Round 3 of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship took us to Newcastle last week— a tight, technical and undulating track that puts drivers and karts to the test. For me, it was one of the most challenging weekends I’ve had behind the wheel.
Friday started off tough. I spent most of the day learning the track and trying to get comfortable, but things just didn’t click. It wasn’t the kind of Friday we were hoping for, but we made some changes heading into qualifying and stayed optimistic.
Unfortunately, qualifying didn’t go to plan. I struggled for pace and got caught overthinking every corner. I ended up at the back of the field, and from that point on, I knew it was going to be a battle.
Saturday brought a small step forward in Heat 1, but we were still lacking the speed to stay competitive. A drop-down penalty didn’t help either. Heat 2 was particularly rough — I made up a bunch of spots early on, but then completely fell off and crossed the line in last. It was frustrating, but I tried to reset overnight.
Sunday started much better. In the first heat of the day, I made up a heap of positions and finished 21st. I was aiming to improve again in the next heat and got up to 19th before getting turned around coming onto the straight late in the race. That put me right back at the tail end again — another tough one to take.
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In the final, I had a flying start and quickly moved from 30th to 18th in the first seven minutes. It felt like we were finally turning the weekend around. But as the track evolved, we misjudged the direction it was heading, and our tyre pressures weren’t quite right. That, combined with some overthinking on my part, caused our pace to drop off dramatically. By the end, I’d fallen all the way to the back. It was easily the most frustrating run I’ve had in a kart.
It was a rough round, but there were still a few positives to take. I’m proud of one of the earlier heats where I moved forward and held onto those positions. I know what needs to be done now — everything. The main focus for me heading into the next round is nailing qualifying and not changing the kart every session. Just getting into a rhythm and keeping it simple.
Between now and the next AKC round, I’ll be doing a lot of testing and logging laps. Massive thanks to Tickford Autosport, LMF Constructions, Eastern Height Safety, DWE, P, ProLift Garage Doors, DesignEars, and AW Electrics for continuing to support me through the ups and downs. Big thanks as always to Joe Tighe for the coaching and to my dad Matt for all the work in the tent.
We’ll reset, regroup, and be back stronger for the next one.
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