OGKRC’s starter Paul Griffiths has filed the following race report after the last event of the race season, Saturday’s November Club Day Races.
Oakleigh’s last Club Day for 2012 was to be a day / night meeting on Saturday with heats run in the afternoon and finals run in the evening under the Oakleigh lights. If you’ve never seen racing under lights, get along to Oakleigh’s Junior Top Guns meeting on the 18th and 19th of January next year. If you’re a Cadet, Rookie or Junior (or parent of one) – mark it down for next year now! The spectacle of karts under lights, the sensation of extra speed all the driver’s say they feel make it one not to miss.
Back at the November Club Day and conditions were hot and blustery in the afternoon, temperatures in the 30’s as we got underway.
Rookies
Heat 1 and Jake Harewood off pole with Oscar Piastri and Mathew Steel behind him, then Patrick Forrester, Maximmo Torcasio and Luka Anicic. Piastri to the lead at the start and Steel followed him through, Torcasio too, and after one lap Jack Bell was through to 4th after starting 9th. Steel got Torcasio back for 2nd and Bell was closing on him too, but out front it was Piastri with a handy break. Anicic’s race ended with 7 to go when he dropped a chain out of Tony Kart turn, leaving Steel, Torcasio and Bell engaged in a fierce fight for positions 2 through 4. With 3 to go Piastri was 4 seconds ahead, Steel had pulled small gap to be clear in 2nd, then Bell and Torcasio and that’s how they finished.
Heat 2 Devan Nicholls, Bell then Jordan Dudfield and Kain Kugimiya. Good job by Nicholls at the start to hold out the more experienced Bell, but Bell through in the Dipper lap 1 to the lead, then Torcasio flying through the field with Piastri, and Steel took over from Bell on lap 2. Bell back the lead a lap later and these 4 turned on a great show as they cleared out on the field. First Bell, then Steel leading, then Bell back to 4th, Piastri 2nd, Torcasio 3rd. Too much to keep up with!! By halfway Steel still the leader but Piastri under him at MKC corner, Steel had a look at JSKC corner but stayed where he was. Piastri then pulled a small gap; Steel, Torcasio, Bell, then a gap back to Dudfield, Luka Anicic and Kugimiya. Steel wasn’t letting Piastri go out front and closed in on him with 2 to go. Torcasio black flagged with 1 to go for receiving outside assistance after a tangle, Piastri just clear at the front from Steel, well back to Bell then Anicic and that’s how they finished.
Darkness descends so lights on for Heat 3 and Piastri off pole then Steel and Bell and it was Steel getting the jump on Piastri at the green, Nicholls an unlucky DNF lap 1 off at Grid corner. Steel, Piastri and Bell locked together after 2 laps and pulling away from Harewood, Torcasio and Anicic. Piastri to the lead a lap later and these 2 gapped Bell with Steel not letting Piastri go. For lap after lap Steel hung onto the back of Piastri, looking a chance to get past at the end of the straight each time, but gradually Piastri broke away. Back in the pack Anicic now 4th from Torcasio and Dudfield, these 3 now the close group. Eventually Piastri the winner by just over a second from Steel then Bell, then back to the close group of Anicic, Torcasio and Dudfield in that order.
All points result for the day Rookies: 1. Piastri 2. Steel 3. Bell
Junior National Light
Matthew Iredale the pole man, then Jamie Westaway, Nicholas Steel and Andrew Sotiropolous. At the green Iredale got away and Steel to 2nd, then Westaway and Lucas Filikotzias through from 7th. Iredale and Steel cleared out but Luke Guillou was the big mover, through to 3rd and after them by lap 3 from 8th, with Spencer Ackerman in 4th, Steel got under Iredale at the halfway mark and Guillou was closing too – the first three a tight bunch. Guillou under Iredale into the Dipper and through to 2nd – sights now set on Steel. An awkward look at Arrow corner next lap wasn’t successful but then he got him in the same spot the following lap. Good job by Guillou who proceeded to pull a small gap and win from Steel, Iredale and Ackerman.
