by Mitch McLellan, MMS Media & Commentating
Karting Victoria’s 2023 season kicked off over the weekend with annual Junior Top Guns event at the Oakleigh Go Kart Club.
With sunny weather across both days and each day’s final being under lights, the host club put on another brilliant event to kick off a big season of racing!
- full result on speedhive – Round1 (Friday) HERE, round 2 (Saturday) HERE
- photos – Pace Images, round 1 HERE
- photos – Pace Images, round 2 HERE
- photos – BPM Media, round 1 HERE
- photos – BPM Media, round 2 HERE
- photos – Steve Dansie, round 1 HERE
- photos – AKD Photos (coming soon to HERE)
- KSN round 1 wrap and pics HERE
Amos Orr was one of the big winners across the 2-day championship in the KA3 Junior Heavy class. Under new engine regulations, Orr was able to grab pole position and take out both heats and the final on night 1. This left local Victorian’s Thomas Patching, Jasper Frith and Mathew Basso to battle out the minor positions.
Orr came back on day 2 and was able to continue his perfect weekend grabbing pole position, both heat wins and a dominant final victory under lights! Frith was able to grab the runner up position across the 2 rounds, with Patching rounding out your podium.
KA2 Junior was the premier class across the all-junior event and Amos Orr was able to grab another pole position on Friday. Orr was unstoppable on Friday, taking both heat wins and the night 1 final, leaving Toby Dvorak, James Anagnostiadis and Bradley Majman to fight over the minors.
Dvorak was able to turn the tables on Saturday grabbing pole position and taking out both heat wins. The championship was on the line going into the final and Dvorak was able to hold his nerve, taking the final on night 2 and the championship win. Majman was able to gain enough points to grab second overall with Orr rounding out your top 3.
Felix Jia was the star of the show in Cadet 12 C & D and was unstoppable all weekend. Jia took both pole positions and all 6 race victories across the 2-day event. This left a battle on for the final podium spots with Cooper Dellaca, Thomas Hickson, Daniel Cocks and Harry Westbury all racing inside the top 5 drivers. Dellaca was able to put in consistent performances across the 2 days to come home in 2nd position overall, with Hickson rounding out the podium positions.
KA3 Junior Heavy C & D had a great battle with Thomas Motta taking pole position on Friday over rival Zachary Turner. Motta was able to put in a dominate Friday performance taking all 3 race victories with Turner, Jaxon Best, Ashley Parker and Adelaide Ambrose battling for the minor positions.
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Motta was able to take pole position once again on Saturday but had to share the heat wins with Turner who came into play. Turner was able to take the night 2 final but Motta had done enough to grab the overall championship win. Ambrose had been consistent across the 2 days to grab 2nd position overall, over Turner rounding out the top 3!
Cadet 9 saw young Oscar Haddon start the 2023 season in a big way grabbing Friday pole position over Alana Gurney and Oliver Armitt. Tasmanian state champion Jasper Partouche took heat 1 victory but Alana Gurney was able to take control and take out heat 2 and the final on Friday night.
Gurney was in the zone on Saturday, taking a clean sweep in pole position and all 3 race victories and the overall championship win! Haddon was able to come home in 2nd position overall with Samuel Jansen Van Vuuren moving his way onto the podium in 3rd.
KA3 Junior Light had an intense qualifying session to start Friday with Jack Steere taking pole position over 7-time state champion James Anagnostiadis and Christian Sasso. Anagnostiadis was able to take both heat wins but Dallas Greene was able to cause an upset in the Friday night final. Hunter Salvatore and Steere came home in 2nd and 3rd after Anagnostiadis and Cooper Frith both had DNF’s after running at the front of the field.
Anagnostiadis grabbed pole position on Saturday and didn’t look back taking all 3 race victories, but not able to grab the overall championship which went to Steere. Christian Sasso rounded out the podium.
KA3 Junior Light C & D had Jake O’Donnell grab pole position to start Friday’s racing. While O’Donnell did grab pole position, Justin Wei Leong Yuen put on a racing clinic grabbing both heat wins and the final to take maximum points out of Friday. This left O’Donnell, Jayden Dellar, Liam Fitzgibbon and Ashton Rowley all battling for the minors.
Dellar was able to fight back on Saturday taking pole position and heat 1 victory. While leading in heat 2, Dellar was involved in an incident which allowed Justin Wei Leong Yuen to take heat 2, the final on Saturday night and the overall championship victory. O’Donnell was able to gather enough points to finish 2nd overall with Rowley fighting his way onto the podium with his Saturday results.
Cadet 12 was one of the most competitive fields across the weekend with South Australian Dominic Mercuri taking Friday pole position. Anashe Manyau and Aiden Schweikert shared the heat victories with multiple time state champion Riley Harrison taking the Friday round victory!
Harrison took pole position on Saturday and was in a close battle with Mercuri all day. Harrison was able to hold on and take the round 2 victory in a heart stopping final. Mercuri had grabbed enough points for 2nd position overall, while former state champion James Flynn coming home in 3rd position overall.
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