OGKRC’s resident starter and life member Paul Griffiths has sent in the following race report after today’s June Club Day Races. Thank’s Paul.
As you may have read on the Club’s website, in recent days at Oakleigh it has been cold, windy and wet – and boy was it wet!! On Friday parts of the track were well underwater and only a mammoth effort by a number of new members, including Paul Barlow, Jamie Barrett, Steve Hewett and Duncan Rogers, and more work by perennial club helpers David Bell, Steve Carless, Steve Griffin and John Chapman saw the track ready for June Club Day racing on a chilly Sunday morning. President Adam Bourke sure knows when to take a holiday in Cairns!!
Following all this work we were able to go ahead with the meeting, and racing began with just a hint of sunlight breaking through the clouds.
Sportsman Light
Tim Edwards and Shane Alabaster off the front row in Heat 1 and pulled a gap on Mark Appleby and Josh King who was through to 4th after starting 7th. King then through to 3rd and Appleby rolled to a halt at Tony Kart Turn with 4 to go, then King got under Alabaster exiting the Dipper to go into 2nd. Edwards had a lead of 1.5 seconds by this stage and looked like he would win comfortably which he did, King 2nd then Alabaster who held off a fast finishing Michael Carless in 4th. Heat 2 was led off by King, then Carless, Corey Paterson then Edwards in 4th, and through to 3rd by halfway and from then on that’s how they remained.
Edwards then King shot to an early lead in H3, followed by Carless and Alabaster. After 3 laps King was slowly catching Edwards and by halfway was right on him. Carless had gotten clear in 3rd but the battle was on up front. King looked like he might pounce at any time but Edwards kept a cool head – for lap after closing lap King shadowed Edwards and tried at JSKC corner as they began the last lap but didn’t pull off the pass. Edwards hung on for a win by 2/10ths with Carless in 3rd.
All Points Result for the Day: 1. Edwards 2. King 3. Carless
Clubman Light
Ash Arora off pole and straight to a handy lead from Nicholas Ingham, Angelo D’Ettorre, Mark Appleby and Dylan Jordan. Ingham was not letting Arora get away out front and further back D’Ettorre and Appleby were locked together in 3rd and 4th, then Trevor Allen, Ben Creed, Dylan Jordan and P Plater Max Benson. With 2 to go Ingham looked like he might have a shot at the lead but Arora hung on to win, then D’Ettorre in 3rd, then 8/100ths back to Appleby in 4th. H2 was Appleby, D’Ettorre then Arora into 3rd after starting last. Allen and Ingham were unfortunate DNF’s on the first lap at JSKC corner – a shame since Ingham looked so promising in H1. Arora through to 2nd but a long way behind Appleby in the lead with 2 to go, D’Ettorre back in 3rd, then Ben Creed 4th and Jordan 5th and they received the flag in this order.
Arora to a good lead from Appleby then Creed and D’Ettorre as H3 of Clubman Light progressed. Ingham worked his way through after starting well back. Eventually the win went to Arora, then Appleby, Creed and Ingham.
All Points Result for the Day: 1. Arora 2. Appleby 3. D’Ettorre
Restricted 125
Ben Freeman led them off but on Lap 2 spun exiting Tony Kart turn and was stuck like a number of others on the wet grass off the track. This handed Stephen Bideleux the lead from Richard Matera, Wayne Morgan and Kevin Coombes. Matera through to the lead from Bideleux and Coombes through to 3rd with 1 to go and that’s how they finished. Heat 2 saw a messy first lap with a number of karts pirouetting at JSKC corner, but eventually Ashley Thompson to the lead, then Alan Zammit and H1 winner Matera 3rd. Zammit soon took the lead and Coombes was closing on Matera for 3rd with Thompson still in second. Then Coombes through to 2nd – although a P Plater he raced at Oakleigh a few years ago and puts his experience to good use in the R125 field. With 2 to go Coombes was right on Zammit’s crashbar and got under him at Grid hairpin on the last lap to record a win, followed by Matera and Thompson in 3rd and 4th.
A shower of rain greeted R125 as they took to the track for H3, more karts spinning than staying on track in Lap 1 – Matera then Bideleux, Chris O’Connor and Adam Jenkinson to the front once they settled down. As soon as it started, the rain stopped, leaving Matera and Bideleux out front only tenths apart, then Coombes well back in third, but a great recovery from a first lap off. Coombes was nearly 2 seconds quicker than anyone else on track, but laps were going to run out for him. Bideleux got past Matera for the win in the end, with Coombes a fast finishing 3rd.