James Barnes, Nicholas Sims, Guillou and Lucas Filikotzias the front 2 rows for Heat 2. During the roll around laps a sudden heavy shower of rain appeared from nowhere – don’t you love Melbourne! Sims and Guillou adapted best, the whole field of course on slicks, and waltzed off to the lead, Barnes, then Ackerman behind them. As quickly as it started, the rain stopped and the track soon dried, almost as quickly as Guillou went to a good lead, Ackerman through to P2. Iredale had come through to 3rd, then Steel recovering from a poor start where he got stuck behind a slower kart. With 4 to go no change in the order other than Steel moving into 3rd ahead of Iredale – Guillou looked untouchable out front, Ackerman just as lonely in 2nd and they went on to finish in that order.
Guillou then Steel, Ackerman then Iredale – a quality first four in Heat 3. After one lap the front 3 were the same, with Sims through to 4th over Iredale. Guillou established a good break on the rest, Steel and Ackerman close together, and Sims not letting these 2 get away. Behind them still Iredale than Andrew Sotiropolous, Westaway and Barnes. At the halfway mark Ackerman got under Steel at JSKC corner to go to 2nd, Sims still watching – in fact catching them – back in 4th. No problems for Guillou though, clearly the leader out front, all interest now on 2, 3 and 4. With 2 to go Ackerman had a break but Steel and Sims right on each other. At the chequered Guillou then Ackerman with Steel just holding off Sims for 3rd.
All points result for the day Junior National Light: 1. Guillou 2. Ackerman 3. Steel
Sportsman 125 Heavy
Andrew Yuill P1 then Chris Dudfield, Adrian Sarkadi and Vern Kranz as they began Sportsman Heavy. Yuill to a good lead as they got away, Sarkadi 2nd and Dudfield under pressure from Kranz in 3rd, eventually Kranz and Martin Ritchie get through and Dudders goes wide exiting the Dipper. By halfway Yuill, Daylight, Sarkadi, More Daylight, then Kranz, leading a much tighter bunch with Ritchie getting past him with 4 to go. Ritchie then started catching Sarkadi but no one was getting near Yuill. 2 to go and Ritchie under Sarkadi who was going off big time, Rhys Hunt closing on him too. At the chequered Yuill, Ritchie and Sarkadi just holding off Hunt, however Yuill was subsequently DQ’d for being underweight, giving Ritchie the win.
Heat 2 and Ritchie gets to lead from the start this time, Hunt, then Ashley Thompson and Greg Smart behind him. Ritchie, Hunt then Smart fill the first 3 spots as Yuill has a way too ambitious attempt at winning the race in the first corner and takes out Thompson, himself and Sarkadi on lap 1. Ritchie drove away at the front but Smart closed on Hunt, Kranz back in 4th and Dudfield rounding out what’s left. In the end Smart couldn’t get past, so Ritchie, Hunt and Smart.
Ritchie off pole, Hunt 2nd and Smart and Kranz 3 and 4 courtesy of a couple of DNF’s to others in the heats. Ritchie got away well from Hunt and Smart, then Kranz and Thompson and they soon spread well out to turn on one of those races were very little happens. Ritchie a comfortable winner in the end, then Hunt then Smart.
All points result for the day Sportsman 125 Heavy: 1. Ritchie 2. Hunt 3. Smart
Junior Clubman
“Boof” Slits off the front, Jordan Holowell P2, then Damon Strongman, Matt McLean and Matthew Lane. Lane a non starter after a problem in the roll around laps and Holowell straight to the front, then Mclean, Jordan Poxon from 6th, Strongman and Ashton Andoloro after a couple of laps with Slits dropping back at the start. Strongman through to 3rd with 4 to go but Holowell and McLean are a long way in the distance out front and that’s how they ended up.
Andoloro off 1 this time, with Justin Carless beside him and Poxon and Lane on row 2. Andoloro to the front but hot on his tail Lane and Strongman, these 3 well clear of Poxon, Holowell and McLean after a couple of laps. Strongman through to 2nd with 7 to go and after Andoloro who he passed into the Carousel one lap later. McLean and Holowell starting closing on the lead group and soon we had a group of 5 at the front although Strongman was edging away. Holowell got under Mclean at MKC Corner with 3 to go and Lane was right on Andoloro, taking him at grid corner that lap and Holowell followed him through. All this let Strongman drive away, Holowell through to 2nd into the Dipper past Lane, then McLean, Andoloro and Carless – who rolled to a stop a couple of corners later. In the end Strongman comfortably; Holowell, Lane, McLean and Andoloro behind him.
