dry track and sun in the later afternoon.
The KA3 Junior racing was close all day with Devonport’s Ethan Wyllie, Smithton’s Logan Dixon and Bellars battling out front in the three heats. In the final it was Bellars who took the win ahead of Wyllie with Evan Chivers coming on strong in the final to pip Dixon for third.
KA3 Senior Light had a good field of drivers with perennial cup contender Nathan Zuj mixing it with Hobart’s Brad Hobden, Ulverstone’s Keenan Slater and Launceston Lochie Dalton. In the wet heat racing there was no stopping Slater who took two commanding victories, in the third heat when the track dried slightly it was Zuj that came to the front. The Final was a cracker with all four drivers battling it out with position changes left right and centre. In the end Dalton was at the head of the pack when it counted to take the win ahead of Slater and Hobden.
KA3 Senior Medium had the biggest field of the day with 15 competitors from all Tasmanian clubs taking up the challenge to win a Clubman Cup. With no qualifying and random draws the racing was outstanding with heat wins going to Jackson Callow, Troy Stone and Steven Wrigley. The mixed grids produced great racing throughout the field.
Stone and Hobarts Jonathan McDonald started on the front row with a couple of the fancied drivers further down the grid. Defending champion Alastair Lee, who started out of grid four, soon made his way to the front passing McDonald and Stone and from there on was never really challenged and took a commanding win. Second and third however were always up for grabs with McDonald hanging on to second and Murray Dadson claiming third.
In the KA3 Masters a small field of 3 took to the track with Sam Walter winning all heats and the final from Clint Pease and Glen Newman.
Cadet 9 was won by Mitchell Conroy from George MacMillian with Rhys Jeffrey third.
Cadet 12 had a good field of 7 with Elliot Bellars winning from Ollie Richardson and Denzil Sargent.
KA4 Junior went the way of Patrick Short followed by Mathew Peck and Harrison Sellars.
TaG Restricted Light was won by local Tim Piper with Calvin Broad 2nd and Jonty Darcy 3rd.
TaG restricted Medium was taken out by Shane Stonehouse with Hobart’s Declan Sherburd second and Sam Chettle third.
Thanks to our major sponsor FT Guy Bodyworks together with support from Remo Racing, 47Kart tuning, Fulton Enterprises, Chris Schofield and Tazzie Karts n Parts.
The next race meeting at the Launceston Kart Club will be the TaG Feature on Sunday August 12th.