Jay Coul went into the final round of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship with the KZ2 gearbox crown up for grabs.
Coul, racing out of the Shamick Racing / Parolin Australia camp had lead the championship throughout the season and was in a ferocious title fight with former champion Joshua Fife and Western Australian star Samuel Dicker.
With practice all day Friday, qualifying on Saturday morning was the first step in the championship being decided. Coul hit the track for qualifying Saturday morning and knew he had to get near the front of the grid and be around his championship rival. The Shamick Racing backed entry was quickly into the top half of the field and then into the top 10. Times were close at the front and Jay was doing everything he could to try and move up the field. Coul set the 8th fastest time with his title rivals in position 4 and 10.
Heat 1 was the opening race of the weekend and Jay was looking to move up the field. The Snap on Tools backed entry got a great start and slotted into position 6 at the end of the opening lap. Coul was in a battle for position 6 and 7 as the race went on and was doing everything he could to move forward up the field. Jay came home in position 7 overall and was looking to the next heat to make up more positions.
Coul was once again out of position 8 in heat 2 and the start was once again a crucial part of the race. The Parolin Australia backed entry settled into position 8 in the first half of the race. The racing was fast and intense at the front of the field and it was hard for Jay to make up any positions across the 12 laps. Coul came home in position 7 once again and was starting the 3rd heat out of position 5.
The inside of the 3rd row was the starting position for Coul in the final heat of Saturday. Jay got a brilliant start and made his way into the top 3 on the opening lap and crucially ahead of his championship rivals. The Shamick Racing backed entry sat in position 3 for the whole 12 laps and cross the line on the podium. Coul’s championship aspirations were still alive with Fife and Dicker both behind him on points.
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Coul had moved up positions again and nailed his start to be in the top 2 at the end of lap 1. The 4th and final heat of KZ2 was an extremely intense affair with all 3 championship rivals on circuit together. Jay was running in position 3 and while battling hard went side by side through the flip flop on the back straight, resulting in him being completely air born! Coul recovered to cross the line in position 4 before a post-race penalty had him dropped to 6th position.
Position 4 was the starting point for the all-important final and Jay was looking to finish his championship on a high. The Snap on Tools backed entry slotted into position 4 for the first half of the race before moving onto the podium in a move for 3rd spot. Coul tried everything he could but couldn’t catch the top 2 drivers coming home in 3rd for his 2nd consecutive round podium.
Coul had done enough to come home 3rd in the championship in an epic title battle. Coul spoke post weekend on his epic battle for the championship.
“The 2022 Australian Kart Championship and its 5 intense rounds are completed! Throughout the year I consistently gathered great points. This year was one to remember, pushing hard throughout the whole year with the points coming down to the wire in the final round. I ultimately finished a very close Championship bringing home 3rd place overall in Australia for KZ2.
“I would again like to give a big thank you to Parolin Australia Shamick Racing for all the support throughout the years including Robbie, Jenna and Kris Walton. A massive thank you to Shane Wharton for everything he has done for me during my racing career, and believing and supporting me. Thanks to Daniel Bray for all the advice, tips and engine tuning throughout the year. Thanks to Dene McAllan for giving me the incredible opportunity to head over to Perth this year, to race in the WA KZ series. My parents for the countless hours and effort they have put in over my racing career. I’m now looking forward to my new opportunities and experiences in Europe next year”.
Coul will be off to Europe for his 2023 season and will be a driver to watch on the world stage!
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