Pole man was Holowell, 2nd Strongman, 3rd McLean, then Lane and Andoloro for Junior Clubman Heat 3. Strongman the jump at the start so Holowell was going to have to work for it, Lane and McLean behind them. Holowell seemed to have the top end pace, reeling Strongman in at the end of the straight but not quite able to get past. This is how they stayed for a few laps, then suddenly he and Strongman tangled coming out of Tony Kart turn, Lane also losing his nosecone in the same incident – so close together were they, and all three of them out of the race. A shame as it looked like being a great dice. This handed McLean, who had been right on them in 4th, the lead and brought Carless into 2nd, Andaloro 3rd then Slits the 4th of 4. The order as they progressed to the flag was unchanged, McLean an easy victor.
All points result for the day Junior Clubman: 1. McLean 2. Andoloro 3. Holowell
Sportsman 125 Light
Robert Barnes , Shane Alabaster, Shane Kovacs, Corey Paterson, Mark Appleby and Wayne Morgan the field in Sportsman Light. Alabaster a great start and to the lead from Barnes. After 2 laps Alabaster well clear, Kovacs through on Barnes with Morgan and Paterson on his tail, Appleby dropping a wheel and dropping back to the rear. By halfway Alabaster 3 seconds clear of Kovacs, who was another 4 seconds clear of Paterson – Appleby back in the battle closing on Morgan who was right on Paterson. In the end, Alabaster easily, then Kovacs and Appleby getting through to 3rd – a good recovery considering where he was earlier in the race.
Morgan and Appleby off the front here, Paterson and Kovacs behind them. Would Appleby be able to reproduce the speed he had in Heat 1? Yes, if his start was any indication, driving away as Morgan and Kovacs looked on – then disaster! A mechanical problem saw Appleby roll into the in grid a lap later – leaving Morgan and Kovacs, Peterson and Alabaster to fight it out with Barnes well back after a spin in lap 1. The front four were all over each other – less than a second covered the lot, but gradually Morgan pulled a break, albeit a small one. Before long the gap had evaporated and Kovacs and Co. were right back on him. 4 to go and Kovacs under Morgan at JSKC but then they swapped back on the way out – same next lap but a tiny tap by Kovacs as he passed him had Morgan well back on the way out this time. Paterson made a spectacular exit under the starter’s box with 2 to go leaving Kovacs a clear leader and Morgan and Alabaster fighting it out for 2nd and 3rd, Morgan the winner of that battle in the end.
Heat 3 and Kovacs led them away from Alabaster and Barnes, then Morgan, Paterson and Appleby, but Appleby soon through to 4th then pressing for 3rd. Kovacs just holding off Alabaster, Barnes just holding off Appleby – great racing, Appleby really finding it hard to get around Barnes. Halfway and this was still the order, Kovacs just pulling a gap on Alabaster but nothing in the Barnes, Appleby, Morgan, Paterson battle further back. Finally Appleby into 3rd at Grid Corner and this split the group up a bit – now Appleby cleared out and Paterson trying to round up Barnes. At the end all Kovacs out front, Alabaster 2nd and Appleby 3rd then Barnes, Paterson and Morgan.
All points result for the day Sportsman 125 Light: 1. Kovacs 2. Alabaster 3. Barnes
Clubman Light
Caleb Citrine off 1 then Maxwell Benson, David Frizziero and Ben Creed. Citrine a good start from Benson but Michael Nichols the big mover along with Wayne Bourke though to 3 and 4 respectively after 2 laps. Nichols to the lead on lap 3, under Citrine in the Dipper. Bourke into 3rd by halfway and setting fastest laps, so look out up front. With 3 to go Bourke went under Citrine at Grid Corner and after some heart in mouth moments between these two and Creed, Bourke pulled away. Out front though, it was Nichols in a canter.
Allen and Nichols off the front and Nicholls to the lead at the green, Allen, Bourke, Angelo D’Ettorre and Creed behind him. Bourke passed Allen on Lap 4 to go into 2nd but a big job now to catch Nicholls, who was over a second clear out front. Bourke had a tenth on him with 4 to go, but laps looked like they might run out, the gap still over a second with 3 to go. In the end it would be Nicholls, Bourke, Allen and D’Ettorre.
