Ashton Cattach had a mountain in front of him taking on the opening round of the SP Tools Australian Kart Champiosnhip.
Cattach, who has had a busy start to the 2022 karting season, was running in the oversubscribed KA3 Senior class. With nearly seventy drivers in his field, Ashton had a huge task ahead of him.
Running out of the Pro Karting Australia stable for the weekend, the team looked to qualifying to try and get things started! Cattach was able to make the higher 50% of the KA3 Senior field for qualifying. Ashton hit the track and times were fast and it was difficult to get track position in the session. The Pro Karting stable driver hovered outside the top twenty with his times improving throughout the session. Cattach was only around half a second behind the pole sitter for the class but was still in position twenty three overall with the margins between drivers small.
The team were looking to the opening heats to bounce back. The opening heat was going to be the first racing section of the weekend for Ashton. Cattach got a great start and jumped inside the top ten in the opening few laps. Ashton’s race took an unfortunate turn for the worse with steering troubles halting his charge forward. The Pro Karting stable driver was able to make his way to the end of the race but dropped down to position twenty three in a disappointing opening heat.
The second heat was where Ashton was looking to get back on track and get a good result. The Pro Karting team driver got another excellent start jumping inside the top ten. Cattach was in the mid pack battle, jostling for positions and trying to keep as far up the field as possible. Ashton dropped to the rear of the top fifteen throughout the race but was able to pick up spots once again in the middle pack battle. Cattach crossed the line in position thirteen overall with his best result of the weekend so far!
Cattach got another good launch in heat three and moved to position thirteen at the end of the opening lap. The Pro Karting unfortunately got shuffled back in the third, dropping towards the edge of the top twenty. Ashton had damage to his kart and it was once again effecting the handling and this resulted in a position twenty finish.
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The team regrouped after the heat and were now looking to Sunday to bounce back. Due to his heat three and heat one results Cattach was on the edge of the top twenty for the start of his fourth heat. The Pro Karting driver jumped into position nineteen on the opening lap and looked to put the head down and try make spots up. Ashton was able to make his way forward across the heat and get on the edge of the top fifteen in the back stages of the race. Cattach crossed the line in position sixteen in a good fight back and made the final race. This was a great feet for the young driver with over twenty drivers not making the field.
The final was going to be a mad affair with all drivers looking to go forward and race hard. Ashton’s charge was over before it began, making contact in the early stages and putting him to the rear of the field. Cattach recovered his way back up to position twenty seven in a tough weekend of racing.
Cin Cattach, Ashton’s mother spoke post the race meeting of the difficulties. “It was a tough weekend for us. We had steering trouble throughout the weekend and got hit in the final. Ashton did a great job fighting it out and we look forward to the next meeting”.
Cattach has a busy 2022 season ahead of him!
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