by Russell Innes, IKC
262 starters fronted for round 4 of the 2023 Ipswich Kart Club Championships on Saturday the 29th of April, where Queensland Open Performance was the feature class.
In Qld Open Performance Light, Jac Preston set the fast time in Qualifying ahead of Billy Myers and Brock Plumb. These 3 filling the same places in Heat 1, Preston and Myers again filling the first two spots in Heat 2 with Liam Cummings 3rd. Myers won Heat 3 from Tristian Griffin and Cummings. Myers and Preston would start off the front row in the Final, but Plumb went to the lead early and just drove away to a comfortable 5 second win as major challengers Griffin and Preston dropped out, leaving Myers alone in 2nd and Cummings further back in 3rd.
Ty Spencer was fastest in Qualifying for Qld Open Performance Heavy, ahead of Finlay Derry and Kobe Barton. Finlay won 2 Heats and Spencer the other with Barton and Dan Hutchinson amongst the placings through the Heats. Spencer though was quick to get to the front of the class in the Final though and led all the way to a comfortable win from Hutchinson with Barton very close behind in 3rd.
KA3 Senior was only a small field with the absence of a few who had raced the previous week in the AKC in Perth, but Keegan Fraser was dominant winning all 3 Heats and the Final. He was ran close at times by the likes of Joel Jamieson and Ryan Uhlmann through the Heats, Fraser won the Final though from Jamieson and Uhlmann.
In the 40 kart capacity KA3 Junior Light, Trent Newton broke through for his 1st Heat win at Ipswich, with Ryan MacMillan taking the other 2 Heats. Amongst the placings through the Heats were Isaac McNeill, Jye Flynn, Luke Rinaldi and Brodie Norris. McNeill started off pole for the Final, but Norris went to the front after Lap 2, before MacMillan had a go in front for a couple of laps. Norris then took the lead back and these 2 swapped the lead several more times over the next few laps before Norris settled in at the front and won by a couple of kart lengths from MacMillan, McNeill finishing 3rd.
KA3 Junior Heavy continues to build in numbers and for the 2nd Round in a row provided some of the best racing action. Lucas Lesmes won all 3 Heats, with Cody Scott, James Raaymakers, Isabella Wagner, Luca Goodchild and James Cittolin in the placings. In the Final, Scott went to an early lead from Cittolin and Ari Wedlock who had been pretty quiet during the Heats, whilst Lesmes slipped back down the field early. Cittolin though had great pace and went to the lead and edged away whilst Scott, Wedlock, Lesmes and Raaymakers engaged in battle behind. Cittolin in the end winning comfortably from Wedlock who just held out Lesmes.
Brock Nolan, Riccardo Johnston and Jeremy Broadbent all took a Heat win in Cadet 9, with Carter Grother, Lukas Loeskow and Jack Musico also in the placings. The Final of Cadet 9 was possibly the best race seen at IKC this year with Grother leading and Broadbent, Nolan, Johnston, Musico, Loeskow, Ayrton Hobday and Kenichi Morita in a very tight bunch behind and putting on a superb display of high speed and exciting racing. Nolan though timed his run to perfection and took the lead on the last lap from Grother to win by a very narrow margin, Broadbent holding out the tight bunch behind for 3rd. Only 2.2 seconds separated the top 8 as they finished.
Lana Flack, Riley Grande and Alester Flack were the Heat winners in Cadet 12, Monty Jamieson, Cooper Folley, Brock Helm and Harper May amongst the placings. In the Final Lana Flack went to the lead early and led all the way from Alester Flack and Declan Hicks who moved up early to 3rd, these 3 finishing very close together, but well clear of the rest.
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The Cadet P Class again provided some fantastic action as these new drivers get to build their racecraft and experience. In Cadet 12P, Archer Bailey was very strong and dominated with 3 Heat wins and a big win in the Final. Jayde Wasley, Shaiya Johnstone, Maxwell Southgate and Oliver Tresillian were all in the placings through the Heats, but Bailey was dominant in the Final winning by a solid 9 seconds from Tresillian and Jensen Berridge. Walter Hillier, Oskar Kozac and Darius Arian were the Heat winners in Cadet 9P, but a few mishaps in the Final saw Luke Robinson take advantage to win from Hillier and Kozac, Robinson in his 1st race meeting having only turned 7 the day before.
