by Mitch McLellan, MMSMedia & Commentating
The Junior Sprint Classic was back on the weekend after a three-year Covid enforced break with a near 150 karters taking to the starter across nine classes. The sun was shinning across both days with no rain in sight making for two dry days of racing!
- lots of photos on Pace Images Facebook – Saturday album HERE, Sunday album HERE
- full results on speedhive HERE
Queenslander Max Walton was the star of the show in the feature KA3 Junior class over the weekend. Benjamin Munro took pole position in qualifying, with New South Wales driver Brodie Radford and Walton not far behind. Walton then put himself to the front and won all 4 heat races leaving Hunter Salvatore, Amos Orr, Munro and Radford to battle behind. Walton then took out the 15-lap final ahead of Salvatore, Alexander Yoannidis, Radford and Thomas Patching.
Walton then joined the likes of Scott McLaughlin, Anton De Pasquale and Oscar Piastri in winning the 20 lap Champion of Champions feature race. The Parolin driver took a five-second victory in the feature from Salvatore, Munro, Radford and Yoannidis.
Dallas Greene took a strong pole position in KA4 Junior Light C+D over Max Marriner and Jack Jenkins. Greene was a class act winning all 4 heats, leaving Marriner and Jenkins to battle for 2nd while Cody Boys, Kale Waddington, Kobie Wilson and Jordan Singh all battled on the edge of the top 5. Greene was able to take out the all-important final by 4 seconds to take out the Junior Sprint Classic over Marriner and Jenkins in 3rd. Waddington came home in 4th position with Singh rounding out the top 5.
Angus Fletcher was the start of the show in KA4 Junior Heavy C+D qualifying taking pole by nearly 3 tenths over Darsyn Harris and Callum Newton! The heats were tough racing with Fletcher taking heat 1, Harris taking heat 2 and 3 and Newton taking the final heat. Ryan Wyhoon, Aydan Warren and Harrison Martin all being in the hunt for the minors. Harris and Newton battled for victory in the final with both drivers having their turn in the lead. Harris crossed the line first but a post-race infringement handed Newton the victory over Warren in 2nd Wyhoon in 3rd. Brody Rogers worked his way up to 4th spot with Martin behind and Harris being classified in 6th position.
New South Wales driver Corey Carson took pole position in a stacked Cadet 12 field over former state champion James Flynn and Parolin’s Oscar Singh. Carson was able to take out the opening 3 heats, with Sebastian Tander making his way into the fight taking the final heat! Flynn, Singh, Anashe Manyau and Austin Mcpherson were all able to grab a top three across the heats and be in the minor positions battle. Carson was able to open up margin in the final but Flynn made a late charge to set up a showdown in the final few laps. Carson was able to hold his nerve and take victory in the final over Flynn and Singh in 3rd. Local drivers Lucas Costanzo and Jai George rounded out the top 5.
Daniel Quimby was another interstate driver to grab pole position, this time in the premier KA2 Junior over Max Walton and Miley Miller. Quimby took three heat wins to start the weekend with Walton making his claim for victory by grabbing the final heat win. Ayrton Dalmaso had moved his way up into the top 3 battle with Aris Kyriakou and Chadd Moore battling in the top 5. Quimby opened margin early in the final but Walton poured on the pressure in the back end of the race. Quimby was able to hold a slight margin in the final few laps to take victory over a fast-finishing Walton and Dalmaso in 3rd. Kyriakou just missed the top 3 in 4th with Moore rounding out the top 5 drivers.
Benjamin Munro was able to take his 2nd pole position of the weekend in KA4 Junior Light over Pro Karting stable mate Pip Casabene and lady racer Joanne Ciconte. Munro took out all 4 heat wins but had challenges from Casabene and Ciconte, with Tanner Peters, Dallas Greene, Jack Jenkins and James Snaith all running inside the top 5 throughout the heats. Munro led every lap of the final and crossed the line 1st but a post-race penalty handed victory to Casabene! Munro was classified in 2nd spot with Snaith, Matthew Ritter and Peters rounding out your top 5 drivers in the near 20 kart field.
In KA4 Junior Heavy, local driver Benjamin Classon took pole position in a close session over arch rival Grace Riddell and Lucy Sidwell. Classon took out the 4 heats but had strong challenges in 2nd from Riddell and Tasmanian driver Denzil Sargent. Hugo Garraway, Sidwell and Taylem Mackinlay all ran inside the top 5 and were looking to get into the top 3. Classon got an early break in the final but had Riddell storm back into contention for victory. Classon was able to put in an excellent final 5 laps to open up a race winning break and take victory! Riddell came home in 2nd spot over Mackinlay, Sargent and Lachlan Sharpe in 5th position overall!
Oliver Armitt was the youngest pole sitter for the event in Cadet 9 over Parolin driver Koda Singh and Australian champion Cruz Kelly. Singh was able to make his way to victory in the opening 2 heats, with Tate Waddington entering the fight for victory on Sunday taking the final 2 heats. Kelly, Armitt, Jasper Partouche and Jarvis Hindle were all battling around in the top 5. The final was an epic race with Singh, Waddington and Kelly all having their chance at the lead. Kelly was able to open up a race winning margin and crossed the line to add another major championship to his resume! Singh and Waddington came together on the final lap with both drivers ending up on the sidelines. This allowed Armitt to come home in 2nd over Alana Gurney in 3rd, Partouche in 4th and Levi Lord rounding out your top 5.
Addyson Arnett set a blistering pace in qualifying to take pole position in Cadet 12 C+D over Mason Woods and Felix Jia. Arnett was on a mission taking out all 4 heat races leaving Samuel Skoblar, Jayden Gauci, Jenson Jobe, Woods and Jia to battle over the minor positions. Arnett got the jump in the final and never looked back, taking out a 4 second victory in the final over Jia and Skoblar in 3rd. Gauci was just outside the top 3 in position 4 with Jacob Rajendran rounding out the top 5.
Jarvis Hindle was the lucky competitor to take home a brand-new go kart thanks to naming right sponsor Parolin Australia.
The Junior Sprint Classic will be back in 2023 looking to go bigger and better!