by Russell Innes, IKC
Ipswich Kart Club finished off their 2023 Club Championship with the running of the Capri Cup on Saturday the 28th of October. Held on the “K Track Reverse” layout, fine weather conditions greeted the 201 starters who all contested Qualifying, 2 Heats and a Final.
- full results on speedhive HERE
Max Walton qualified fastest in KA3 Senior, ahead of Dominic Penman and Keegan Fraser. Walton won Heat 1 from Penman and Fraser, whilst Penman took out Heat 2 from Walton then Fraser. Walton and Penman had a great dice for the lead in the Final, Penman holding on for a narrow win. Fraser was a DNF early and Emilee Ceccato led the midfield group home to get 3rd and her first time on the podium at Ipswich.
Cadet 12 Qualifying was called short with a red flag declared and unfortunately many drivers did not obey the red flag and multiple (20) infringements were issued accordingly, which created a very mixed up field for the Heats. Cruz Patroni had a superb 1st Heat to win from Michael Quintiliani and Gabriel Elkayam. Quintiliani led most of the way in Heat 2 before Patroni grabbed the lead on the last lap for a very narrow margin across the line over Quintiliani and Riley Curtis 3rd. Alester Flack and Cooper Folley were 2 of the leading drivers who had got disqualified from Qualifying and had worked really hard through the Heats to work there way forward and they would play a major part in what was a thrilling Final. Patroni led the early laps from Quintiliani and Brock Helm with Folley up to 4th by lap 3 and Curtis running 5th and Flack up to 6th. Quintiliani took over the lead on lap 5 from Patroni, Folley, Helm, Flack and Curtis. The front 6 all in contention and putting on a great display of driving. Patroni went back to the lead by lap 8 as Flack had moved to 2nd and Helm had dropped out after going off track and into a gravel trap. Flack continued his forward progress and took the lead on lap 9 with Folley following him through and demoting Patroni to 3rd. Quintiliani then pounced on Patroni and took 3rd on the last lap. The final result of a very entertaining race being, Flack 1st, Folley 2nd, Quintiliani 3rd, Patroni 4th and Curtis 5th.
Ayrton Hobday qualified fastest in Cadet 9 ahead of Riccardo Johnston and Kenichi Morita. Johnston won Heat 2 from Flack and Hobday. Johnston romped away in Heat 2 to win from Jack Musico and Harlen Bell. Flack though got a great start in the Final and went to the front and drove very well to hang on for the full 10 laps as Johnston very slowly reeled him back in but ran out of laps. Flack winning narrowly from Johnston with Bell the best of the rest in 3rd.
In 4SS Junior, Jett Saraghi was fastest in Qualifying from Liam Ioannidis and Jaxon Duong, but in the Heats it was Saraghi and Duong who cleared out each time and battled at the front. Saraghi just narrowly holding out Duong each time with Ioannidis 3rd. In the Final Saraghi led from the start but Duong was all over him for the entire 10 laps, but Saraghi was able to hold on for a very narrow margin of victory, these two well clear of Johnny Wright in 3rd.
In the 4SS Senior classes, it was the usual battle at the front between Darcy Briggs and Jordan Briggs in 4SS Senior Light, Darcy fastest in Qualifying from Jordan and then Andy Mann, Darcy winning Heat 1 from his brother, but the result reversed in Heat 2, with Max Reibelt 3rd each time. In the Final Jordan led from pole and led all the way from Darcy with Reibelt 3rd. In 4SS Senior Medium, Mark Wilkinson led Rohan Finn in Qualifying. Finn won Heat 1 from Wilkinson, but Wilkinson reversed the result in Heat 2 and then in the Final Finn led most of the way before Wilkinson grabbed the lead late and won narrowly from Finn.
In TAG Restricted Light Jack Munro was fastest in qualifying, well ahead of Dominic Penman and Nathaniel Harrison. Munro drove away for a comfortable win in heat 1 from Harrison and Penman and had another easy win in Heat 2 from Robert Mortensen and Jake Czislowski. Munro continued his dominance with a resounding victory in the Final, finishing over 7 seconds clear of Harrison and Billy-James Whittaker 3rd.
Noel Smyth took pole in TAG Restricted Masters from Gavin Soward and Michael Robinson, these 3 also fillings the same placings in Heat 1. Soward led Smyth home in Heat 2 with Robinson again 3rd. Smyth would lead all the way in the Final to win from Soward. Robinson was comfortable in 3rd but a DNF on lap 7 elevated Mathew Donnelly to 3rd at the finish.
Michael Oro set the fast pace in TAG Restricted Medium ahead of Bradley McNaught and Alan Czislowski. He followed it up with a string win in Heat 1 from Sam Missen and McNaught. McNaught grabbed the lead early in Heat 2 ahead of Oro and Czislowski, these 3 finishing well clear of Missen. Oro led early in the Final from Missen and McNaught. Missen grabbed the lead on lap 3 with McNaught following him through and then moving past Missen and into the lead on lap 4. On lap 5 both Oro and Missen lost several spots and dropped out of contention. McNaught now had a good lead over Czislowski and Luc Jacobsen and that’s how they finished off the 10 laps.