In the small 4SS Senior Light field, Darcy Briggs and Maxwell Reibelt were the pacesetters in the Heats, Briggs winning 2 and Reibelt the other. In the Final Darcy Briggs led all the way from Reibelt who had a challenge early from Jordan Briggs before settling into a comfortable 2nd and getting well clear. Darcy Briggs winning from Reibelt and Jordan Briggs.
Jacinta Hoey, Ethan Blackband and Robert Mortensen all won a Heat in TAG Restricted Light. Nathaniel Harrison, Jessica Golding, Emily Calwell and Jack Munro were all amongst the placings through the Heats. In the Final Mortensen led all the way from Hoey, with Jake Czislowski starting back in the pack but quickly moving up to 3rd by lap 2 and these 3 finished in that order.
In TAG Restricted Medium, Noel Smyth, Nicholas Crofton and Bradley Mcnaught were the 3 Heat winners, with Alan Czislowski, Gabriel Goodchild and Rudy Farkas amongst the placings. In the Final McNaught led all the way for a comfortable win, but it was good battle behind with Goodchild holding 2 for a long time ahead of a battle pack consisting of Crofton, Farkas, Michael Oro and Czislowski. Goodchild though fell out of 2nd late in the race and Farkas and Crofton filled out the podium.
Gavin Soward, Phil Smith, Kevin Johnston, Evan Broughton, Michael Robinson and Noel Smyth were in the placings during the TAG Restricted Masters Heats, Soward winning 2 and Smith the other 1. In the Final Soward led all the way but was under constant pressure from Smith and Johnston but no-one was able to make effective challenges for change of position and these 3 remained in these positions all through the 10 Lap Final.
The usual suspects of Brendan Nelson and Brock Plumb took the Heat wins in TAG Heavy, Plumb winning 2 Heats and Nelson the other. Will Marshall, Jared Neinert, Brody Barton and Christopher Williams also in the placings. In the Final Nelson was out early, leaving Plumb to drive away for a very comfortable win. In a great battle for the minors, Williams held on for 2nd from Marshall who probably had his best day at IKC in 3rd.
In TAG Light, William Gallagner, Brent Reading and Ryan Uhlmann were the Heat winners, with Tom Dare, Cohen Day, Jack Wells and Jamie Newton amongst the placings. In the Final, Gallagher, Uhlmann and Reading all led at one stage early, but Wells was the fast man on track and had moved up from a 9th starting spot to 4th by midway through the Heat and by lap 6 was up to 2nd and closing on Reading. By lap 10, the Final Lap, he was on Reading and made the pass for the lead for an excellent victory. Reading 2nd and Gallagher 3rd.
As usual, Ipswich Kart Club also ran their Clubday Challenge Program at this Round and the Group winners were, Olivia Walton in Cadet 9 Group 3, Ayrton Hobday in Cadet 9 Group 2, Campbell Dawson in Cadet 12 Group 3, Monty Jamieson in Cadet 12 Group 2, Cooper Friend in KA3 Junior Heavy Group 2, Kaiser Goetz in KA3 Junior Light Group 3, Jett Saraghi in KA3 Junior Light Group 2, Matthew Donnelly in TAG Restricted Masters Group 2, Michael Oro in TAG Restricted Medium Group 2 and Hamilton Rae in TAG Restricted Light Group 2.
- full results on speedhive HERE
Ipswich Kart Club will now have a 7 week mid season break before the next race meeting on June 17th and 18th, which will be Round 5 of the IKC Championship and will double as the AKC Shakedown. All normal club day classes, plus X30 will run at Round 5, plus KA2 Junior and the Gearbox class who will be contesting their 3rd and Final Round of the Queensland “Pineapple Cup” The Gearbox class at this event will run at 177 kg, the same weight as KZ2 run at AKC.
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