by Kev ‘The Noise’ Davies
Well the 2019 Queensland Kart Championship round at Whitsunday Motorsport Club have been run and won with some amazing performances all round in what can only be described as the most challenging conditions I’ve seen in one weekend to date!
- Results and photos were published on Tuesday HERE
- MORE videos are on Kev the noise Davies Facebook page where you will also find 50+ interviews & 3000+ photos in dry and wet conditions. I was busy!
With teams & drivers having to find the perfect set up on a track many had not seen before in conditions that ranged from showers on Friday, sunshine on Saturday and a full day of rain on Sunday!
That said the Whitsundays kart track is one the best presented facilities I’ve seen yet and it was an absolute pleasure calling the Queensland Kart Championships round one races there.
Ok, so moving onto the weekend’s action and TaG Light sponsored by Whitsundays Vacations saw Jace Mathews take the win ahead of all American drive line & auto parts team mate Tommy “the assassin” Cooper. In third and on the pace all weekend was Zcorse driver William Seccombe who was also the fastest qualifier. Still anyone’s championship this one, not even Brodie Davies & Dylan Rudd are out of it finishing 4th & 5th respectively.
Next up “the pie eaters” TaG Restricted Medium sponsored by the Northerlies Bar & Grill. Finishing in 5th place with a much better run in the final having had dramas in the heats was Chris Jones, a well deserved 4th for Leo Rodriguez after consistent driving all weekend. Onto the podium and in third place the big man dDle McDonnell who was battling for the front three places all weekend long. In second place and first time at this track WELZIE “Brett Wells” but no one could match the sheer pace of the winner and fastest qualifier Gavarni Racing’s Gaven Whitmore.
Moving onto the Cadet 9s sponsored this weekend by Charter Yachts Australia, and boy oh boy what a weekends racing, eventually 5th place went to Jenson Burns but he definitely deserved to be on the podium. In 4th was another driver that really was podium potential, but the actual podium positions were in 3rd and also recording the fastest qualifying time Nicolas Speed, in second after having so much bad luck through the weekend with dnf’s, the Bundaberg bullet Kye Burke and taking the win another Zcorse driver in the field Jaxson Burns.
Onto the next class, the KA3 Senior Mediums sponsored by Redcat Adventures and representing Redcat Adventures is Taylor who featured in all the podium photos!
Dennis the menace Butler grabbed himself 5th place in the final with a fine drive but he couldn’t quite catch the current Queensland state champion Wayne Ohl who finished 4th and was having handling issues. Onto the podium and a great drive from Riley Beggs saw him secure a comfortable 3rd place, only a second behind EL Presidentai “Robby Bobby Thorburn” who came home second after also qualifying fastest. But none of them were a match for “Skettie” CRAIGY Butler who romped to a 9 second victory to take the plastic.
Next up it was the turn of the super fast KA3 Juniors sponsored by Carter Truck Hire, and Rayner Costello worked and worked on the set up through out the weekend to eventually get a cracker result in the final coming home 5th. He finished just 3 seconds behind the flying number 9 Stewart Hare. The first podium spot went to the ever present at the top of the timing sheets Ty Spencer, but even he couldn’t match the speed of girl racer Jacinta Hoey who’s kart was on rails to come home 2nd behind the master all weekend, none other than “cool hand” Luke Pink who took a great win! Early promise from Zane Rinaldi saw him get the quickest qualifier award but bad luck in the final saw him come home 6th which he fought hard for.
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Next up came the biggest class of the weekend, the Cadet 12s sponsored by Crossley Holden. It was one of those amazing Cadet 12 weekends where you honestly need eyes in the back of your head to commentate all the action that unfolded. In the final the number 60 Carter Mobbs has to be the unluckiest driver there after being in the top 3 all weekend and fighting for the win, only to unfortunately go wide onto the grass and be unable to get the kart going again – small consolation for him was to be the fastest qualifier!
In 5th place a great drive by girl racer Alice Buckley, finishing just behind Mika Lemasurier who himself had an amazing weekend coming from the back in almost every race, grabbing 4th in the final. Onto the podium positions and yet another podium for the Project X pilot Lachlan Platten, finishing just under 3 seconds behind Energy Corse driver Matthew Boylett who was in the top 5 all weekend also, but what a magnificent drive for the second of the Energy Corse drivers, Michael Janusz who was in contention all weekend and drove the perfect final.
Next up: TaG Restricted Light sponsored by Wings Whitsundays Adventures. This class proved to be outstanding for many reasons, the first of those was once again the girls proved themselves worthy against the guys and in 5th place a fantastic effort after getting up to p2 for a while, Brianna Mackenzie. Just ahead of her was the scene of what I would call the most dramatic battle in a long time with “ice cool” Jeremy Glover holding off the charge from Liam Moyse until the very last lap when finally the pressure told and Liam went through to third leaving Glover to finish 4th. Yet another girl racer and what a fabulous drive from a deserved second place getter Melanya Rudd. But once again we had a dominant winner at the state titles this time Paul McNeil not only qualified quickest but also drove a faultless final to take the win.
The next class on track was KA3 Senior Light sponsored by Black Owl Design. 4th & 5th was a really close battle in the final, just getting that 5th place was Samuel Battye from the hard charging Nathan Hadlow. The podium positions were hard fought also with Lewis Herwin just finishing 0.2 seconds behind Declan Matthews. He gave it all he could in the last few laps but Declan drove smart to hold him off! The win, and an outstanding win it was too, went Harrison Hoey, an 11.5 second gap back to second place gave him the title The Rain Master!
The last class on track, and one which always give fantastic racing, was the KA4 Juniors sponsored by Whitsundays Windscreens. First of all a word for the fastest qualifier ‘Haydogs’ Hayden Egan – he deserved so much more from the weekend working so hard to get the #16 kart set up right but bad luck struck and he finished 11th after promising so much.
In 5th a great drive from Ty O’Neil finishing just 0.2 seconds behind Zane Rinaldi in 4th, he in turn was only 0.3 second behind 3rd place finisher Harvey Price and if you think that was close just another 0.25 second in front was eventual second place finisher Seth Chellingworth. It was dramatic and exciting right to the finish, but all hale the master of the fabulous Whitsundays circuit Mr Kurtis Tennant with a fantastic win again and he is currently on the top of his game and looking so so fast!
Finally a word for our other sponsors. Thanks to:
- Whitsundays regional council for sponsoring Kev the noise Davies and the main straight!
- Whitsundays Karts & Parts for sponsoring the fastest qualifiers
- Cruise Whitsundays for putting up a family pass to cruise the Whitsundays reef with them valued @700 + for the raffle
Thanks to corner sponsors for again helping karting clubs at these events:
- Project x Racing
- Haase Karts
- 95 Tuning
- Wayne’s Hay
- Kaos karting
- Rolfe Race Engines
- Gorilla Graphics
- Power Republic
It was an amazing effort by the club / officials / volunteers / canteen staff and helpers to run the event in sometimes trying conditions.
- MORE videos are on Kev the noise Davies Facebook page where you will also find 50 + interviews & 3000 + photos in dry and wet conditions. I was busy!
Signing off
The Noise
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