Sayre Wins Central Coast 50-Lap Shootout
by Brian Van De Wakker |
7 August 2014 |
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Daniel Sayre has won the 2014 Central Coast 50 Lap Shootout by dominating the event at Gosford Showground hosted by the Central Coast Speedway Kart Club last Saturday night.
It was Sayre’s first crack at the 50-lap event and stunned the field with sheer pace aboard the Aussie Racing number 1.
Above:
Sayre baths in 50 lap success
pic - Brian Van De Wakker
Sayre started the 50-lap main event from third and dropped back to fourth in the opening stages, as current New South Wales and Australian Clubman Heavy titleholder Michael Saller took the lead.
Sayre worked his way back up into second by lap 10 before Saller pulled off and was out of the race due to mechanical problems. This gifted the lead to Sayre who was lucky to avoid a three-kart crash in turn 2 just prior to the 25-lap half way mark.
As the second half of the race kicked off, Sayre pulled away once again leaving the rest of the field to fight it out over the minor placing’s.
Leighton O’Brien was one of the hardest chargers throughout the night. He started seventh in the B-Main before gaining a transfer spot and starting thirteenth in the feature race. O’Brien worked his way past Daniel Morris on lap 34 to make his way onto the third step of the podium.
In a late scramble to the line, Sayre held on for the feature race win. He led 37 of the 50 laps and broke the lap record on the very last lap. He laid down a 15.092 after the record was originally broken earlier in the race by Katelyn Hickey. Sayre also became the fourth different race winner of the event in as many years.
Sayre said after the race, “This is awesome. It was a crazy race, so many different things going on. But that’s a part of racing; you learn from it and deal with it. But it’s fantastic to get the win.”
Hickey finished second in the race after starting back in the fourth spot. She worked her way to the front early but had no answer for Sayre out in front. The second result for her adds to what has already been a successful season after winning the KT Light State Title at Kurri two months ago.
“It was a tough race with all the bumps, but you got to do what you got to do. Dan was really quick out in front, I knew there was no catching him. My kart was also quick though, and handling really well, so I’m really pleased with second,” Hickey said.
O’Brien came home third, and with a new and improved hairstyle, he impressed many with his strong drive from the B-Main.
“The kart came on good in the B-Main and was lucky enough to carry that on in the feature. It was an awesome race, bit rough, but it was great,” mentioned O’Brien.
Daniel Morris enjoyed another consistent finish in the 50 Lap Shootout when he finished fourth, while Brad Cunnenn, fresh of his trip to Darwin, completed the top five. Matthew Ferguson and Peter McKenzie were the last of the finishes home in sixth and seventh respectively.
In the junior categories, Brayden Shute was too strong in the cadets final, darting around the outside of lap traffic to take the win. Skye Loder continued her impressive run by finishing second in the final. Chloe Angilley completed the top three.
For the second year in a row, Zak Blanch won the Rookies class at the 50-lap event by beating home Connor Moreau and Holy Cady. Moreau pressured Blanch for the entire final race, even setting the fasted lap of the race, but was unable to get by Blanch for the win.
Jake Donaldson led from start to finish in the Junior National Pro final, holding off the brother’s combination of Luke Sayre and Andrew Sayre.
Next race meeting for the Central Coast Speedway Kart Club is Round 6 of the club championship, Sunday August 24. All details can be found at www.ccskc.com.au
The Central Coast Speedway Kart Club would like to acknowledge and thank the 2014 club sponsors:
Huckel Excavations , Precision Motorsport, C&A Mobile, MFM Omega Racing Karts , Bleeding Edge Computers, Express Lube, Boxsell Graphix, Davistown RSL.
