Rival Respect

by Australian Kart Championship

Gold Coaster Cooper Folley genuinely didn’t expect to win the third round of the Penrite Australian Kart Championship in KA2 with such dominance, especially in light of the level of respect he has for his closest rival, Levi Doessel.

“I genuinely didn’t expect to get a clean sweep, because the KA2 field has a lot of depth. But especially Levi. Nobody understands how good Levi is.”

Folley leads Doessel by just four points, however the venue for round four could give Folley an edge just at the right time to increase the gap.

“I’ve only been to Pucka once before in KA2 last year for the Junior Sprint Classic and I got a clean sweep that weekend too, so I’m really looking forward to getting back there this year as part of the championship.”

When confronted with the thought of adjusting his usual strategy for the final two rounds, Folley bluntly refuses to play it safe.

“I won’t change what I do. It’s a bit different in KA2 this year with some younger drivers replacing the older guys who were at the top, so I’ll be watching out for racers who may be a bit too aggressive and could mess things up, but otherwise, I won’t be changing my approach and playing it safe that’s for sure.”

“Clean Sweep Cooper” is balancing his karting dreams with a keen interest in mechanics, facilitated by a school-based Mechanical Apprenticeship two days a week at his dad Damien’s workshop, along with volunteering at Gomersall’s race shop on the Gold Coast one afternoon per week with hands-on repair and fabrication work alongside Supercars driver, Aaron Seton.

“I love getting my hands dirty and working on cars, but aside from the apprenticeship and the race shop work, I’m mostly a homebody,” he laughs. “We have a buggy that we tear up the back yard with and the SIM gets quite a workout, and then when I’m tired of my SIM set up, I go to do some proper sessions at Dixon Academy which is fantastic.”

“I have some great people helping me. Owen Bain Electrical has been my main sponsor since I started, and of course mum and dad have been amazing too. Winning this championship would mean so much to all of us.”

The KA2 championship battle will be broadcast on 7+ with live coverage on Saturday September 5 from 12:30pm and 11:30am on Sunday September 6.

The Eastern Lions Kart Club’s Hume International Raceway is 20 minutes west of Seymour on Seymour Tooborac Road and 10 minutes south of Puckapunyal and offers free entry for spectators along with excellent amenities, and refreshments available for purchase.