All Points Result for the Day: 1. Matera 2. Coombes 3. Bideleux
Cadets
George Gower went to the lead from Jordan Dudfield and Braydon Callaghan, then Josh Troiani and Jack Thomas as the Cadets began their journey. Troiani was involved in a tangle on Lap 1 at JSKC Corner which resulted in a red flag and subsequently a restart, minus Troiani, who was able to walk away from the scene, and Callaghan who damaged his kart. At the restart Gower again to the lead from Dudfield then P plater Thomas well back in 3rd. The field spread further and further apart and progressed in this order for the remainder of the race – let’s hope things liven up in Heat 2! Half a lap was all it took for George Gower to go to the lead of H2, then Callaghan, then Dudfield who was dropping back through the field with a problem of some sort, then Troiani and Thomas well back. In a race that was only more interesting than the first because all the karts finished, Gower was an easy victor.
Gower led Dudfield and Callaghan after a couple of laps of H3, then a gap back to P Platers Troiani and Thomas. With 3 to go Gower had established a good lead and all interest centred on whether Callaghan could get past Dudfield for 2nd, which he could not so Gower, Dudfield then Callaghan.
All Points Result for the Day: 1. Gower 2. Dudfield 3. Thomas
Junior National Heavy
Matthew Lane and Jordan Poxon the front two here, followed by Matthew Rhodes, but Justin Carless and James Mastorakis soon through to 3rd and 4th. Carless was flying and into 2nd on Lap 3, setting his sights on Lane out front. With 3 to go he was under Lane at MKC corner for the lead, Poxon well back in 3rd and Mastorakis 4th. Lane didn’t let Carless get away – he got on the jets, got the head down and looked like he might reclaim the lead a couple of times but Carless held on by 2/10ths, then 3rd was Mastorakis who had snuck under Poxon, with Rhodes in 5th. Carless led Mastorakis, Lane then Poxon recovered for 4th after being shuffled back at the start as H2 began. These four seemed to get closer together as the race progressed and with one to go there was nothing in it, but Carless hung on from Poxon, Mastorakis and Lane in 4th.
Carless led them away as Poxon dropped back to 5th at the start, Mastorakis moving into 2nd, then Lane and Rhodes. Mastorakis into the lead at Tony Kart turn, Carless straight back under him, then Mastorakis again to P1 at Arrow and Carless back to 4th, Lane through to 2nd, Poxon 3rd then Carless and Rhodes. Who can keep up with the position changes in this race? Not me!! Mastorakis and Lane eventually pulled clear out front and with 2 to go Mastorakis had a 3/10ths lead. He stretched this to half a second and led Lane over the line, followed by Carless, then Poxon who tried desperately but unsuccessfully to get past Carless at Grid hairpin on the last lap, then Rhodes in 5th. Good close racing all day and a credit to those involved that they all finished.
All Points Result for the Day: 1. Carless 2. Mastorakis 3. Lane
Clubman Heavy / Clubman Super Heavy
Timothy Edwards led the Clubman Heavy field away, followed by Chris Thomas, then a tight bunch of Thomas Martin, Marcel Ghoukassian and Lachlan Citrine made up the first 5. Back in Clubman Super Heavy it was the usual suspects, Malcolm Hunt, Mark Hunt and Steve Polak. Edwards pulled a break in Heavy from Thomas, and Hunts Mark and Mal swapped spots in Supers when Mal made a small error exiting Tony Kart turn and that’s how they finished. H2 saw Thomas lead Heavys away from Ghoukassian then Edwards and in Supers Mal then Mark Hunt, then Steve Polak. Thomas and Ghoukassian put on a great battle for the lead in Heavys with Thomas eventually pulling away for the win, Mark Hunt, Mal Hunt, then Polak in Super Heavys.
Thomas, Edwards, then Martin in Heavy: Mal Hunt, then Mark Hunt, then Polak in Supers. Citrine got past Martin and was soon pressuring Edwards for 2nd, then got past at Tony Kart turn on Lap 4. Meanwhile out front Thomas pulled away, and in Super Heavy Mal led Mark by a tenth with Polak not far behind. Thomas had Heavy sewn up, but in Super Heavy it was much closer – Mal Hunt holding on over Mark by half a second.
All Points Result for the Day CH: 1. Thomas 2. Edwards 3. Martin
All Points Result for the Day CSH: 1. Mark Hunt 2. Mal Hunt 3. Polak
Junior National Light
After a number of roll arounds with fouled plugs and so on, we got underway and Nicholas Steel to the front, then Nicholas Sims and Luke Guillou, but Guillou to the lead after a lap and pulled a big gap. Back in 4th was Ashton Andoloro, then Cody Donald, Thomas French, Jason Kay and Andrew Sotiropolous. Guillou was untroubled out front, Steel and Sims battling for 2nd and 3rd. Sims had half a look into JSKC corner with 4 to go, then got under Steel going onto the Dipper a lap or two later. These two had pulled Guillou back at the same time and he led them across the line by less than a second at the end. Andoloro was away first in H2 and Guillou quickly through to 2nd, Sims 3rd, then Steel and Sotiropolous. On Lap 2 Guillou dropped back to 4th with Steel then Sims through to 2nd and 3rd. This gave Andoloro a good break on the field by halfway and Steel was well clear in 2nd while Sims and Guillou put on a battle for 3rd – Guillou’s pace from H1 having evaporated somewhat, while Steel and Andoloro had clearly found some. At the flag Andoloro, Steel, Sims, Guillou then Sotiropolous and Donald.