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In KA3 Junior Heavy, Charlotte Page set the pace in Qualifying from Trent Newton and Jackson Cooper. She backed it up with a strong win in Heat 1 from Cooper with Lucas Lesmes best of the rest. Page and Cooper both raced superbly in Heat 2 with Cooper just getting home in 1st from Page with Lesmes again 3rd. On to the Final and Page and Cooper again raced superbly out front in a fine display of driving. Cooper though was able to get ahead near the end of the 10 laps and just hold on for the win, with Lesmes 3rd.
Jye Flynn set the fast time in Qualifying for KA3 Junior Light from Hamish Campbell and Tyson McGill. Patrick Buckley though had the best race pace and worked his way to the front in Heat 1 to win narrowly from Flynn and Ky Burke. He backed it up with another strong showing from 5th on the grid in Heat 2 to go to the front and win from Flynn and Isaac McNeill. Buckley would lead all the way in the Final but it was a very close contest with Flynn and Burke challenging him all the way and the margin at the line was very close. Buckley just ahead of Flynn with Burke a few kart lengths back in 3rd.
Ky Burke took pole in KA2 Junior from Tyson McGill and Annabel Kennedy. Isaac McNeill though had the pace in Heat 1 to win from Burke and McGill. Burke fought back in Heat 2 to win from McNeill and McGill. Burke would lead most of the Final before McNeill took over at the front on lap 8 to win narrowly from Burke with McGill 3rd.
Lachlan Murphy was fastest in Qualifying for Queensland Open Performance ahead of Bailey Sagaidak and Finlay Derry. Murphy had a big win in Heat 1 from Sagaidak and Derry, with Scott Howard leading the DD2’s home ahead of Scott Cleveland and Jason Smith. Murphy again won Heat 2 from Sagaidak with Ty Spencer 3rd. Howard again leading home Cleveland and Adam Wood in the DD2’s. Murphy would make it 3 from 3 ahead of Sagaidak in the Final and win the Light class. Sagaidak was the winner of the Heavy class with Howard first DD2 and 3rd overall and 2nd in the Heavy class. Liam Cummings was next and 3rd in the Heavy class.
In TAG Heavy Christopher Williams set the pace in Qualifying ahead of Will Marshall and Josh Dagg. Marshall drove to the Heat 1 win ahead of Williams and Brendan Nelson, whilst Williams reversed the result to win Heat 2 from Marshall and Nelson. Williams led all the way in the Final with Marshall in close pursuit and on the last lap Marshall made his move and took over the lead and take the win. Nelson again coming home in 3rd.
TAG Light at IKC Club Rounds is full of quality drivers and presents fantastic racing. Max Walton set the pace in Qualifying ahead of Jack Wells and Jai Brown and these 3 filled the placings in that order in Heat 1. In Heat 2 Brown took his 1st win in his new class at IKC ahead of Brodie Norris and a great drive from Ryan Uhlmann who had started back in 14th on the grid. In the Final Wells led from the start and slowly edged away in front of the battle behind between Brown and Uhlmann. Wells going on to a comfortable win from Uhlmann who got the better of the early battle with Brown.
At the conclusion of racing, Maureen Capri presented the Junior and Senior Driver of the Day awards and the recipients of this prestigious award in 2023 were Trent Newton (Junior) and Mark Less (Senior)
The IKC Clubday Challenge Program winners this Round were, Walter Hillier in Cadet 9 Group 3, Joshua Fabian in Cadet 9 Group 2, Oliver Tresillian in Cadet 12 Group 3, Cruz Patroni in Cadet 12 Group 2, Drake Hutton in KA3 Junior Light Group 3, Luke Wilson in KA3 Junior Light Group 2, Archie Cotton in KA3 Junior Heavy Group 2, Matthew Price in TAG Restricted Light Group 2, Scott Jordan in TAG Restricted Medium Group 2 and Scott Campbell in TAG Restricted Masters Group 2.
To finish off the year at Ipswich Kart Club, the club will be holding their final Come and Try Day on Saturday the 11th of November (already booked out) and this will be followed later that same day with a Bring a Mate day, open to a member of any KA club who would like to put a mate in their kart to have a try.
The following day, Sunday the 12th of November will be the 2nd Free Practice Day for the year celebrating IKC’s 65 years of operation. This Free Practice Day is open to any member of any KA Club and tickets are already available on KOMP.
Ipswich Kart Club will be announcing their 2024 Club Championship dates on the 22nd of November and this will also include the 2024 Queensland Kart Championships on the 28th, 29th and 30th June 2024.
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