Tasmanian driver Elenah Rankin made her first karting trip across to the main land for the Panduit City of Melbourne Titles. Rankin has been racing well and at the front of the Karting Tasmania ranks and was looking to apply her trade at one of the biggest meetings of the Karting Australia season.
Elenah was racing in the Cadet 12 field with over thirty drivers to compete and race against! Rankin used Friday to get up to speed with the track and was looking forward to go racing on Saturday.
Saturday morning qualifying came around and Elenah was ready to hit the track! The Arnoux Kart Supplies entry hit the circuit and was getting in tune and setting faster laps at the session went on. Rankin was pushing as hard as she could and was on the edge of the top fifteen in an extremely competitive field of drivers. Elenah stopped the clock in position twenty eight and now looked to the opening heat race to try and progress through the field.
Rankin was excited to go racing in heat one and new getting through the first corner cleanly was going to be crucial. Elenah got a clean start and moved up two spots on the opening lap and was now trying to make her way further up the field. The Wyllie Kart City backed entry made her way into the top twenty five and was continuing to push her way forward. Rankin crossed the line just outside the top twenty in position twenty two, moving up six spots across the race!
Heat two was on Saturday afternoon and Elenah was excited to once again go racing in the big field of drivers. The Arnoux Kart Supplies supported entry got a brilliant start, moving up a bunch of spots on the opening lap. Rankin was racing hard and inside the top twenty five as the race went on across the twelve laps. Elenah was able to move up three spots across the second heat, coming home in position twenty five overall!
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Rankin had moved up to position twenty two on the starting grid for heat three and was looking to continue her improvements on Saturday into Sunday. The Wyllie Kart City sponsored entry got a clean get away and was right on the edge of the top twenty and looking to make spots. The racing was fast and tough in the national level Cadet 12 field and Elenah was showing she belonged in the strong field. Rankin was able to come home with another consistent finish in position twenty two overall.
The final was upon Elenah and she was ready to finish her weekend of racing on a high. In an unfortunate and heart-breaking event, Rankin was out of the race on the opening lap after being involved in an incident through no fault of her own.
Elenah’s father Anthony spoke post weekend on his young driver’s weekend at the Panduit City of Melbourne Titles.” We had a great weekend, was awesome to see Elenah out there giving it her all with such a big field, more than double what she races with in Tasmania. Lots of progress made over the weekend and experience gained for both me and Elenah. Shame about the final but will take a lot away from the weekend. A big thanks also to Rob and Louise from Flat out Karts Tasmania for transporting the kart and all their help over the weekend”.
Rankin will be a young racer to watch in the state of Tasmania for the rest of 2022!
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