Melbourne Kart Centre made the twenty hours plus road trip to the fourth round of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship at the Emerald Kart Club. With ten drivers across four classes, the team were looking to replicate their previous round win, from the third round of the championship.
With current Australian champion Bradley Jenner and former national champion James Sera leading the team, Melbourne Kart Centre were looking to make a strong impact on the championship.
Bradley Jenner and Samuel Gibson were out on circuit in the X30 class for Melbourne Kart Centre. Jenner set blistering pace and was able to lock in pole position for the second consecutive round, with Gibson just outside the top twenty five in position twenty seven. Jenner put in fast and consistent heat races with three second places and a win in the second heat. Gibson raced hard, finishing all four of his heats and pushing up to position twenty one in heats three and four.
Jenner was right in the thick of the action in the final and came home just outside the podium in fourth spot, before a drop-down penalty relegated him to sixth position. Gibson came through for his strongest result of the weekend bursting into the top twenty and coming home in fifteenth position overall.
Jay Murray was the sole KA2 Junior driver for the Melbourne Kart Centre team. Murray qualified in position thirty seven overall. Jay had a DNF in heat one but was then able to move forward six spots in heat two and seven in heat three. Murray had a Sunday to forget, not finishing the fourth heat or the final, with the young driver looking to bounce back in his next outing.
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Blake Purvis and Aiden Schweikert were the youngest drivers for the Melbourne Kart Centre team in the oversubscribed Cadet 12 class. Purvis led the way in qualifying putting himself inside the top fifteen, with Schweikert inside the top twenty five in position twenty four. Purvis raced extremely well making his way into the top ten in his final three heats with ninth, eighth and seventh. Schweikert also put in strong performances racing on the edge of the top ten and looking to move forward. Purvis once again put in a stellar performance in the combined final just missing the top ten in position eleven. Schweikert was moving his way through the field in the final, before being battered and shuffled back coming home in a credible position twenty six overall.
KA3 Senior had a huge flavour of Melbourne Kart Centre with James Sera, Jake Santalucia, Jenson Teleskivi, Jack Johnson and Joshua Lackas. Sera led the charge in hot qualifying putting himself in the top five with Santalucia, Johnson, Lackas and Teleskivi in position eighteen, twenty four, thirty and thirty one overall. Sera put in some brilliant heat performances coming away with two thirds and a second place. Santalucia moved his way into the top ten with a seventh in heat three and raced on the edge of the ten in his other races. Teleskivi made his way up to position eighteen by the end of the heats, with Johnson and Lackas racing on the edge of the top twenty five.
Sera was unfortunately involved in an incident in the final heat and the final resulting in him going to rear of field. Santalucia was able to lead the charge in the final being in the top ten in position eight. Sera was able to charge back through to the edge of the top ten in position eleven, with Teleskivi just a few spots back in position thirteen. Johnson and Lackas just came outside the top twenty five in the final in position twenty six and twenty seven overall.
Melbourne Kart Centre owner James Sera spoke post weekend on the teams’ results. “It was a weekend of fun in the sunshine state with our ten driver team. We had excellent pace in X30 and KA3 Senior but couldn’t quite put it together in the final. We head to the final round now hoping for good results and to finish our championship on a high”.
Melbourne Kart Centre will be back in New South Wales in August to contest the final round of the championship in Newcastle.
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