Clean Sweeps & Close Battles At Gympie


press release 13 July 2013
 

Glorious conditions greeted the opening day of racing of the final round of the 2013 Rotax Pro Tour on the Sunshine Coast in Gympie, with qualifying and three heats setting up a thrilling array of finals.

Queensland’s Klinton Hancey went from strength to strength in his DD2 Masters debut after taking pole position in the competitive category with a 36.490, just 0.008 ahead of rankings leader Hamish Leighton. Adam Hunter proved a close challenger with Tony Bregonje and Luke Turner rounding out the top five. A clean sweep of the three heat races from Hancey has set-up an ideal position for the local driver leading into the pre-final, the top three remained status quo for all the races with Leighton finishing ahead of Hunter. Tony Bregonje shared the fourth place finishes with Luke Turner, as regular front-runner Tony Prendergast also made regular appearances in the lead pack.

Klinton Hancey took a clean sweep in DD2 Masters on debut
Above: Klinton Hancey took a clean sweep in DD2 Masters on debut
pic - Bill Bryant/Action Sports Photography

Bundaberg’s Kel Treseder made his Pro Tour return in fine style, taking pole position in Rotax Heavy with a 37.490, ahead of Victorian Rick Pringle and fellow Queenslander Brendan Nelson. Troy Woolston and Matthew Greenbury made it an all Queensland and Victoria top five. Treseder appeared unstoppable in the three races, secure pole position for tomorrow’s pre-final. Consistency proved the key for Rick Pringle who took a string of third places which will subsequently see him start on the front row alongside Treseder. Two second places in the last two heats for Brendan Nelson helped his run towards the longer races which will see him start from third alongside Travis Kodric and Matthew Greenbury.

rotax pro tour 7 Bundaberg’s Kel Treseder will start on pole in Rotax Heavy after a clean sweep
Above: Bundaberg’s Kel Treseder will start on pole in Rotax Heavy after a clean sweep
pic - Bill Bryant/Action Sports Photography

Ipswich podium sitter Matthew Byrne secured his maiden Sodi Junior Max Trophy Class pole position with a 38.276 from Kyle Angel, Joshua Fife, Liam Ford and Chris Bregonje, all lapping within three tenths of a second of each other. Angel was quick out of the blocks in the opening heat, engaging in a good battle with Byrne, subsequently seeing him take the first race win from Byrne, Stephanie Stones, Joshua Fife and Chris Bregonje. A reverse of the top two occurred at the chequered flag in the second heat seeing Byrne take the win from Angel with Bregonje finishing third ahead of Stones and Fife. The latter stages of the final race set up a good battle between Byrne and Angel, with the result going down to the last corner with Angel taking the win from Byrne, Stones, Fife and Bregonje. A post-race penalty applied to Kyle Angel saw ten seconds added to his race time, with Matthew Byrne being declared the race winner.

The Sodi Junior Max Trophy Class will provide intriguing racing into the finals
Above: The Sodi Junior Max Trophy Class will provide intriguing racing into the finals
pic - Bill Bryant/Action Sports Photography

Current National Champion Pierce Lehane proved unbeatable in every aspect of Rotax Light, taking pole position with a 36.730, just 0.03 ahead of Geelong round winner Brad Jenner with Tyler Greenbury taking third ahead of New Zealand’s Daniel Kinsman and Rotax Light debutant, Mitchell Griffin. A clean sweep of wins from Lehane holds him in a convincing position leading into the pre-final tomorrow morning where he will start from pole alongside Brad Jenner who came through with two second place finishes, subsequently mirroring the front of the grid from the heat races. A pair of third place finishes for Daniel Rochford has helped his run and will start third in the pre-final from Greenbury and Kinsman.

Reigning National Champion Pierce Lehane will start from pole position in the Rotax Light pre-final
Above: Reigning National Champion Pierce Lehane will start from pole position in the Rotax Light pre-final
pic - Bill Bryant/Action Sports Photography

Mid-session pace for Lachlan McHugh saw him take pole position in Junior Max with a time of 36.831, just one tenth faster than Joseph Burton-Harris in his new Tony Kart. Callum Walker showed pace early to secure third from Jordan Boys and Queensland’s Brock Lannoy. A trio of wins from McHugh will hand him a pole position for the pre-final on home soil. Joseph Burton-Harris looked convincing across the heat races, scoring a second and two third places to start alongside of McHugh.

Albury’s Jordan Boys also displayed an array of quick and consistent driving in the heats to lead the second row alongside Queenslander Callum Walker, while Isaac Vaccarella was impeded slightly with a ninth place finish in the final heat, which will see him start from fifth in the pre-final.

Queensland’s Lachlan McHugh took a clean sweep in Junior Max
Above: Queensland’s Lachlan McHugh took a clean sweep in Junior Max
pic - Bill Bryant/Action Sports Photography

Local track knowledge for Queenslander Clem O’Mara allowed him to secure pole position in a mixed qualifying session in DD2. Practice pacesetter Nathan Taylor started the heat races alongside of him in second, with Troy Bretherton in third, and rankings leaders Jason Pringle and Michael Stewart completing the top five. Consistency was the key for Troy Bretherton in the three DD2 races, after securing the opening heat win, Bretherton went on to take second in the last two races, the Queenslander will start from pole in the pre-final alongside Canberra’s Michael Stewart who was rewarded after his heat three win. Heat Polesitter Clem O’Mara will start from third after taking his first ever DD2 heat win alongside rankings leader Jason Pringle with reigning National Champion Lucas Ward to start from fifth.

Troy Bretherton will start from pole in the pre-final for DD2
Above: Troy Bretherton will start from pole in the pre-final for DD2
pic - Bill Bryant/Action Sports Photography

Pre-Final Grid – Top 5 (full results on AKA CM:s HERE)

DD2 Masters
1 – Klinton Hancey
2 – Hamish Leighton
3 – Adam Hunter
4 – Tony Bregonje
5 – Luke Turner

Rotax Heavy
1 – Kel Treseder
2 – Rick Pringle
3 – Brendan Nelson
4 – Travis Kodric
5 – Matthew Greenbury

Junior Max Trophy Class
1 – Matthew Byrne
2 – Kyle Angel
3 – Stephanie Stones
4 – Joshua Fife
5 – Chris Bregonje

Rotax Light
1 – Pierce Lehane
2 – Brad Jenner
3 – Daniel Rochford
4 – Tyler Greenbury
5 – Daniel Kinsman (NZ)

Junior Max
1 – Lachlan McHugh
2 – Joseph Burton-Harris
3 – Jordan Boys
4 – Callum Walker
5 – Isaac Vaccarella

DD2
1 – Troy Bretherton
2 – Michael Stewart
3 – Clem O’Mara
4 – Jason Pringle
5 – Lucas Ward

Round seven and the final round of the Rotax Pro Tour concludes tomorrow in Gympie, Queensland. Racing will commence on Sunday from 9am AEST.

 



 

 

 

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