by Russell Innes, IKC
The TAG Restricted classes were the Feature Classes for Ipswich Kart Clubs Round 3 Championship on Saturday the 6th of April. Wet weather leading up to the race day impacted the total entry numbers with only 271 starters on race day, but apart from a little drizzle early on, the day was mostly fine and was a fantastic race meeting.
- full results are on Speedhive HERE
- the race day video stream can be viewed, below
In TAG Restricted Light, Qualifying was held in tricky wet conditions and Darcy Briggs was fastest from Billy-James Whittaker and Jack Doessel. One of the early favourites Nathaniel Harrison was 4th, but some of the other more fancied frontrunners such as Robert Mortensen, Jack Munro, Jake Czislowski and Riley Van Den Broek all qualified well down the field. So the Heat racing was expected to be exciting as some of the favourites would have to work their way forward. In Heat 1, now on a dry track, Harrison took the win from Mortensen, Czislowski, Derek Jones and Cody Scott. In Heat 2 Harrison again took the win from Munro, Doessel, Mortensen and Jones. Harrison again was the winner in Heat 3 from Munro, Czislowski, Mortensen and Jones.
In the Final, Harrison led from the start and initially built a small but comfortable lead from Mortensen and Munro, but Munro who has hardly been beaten at Ipswich this year, soon took off after Harrison once he had got past Mortensen. He slowly pulled the gap back over the 12 lap Final to be right on the tail of Harrison over the last 4 laps, but Harrison was very neat and consistent and held on for a narrow win from Munro. Czislowski also moved forward over the 12 lap Final and at the finish was very close behind the 2 leaders for 3rd, with Mortensen 4th and Scott 5th.
TAG Restricted Medium also had to contend with the drizzly wet conditions for Qualifying, with Jordi Marcon fastest from Ryan Silcock, Trent Harders, Andrew Torti and Jonathan Lillis. Marcon bolted clear of the field in Heat 1 for a strong 3.5 second win ahead of Harders, Torti, Gav Whitmore and Silcock. He repeated the dose in Heat 2, again winning by over 3.5 seconds from Harders, Torti, Whitmore and David Vogel. Once again in Heat 3, Marcon was unchallenged to win by over 3.5 seconds from Torti, Whitmore, Harders and Sam Missen, but an after race penalty cost him 2 spots, elevating Torti to the win from Whitmore with Marcon back to 3rd. It made no difference though as Marcon would lead the field away from Pole in the Final and was simply unchallenged and by lap 3 had established a 1.5 second lead over Torti, Harders, Whitmore and Zac King with Missen and Alan Czislowski not far behind. With Marcon way out in front and Torti pretty comfortable in 2nd, there was a great battle between a large group of Whitmore, Harders, King, Missen, Czislowski and Bradley Cox. Harders however was slowly drifting back through the field and by lap 10 was a DNF. Marcon going on to win very comfortably by over 4 seconds from Torti, Whitmore, King and Missen.
TAG Restricted Masters has provided some fantastic racing so far this year at Ipswich and the old boys certainly put on another great display this race meeting. Gavin Soward mastered the drizzly wet conditions best in Qualifying to comfortably go fastest from Allan Mayes, Scott Hiscoe, Michael Robinson and Carl Davison. Soward led all the way in Heat 2 to win from Mayes, these 2 well clear of Scott Gray, Michael Robinson and Ben Spalding. Soward again looked comfortable on his way to another strong win in Heat 2 from Mayes. Gray again best of the rest in 3rd from Robinson and Antony Murphy. Mayes stuck a little closer to Soward in Heat 3, but Soward still held his dominance with yet another Heat win from Mayes and Gray very close behind. Robinson again 4th from Chris Board 5th.
Soward was almost looking unbeatable but you had to wonder if the likes of Mayes and Gray were just saving themselves a bit for the Final and Mayes got a terrific start in the Final and went to the lead and immediately built a small but comfortable lead as Soward was trying to hold off the challenge from Gray for 2nd spot. Gray eventually found his way past by lap 6, but Mayes had edged away to what was looking like a comfortable margin of over half a second. Gray had other ideas though and started reeling Mayes back in and as they started the 12th and last lap he was right on him, but Mayes just had enough and took the victory very narrowly from Gray with Soward 3rd, Board, 4th and Mark D’Arcy 5th.
In other classes, Lukas Loeskow was dominant in Cadet 9, winning from Riccardo Johnston and Oskar Kozak. Frankie Majorek leading the 4SS Cadets home ahead of Chicago Bailey and Oaklyn Hocking. The massive Cadet 12 field was won by Alester Flack ahead of Jack Larsen and Riley Curtis.
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4SS Junior continues to provide some fantastic racing and Jaxon Turner got his 1st win for the BRM/Kodak Kartsport team, ahead of Jaxon Duong and Harrison Lippiatt.
Tyson McGill was the winner in KA3 Junior Heavy from Charlotte Page and Cooper Fysh, whilst in KA3 Junior Light, Isaac McNeill led home Annabel Kennedy and Sebastian Bennett. In KA3 Senior, Declan Matthews was too strong with a solid win ahead of Jake Czislowski and Lucas Lesmes.
In an entertaining days racing, Ryan Uhlmann put in one of his best ever drives to win TAG Light narrowly from Mika LeMasurier and Jordi Slater.
Brent Reading had a sensational day out in TAG Heavy, winning 2 of the 3 Heats and then a dominant win in the Final ahead of Sam Houston and Will Marshall.
Scott Howard was the DD2 winner from Scott Cleveland and Adam Wood, whilst Bailey Sagaidak had a very solid win in Queensland Open Performance Medium from Jay Coul and Troy Loeskow.
Round 4 of the IKC Championships will be the Open Performance/DD2 Titles on Saturday the 27th of April and this will be the last club round at Ipswich Kart Club prior to the Queensland State Championships at IKC on June 28th, 29th and 30th. Entries are now open.
This will be a massive event with over 300 entries expected and whilst the Queensland Open Performance and DD2 classes will be the Feature Classes on the day, KA2 Junior will also be added to the programme. All classes will Qualify and contest 2 x 10 lap Heats and a 14 lap Final. Entries for this race meeting will open at 6.00pm on Thursday the 11th of April.
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