by Mitchell McLellan
Albury Wodonga Kart Club held the second round of the Victorian-based Golden Power Series over the weekend under clear skies and sunny conditions.
- Full results on speedhive HERE
- Look at LOTS of photos:
With eleven classes and near 200 competitors entered across the classes the series hard and fast racing continued over the weekend!
Danny Wright was one of the standout drivers from the weekend taking a double round victory in his two classes KA3 Senior Medium and TaG 12 Light. Wright had a tough battle with Ryan Aitken in KA3 Senior Medium after Aitken had been undefeated up until the final. In TAG 125 Light Wright was running in third spot when race leaders Codey West and Clayton Richards come together where he was able to take the double round win in unexpected fashion.
Noah Dixon and Jake Gibson were other unexpected winners in their respective classes after neither had won a race all weekend but both taking out the final and round victories. Dixon after qualifying on pole wasn’t able to take a heat win after Cody Boys and Chelsea Humphery shared those and started off the front row of the grid together. After a hard-fought final battle Dixon was able to make moves on both Boys and round one winner Humphery and was able to take the win in the final.
Gibson who was another driver to not have a race win all weekend was in the battle for win early stages of the final with Victorian State Cup winner Billy Westerveld and local driver Jackson Rice. Westerveld and Rice broke away but the two drivers come together allowing Gibson to come through and take the round victory in unlikely circumstances.
Cadel Ambrose and Brodie Thompson were two of the drivers over the weekend having dominated weekends qualifying on pole and taking all four race wins. Ambrose had challenges in the opening few laps of the final but the drivers behind starting battle for the minors and Ambrose was able to drive away down the road and take the win by over three seconds in the final. Thompson was another driver who had challenges in the final with Ayrton Filippi and Jake Krasna holding on to the race leader. Thompson was able to open a comfortable margin as Krasna and Filippi came together allowing Thompson to take away maximum points for the weekend.
Riley Jabke and Ethan Brown won the other two junior classes. After winning two heats, Jabke had a super close battle with heat 1 winner Zackary Thompson and Dylan Muller. Jabke was able to take the lead for good on lap 7 and was able to hold his nerve, defend and hold off Muller and Thompson in a close final and take the round win.
Brown, after being as low as third, was in a battle with Tony Kart pilots Ethan Smead and Isaac Woodhouse. Brown was able to take clean moves on both drivers and drive away to what was a comfortable win in the final and take his first-round win of the series.
Senior drivers Aaron Jackson in TAG heavy and Cooper Johnstone in KA3 Senior Light recorded back to back round wins in the series. Jackson had challenges from Beau Humpherys on the final but after a tough battle Jackson was able to hold station and take a clean sweep and take his second-round win of the series. Johnstone, after taking the opening round win, had a tough time in the heats having a DNF and battling back through the field due to this. In a four-kart train in the final Johnstone was able to work his way through the field and take his second-round victory in a row.
Locals Scott Chaston, Ryan Van Ree and David Galley were the final senior drivers to win their respective classes. Chaston was undefeated in Vic Combined Light, put it on pole position and lead every lap of the weekend in one of the more dominant displays of the weekend. Galley was another driver in VIC Combined Masters to have a clean sweep taking all race victories but current state champion Phil Smith mounted a mighty chase to try and steal victory from Galley but he was able to hold his nerve and take victory.
It was a family affair in the final of VIC Combined Heavy with Ryan Van Ree in a fierce battle with brother and current state cup winner Blair Van Ree. The lead changed multiple times but Ryan was able to come out on top and take his first round win of the series.
The Victorian Golden Power Series will again fire up at the next round at the Gippsland Go Kart Club on the 13th and 14th of July.