Round 1 of the Australian Kart Championship is in the books, and what a weekend it was.
Racing in the KZ2 class – the elite of the elite – at Todd Road is always something special. The competition is fierce, and the margins are razor thin, but I was pumped to kick off my season with the Country Kart Spares team in the TB Kart, backed by the support of JFM.
Friday gave us five sessions to dial things in. Unfortunately, things didn’t start to plan – we didn’t even make it out for the first session after the engine seized while warming up on the trolley. Not ideal, but that’s racing sometimes.
The team worked hard to get everything sorted, and we hit the track for the remaining four sessions. I was floating just outside the top ten all day, at times only 4 tenths off the quickest times – which, in a field this tight, isn’t far at all. We kept chipping away, learning, and making progress.
Qualifying didn’t quite come together – I ended up 17th, about 9 tenths off pole. Not where we wanted to be, but we knew the racing would give us a chance to move forward.
Heat 1, I got away well and jumped up a couple of spots off the line into 15th, but couldn’t quite hang on and slipped back to 17th by the flag. Heat 2, another mega launch off the start, but I made a silly mistake that cost me big time – dropped back to 22nd. I put my head down and fought back to finish 17th. Frustrating, but I knew I had more to give.
Heat 3 was my best yet – nailed the start again and pushed forward, sitting in 12th and holding my own. Had a bit of a moment avoiding an incident with Sam Dicker, which could’ve ended badly, but I managed to stay clear. Crossed the line in 13th, but unfortunately picked up my second drop down penalty of the event which pushed me back another 4 spots.
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Heading into Heat 4 on Sunday, I started 17th again. Got another good launch and moved up to 12th, where I finished on the road. But, yep – another drop down bumper penalty. That one stung – 6 places dropped after what was a solid drive.
In the final, I got away clean and settled in, but the kart just wasn’t quite where we needed it to be setup-wise. As the laps ticked by, I struggled to stay in the fight and slipped back to 20th, still within six tenths of the leaders’ pace, but it just wasn’t enough in a field this deep.
All in all, not the results we were aiming for, but there’s a lot of positives to take. I’m learning every time I hit the track in KZ2, and with every lap I get more comfortable pushing in this elite field. Huge thanks to Country Kart Spares, JFM, and everyone who’s backing me on this journey.
We’ll reset, keep grinding, and come back stronger for Round 2. Eyes forward – the best is still to come.
– Chadd
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