Round 2 of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship took us to Monarto in South Australia, and it turned out to be one of the more challenging weekends I’ve had.
The extremely windy and dusty conditions made things tough for everyone, and Sunday’s dust storms really threw a curveball into finding consistent grip.
Despite the setbacks, there were still plenty of positives to take away, and I came away from the weekend feeling more determined than ever.
The day started off with learning the track in the first session, so I wasn’t overly focused on the kart setup early on. The next few sessions were difficult, as we struggled to dial in the setup, but we kept working at it. By the end of the day, we found a much more solid direction and felt we were close to unlocking some real pace, which was a great confidence boost heading into qualifying.
We took a bit of a gamble with setup changes in qualifying, and unfortunately, we went in the wrong direction. It left us further down the grid than we wanted, making the rest of the weekend an uphill battle. In Heat 1, the heavy dust caused engine issues that made it tough to get into a rhythm. But we bounced back in Heat 2 with changes to the kart that helped us move forward and gain some valuable spots. It wasn’t perfect, but it showed progress.
Sunday brought a fresh start, and we found a real step up in pace. In Heat 3, a small change made a big difference, and I was able to move forward well through the field. Heat 4 was another strong run with speed that could’ve matched the front runners if we’d started higher up.
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In the Final, a tough first few laps saw me stuck in traffic, but once I got into clear air, the pace came back. I was able to fight back through, making up more positions and finishing the weekend on a stronger note than it started.
The standout was definitely the turnaround in performance by Sunday. We proved we had the speed when the kart was right, and that gives me a lot of confidence going into the next round. The goal now is to improve qualifying so we can start further up and really show what we can do without always having to fight from the back.
Next up is Round 3 of the Australian Kart Championship. I’m feeling more motivated than ever to keep building and keep moving forward.
Massive thanks to my sponsors Tickford Autosport, LMF Constructions, Eastern Height Safety, DWE, P, ProLift Garage Doors, DesignEars, and AW Electrics. Also a big shoutout to Joe Tighe at EKS for the coaching and my dad Matt for the hours in the tent. Let’s keep at it!
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