words – Russell Innes
photos – Pace Images
342 starters contested Round 1 of the 2026 Ipswich Kart Club Championship on Saturday the 31st of January, making it the 3rd biggest start list in recent memory at IKC for a club round.
Cadet 9 and Cadet 12 were the Feature classes and presented huge numbers, 28 in Cadet 9 and a full capacity grid of 40 in Cadet 12.
Grayson McPhee set the fast time in Qualifying for Cadet 9, ahead of Harry Lack and Emerson Mills. In Heat 1, McPhee was the winner ahead of Lack and Malachi Mallia. Lack took out Heat 2 narrowly from McPhee with Mallia again 3rd. Lack again narrowly won Heat 3 from McPhee with Hagan Moon 3rd. McPhee was the initial winner in the Final ahead of Lack and Moon, however both McPhee and Moon were given start penalties which elevated Lack to 1st from Mallia and then McPhee. Vinny Missen finished 4th with Mills in 5th and Moon dropping to 6th.
Luke Robinson set fast time in Cadet 12 Qualifying ahead of Brock Nolan and Lenox Carson. Harlen Bell came from 5th on the grid to win Heat 1 from Robinson and Nolan. Nolan held out Bell to win Heat 2 with Knox Black 3rd. Bell started asserting some authority with a strong win in Heat 3 well ahead of Black and Nolan. He then repeated the dose in the Final, never really challenged to finish well clear of Black and Louie Mather. Oscar Ray had a brilliant drive to grab 4th with Nolan 5th.
KA2 Junior and X30 Senior were contesting Round 1 of the Pineapple Cup Series and Cooper Folley won Heat 1 ahead of Zander Watts and Seth Huth. Watts got the better of Folley in Heat 2 with a narrow win with Oskar Hennock 3rd. Folley was on fire in Heat 3 with a big win from Huth and Mason Lucchitti 3rd. Folley wasn’t going to be denied and was very strong in the Final leading all the way for the win, whilst Huth and Watts battled for 2nd. Watts got the better of it to finish 2nd whilst Levi Doessel just pipped Huth at the finish for 3rd. Luca Wasley also close behind for 5th.
X30 was stacked full of talent with at least 8 National Champions and multiple State Champions in the field. Max Walton held out Jace Matthews to win Heat 1 with Jye Flynn 3rd. In Heat 2 Isaac McNeill led home Seb Bennett and Matthews. Matthews narrowly won Heat 3 from Walton with McNeill 3rd and these 3 also filled the podium in the Final, but Walton getting the win from McNeill and Matthews 3rd. Kayden Thompson was 4th ahead of Liam Carr in 5th.
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In the KA3 Junior classes, AJ Leggatt had his 1st Club Round win at IKC in KA3 Junior Heavy, ahead of Levi Doessel and Sonny Ratcliff, whilst in KA3 Junior Light Jack Jensen also broke through for his 1st Club Round win, completing the double victory for the CXR team. Alester Flack was 2nd and Josh Williams 3rd.
In the TAG Restricted classes, Declan Matthews led home Jack Munro and an excellent drive from Jaxon Duong in 3rd in TAG Restricted Light in a massive 36 kart field. Regan Payne was dominant in TAG Restricted Masters winning comfortably from Aaron Rabjones and Noel Smyth, again with a massive 35 kart field. TAG Restricted Medium was a smaller field but Brendan nelson was the class of the group winning the Final from Chris Williams and Hugo Kues-Sales.
KA3 Senior was another class with huge numbers and Walton took his 2nd Class win for the day ahead of Declan Matthews and Jett Saraghi.
TAG (Championship weight) class was another with big numbers and lots of talented drivers. Brent Reading, along with Trent Newton were both strong all day and crossed the line 1st and 2nd in the Final, but both got start penalties leaving Jordi Slater as the winner from Loius Brown and then Reading.
DD2 and Open Performance ran as a Group and Bailey Sagaidak was the winner in Open Performance from Jordan Ensbey, whilst Scott Cleveland continued his winning ways in DD2 finishing ahead of Troy Bretherton and Angus Mathers.
Next Round at Ipswich Kart Club will be the TAG Titles on Saturday the 7th of March.
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