Andoloro to a handy lead at the start and Guillou unlucky to go off then rejoin as they began. By halfway Sims was closing, however he dropped back allowing Steel to get through to 2nd, but Andoloro was not going to be troubled out front and led Steel then Sims over the line.
All Points Result for the Day: 1. Andoloro 2. Steel 3. Sims
Rookies
Patrick Forrester an unlucky pole man in H1, fouling a plug in the roll arounds, so Jack Bell got the jump on them, then Blake Kolar, Oscar Piastri, Kain Kugimiya and Maximmo Torcasio, with P2 starter Mathew Steel relegated to 6th. Bell streaked away to lead by 1.5 seconds at half distance, Kugimiya through to 3rd, but Piastri past him on the straight with 3 to go, then Steel recovering in 5th. With 2 to go Kolar had reduced Bell’s lead to half a second but Bell hung on by a tenth to win. Kolar, Luka Anicic then Piastri as they began H2, then Bell, Torcasio and Steel. Piastri and Kolar looked set for a great battle, Piastri through to the lead at JSKC corner on Lap 3. Anicic was still with them and Bell was hovering in 4th. With 3 to go less than a second covered these 4 karts – anyone’s race! Eventually Piastri the winner, then Bell, who had fought through to 3rd, swooped under Kolar at Arrow corner to take 2nd by 2/10ths and Anicic back a bit in 4th.
Bell got a good start and led Anicic, Kolar, Torcasio and Steel away, Piastri following them and recovering from a poor start. By halfway Kolar looked to be going to make a move for 2nd and Piastri was through to 4th. Eventually Kolar got through at Arrow but Anicic got him back – all the while allowing Bell to go further away out front. Bell took the win and Anicic held out Kolar by a tenth for 2nd, then Piastri and Steel in 5th.
All Points Result for the Day: 1. Bell 2. Piastri 3. Kolar
Encouragement Award: Kain Kugimiya
Sportsman Heavy
Luke Andoloro straight to a big lead from Rhys Hunt, but Andrew Yuill soon into 2nd and shortly after Vern Kranz and Rhys Hunt came together and both out at JSKC corner, leaving only Andoloro, Yuill and Greg Smart on the track and that’s how they finished. After a wild and woolly first lap of H2, Rhys Hunt led Mark Hunt from Andoloro and Yuill, then Kranz and Smart. Andoloro and Yuill were soon putting pressure on the two Hunts out the front and Kranz wasn’t far back either – less than one second covered these 5 karts by halfway. Soon after, Andoloro was past Mark Hunt and looking to get under Rhys Hunt, but at JSKC corner they touched and dropped back to 4th and 5th giving Mark Hunt the lead from Yuill then Kranz. Despite Yuill’s best efforts Mark Hunt held on to win with Kranz 3rd.
Yuill the hard charger at the green, led Andoloro then Mark Hunt then Kranz on Lap 1. Kranz got through to 3rd on lap 3 and pulled a small gap on Mark Hunt who was coming under attack from Rhys Hunt. Out front Yuill was half a second ahead of Andoloro. With 2 to go Mark Hunt got under Kranz at JSKC corner while Andoloro was right on Yuill as they began the final lap. In the end they remained in that order – Yuill, Andoloro, Mark Hunt then Kranz.
All Points Result for the Day: 1. Yuill 2. Andoloro 3. Smart
Junior Clubman
Matthew McLean fastest qualifier in the Feature Class today, followed by Justin Carless, Jordan Poxon and Matthew Lane. McLean to the lead, then back to Poxon, Carless and Lane who engaged in a huge battle behind him until Lane ended up with what looked like a brand new Arrow X2 in the trap at JSKC corner. McLean was all alone out front but Carless and Poxon boxed on for the minor placings, Poxon eventually the victor of the two. In H2 it was McLean again from Carless, Poxon then Lane, and in a race better described as a procession, it looked like that was how they would finish. They did. Lane got close to Poxon towards the end; apart from this the most interesting aspect of the race was that all the karts competing were running even numbers.
The Final for the Feature Class got underway, and after a lap or two looked only a little different from the end of the second heat: McLean, Poxon, Carless then Lane. Then Lane got past Carless to elevate himself to 3rd, but Carless got him back with 6 to go. Once this excitement had died down, it took until the closing stages for the last three to bunch up and create some entertainment; McLean well clear at the front. The minor placings eventually remained unchanged – McLean, Poxon, Carless and Lane.