DJM Race Engineering looked to win their first Victorian Open State Championship since 2015 over the weekend at the Oakleigh Go Kart Club. DJM has won state titles over the past few years in other states but has been six years between drinks in the Victorian State arena.
A team of eight drivers represented the team looking for strong results. Toby Dvorak represented in the Junior National Light category showing strong pace in all conditions. Dvorak ran inside the top ten with a second in heat two, the highlight.
Dvorak got a poor start in the final dropping as low as eleventh with the title looking out of grasp. The Energy Kart driver dug deep quickly making his into second within the first five laps and went in chase of race leader Xavier Avramides. Dvorak dug deep and in a champion drive took the lead and won the Victorian title in dramatic fashion. Dvorak taking his first state title since cadets and DJM Race Engineering in six years.
Braden Clark took to the track in the KA3 Senior Medium class looking for a strong result. Clark had a Saturday to forget with disappointing results in heat one and three. When running strongly in heat two looking for third position Clark came to blows with another driver. With nothing to lose on Sunday in wet tricky conditions, Clark quickly made his way into the top five and was looking to continue to improve positions. With masterful wet weather driving Clark was able to come away with second spot and a strong podium position.
Rusty Ponting and Blake Purvis raced in the ultra-competitive Cadet 12 class looking for strong weekends. Ponting showed good pace in all conditions running inside the top ten in all heats with young Purvis not far behind being a regularly in the top fifteen. Ponting in a stellar drive, he saved his best for last coming home with a strong top five finish in the final. Purvis put in one of his best drives of the weekend just missing top ten in position eleven overall.
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Bodhi Bright and Jayden Wallis both had competitive outings in their respective classes. Bright racing in the KA3 Senior Light category, had a tough and fast weekend running in the top five. Bright showed in dry and wet conditions he could mix it with some of the best in the state coming home in fifth place overall.
Wallis racing in the TAG 125 Heavy category showed great pace running in the top five in both of his opening heats. His third heat in the wet was a standout result coming home in second place. When looking threatening in the final, a steering column bolt failure resulted in an early finish and DNF result.
Fraser Carr and Jackson Stone both took place in their respective classes and had challenging but competitive weekends. With both drivers having difficulties in the heats, they were hoping for clean and competitive finals Sunday. Carr running in the KA3 Junior class had been outside the top ten all weekend but in a stronger showing in the final young Fraser came home in position nine overall inside the top ten. Stone in the KA4 Junior Heavy category ran inside the top ten at stages but had an unfortunate DNF in the final bringing an improving weekend to an end.
DJM Race Engineering owner Dylan McLellan was thrilled with the team’s results. “Its been six long years since we’ve won a blue plate in Victoria. Toby’s drive was something that had to be seen to be believe and moments like that make all the hard hour’s worth it. Braden on the podium was a great fight back after his tough weekend and the whole team showed great results. A massive thanks to all the team and Ben and Scotty for their massive work over the weekend”.
DJM Race Engineering will hit the track again this weekend at the Victorian Country Series at Warnambool Kart Club.
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