Nichols then Bourke, Allen then Citrine as Clubman Light began Heat 3 and a good get away by Bourke around the outside at the start, followed by Nichols, Citrine and Allen, then D’Ettorre, Creed, Frizziero and Benson. Bourke was honking out front leaving Nichols nearly a second adrift, then Citrine and Allen. D’Ettorre lost a wheel at Tony Kart turn ending his night while the race went on around him, Bourke still clear out front. Allen a DNF a lap later at JSKC corner – they were falling like flies, but Bourke, Nichols and Citrine secure in 1, 2 and 3 and that’s how they greeted the finisher.
All points result for the day Clubman Light: 1. Nichols 2. Bourke 3. Citrine
Sportsman 125 Restricted
In 2013 it has been decided that Restricted 125 will be split into Light and Heavy divisions, but for the last race of 2012 we have the spectacle of 33 karts taking to the track, 15 of them P Platers. Get ready for Action, Action, Action….(yes, I really have to write it three times)! And action is what we got – after a good start unfortunately we had a roll over mid pack and Richard Matera got a closer look at the track than he intended. The race was red flagged and karts returned to the pits, Matera not badly hurt but not a starter for the rest of the day. The second start was much better and all karts made it around the first lap with Ben Freeman, then German Coombes to the front, Coombes through to the lead after 6 and Kevin Coombes doing a great job to be through to 3rd. German looked a comfortable winner in the end, then James Humphrey who had come through to 2nd, Kevin Coombes, Ashan Perera and Alan Zammit.
Heat 2 Stephen Bideleux first, Alan Davison then Kevin Coombes led the big field out. Bideleux got away well and Kevin Coombes with him – unfortunately another red flag when German Coombes found the tyres and the fence at Arrow corner at rather high speed on lap 2, but he walked away shaken if not stirred, so back to the in grid they go. Bideleux then Kevin Coombes led them away at the single file restart – and that’s how they started with Perera through to 2nd before long, further back in the pack all sorts of bouts were going on, but Bideleux, Perera and Coombes were glued together at the front with Brenton Kaitler joining them as the race progressed. With 3 to go Bideleux and Perera came together going into the Carousel, result Perera to the lead, Coombes then Kaitler – Bideleux back to 8th and that’s how they finished with Zammit and Grover 5th and 6th.
Perera the pole man from Kevin Coombes, Zammit and Kaitler – let’s hope they get away cleanly in R125 Heat 3. Get away cleanly they did with all karts completing the first lap, led by Perera then Kevin Coombes, Kaitler then Zammit, Bideleux and Alex Limon. Soon Coombes was right on Perera for the lead and other skirmishes were breaking out back in the field, but on the whole they all stayed on track. Disaster for Perera, out of the race with 5 to go after possibly some contact with Coombes who inherited the lead, then Zammit and Bideleux close together behind him but lapped traffic allowed Bideleux to get past Zammit. Coombes a comfortable winner in the end, Bideleux, Zammit, then Kaitler and Grover finished behind them.
All points result for the day Sportsman 125 Restricted: 1. K.Coombes 2. Zammit 3. Kaitler
Cadets
One of three feature classes this month, fastest qualifier was Braydon Callaghan, then Joshua Troiani and Kai Upiter. Callaghan off to a good start, Upiter 2nd and Troiani 3rd. Back of the pack making his debut was Mason Kelly, son of V8 Supercar team owner and driver Todd Kelly, along with two other worthy debutants Joshua Hocking and Michael Horner. All Callaghan out front, Troiani back into 2nd and Upiter 3rd and that’s how they finished.
Heat 2 and Callaghan away again, then Upiter and Troiani, then P Platers Horner, Hocking and Kelly. Troiani right on Callaghan this time – not going to be the walk away win he had in Heat 1. Lap after lap they battled away, Troiani never losing touch, sometimes looking to make a pass, but not quite getting close enough and in the end Callaghan hung on to win by 2/10ths.
Callaghan off P1 then Troiani, Upiter, Horner, Hocking, Kelly missing in the Final, and at the green it’s Troiani – the first time Callaghan hasn’t led a lap of Cadets all day. Well done Troiani who holds Callaghan at bay for several laps until he dives under him in the Dipper, Upiter motoring away in 3rd, then Horner and Hocking. By halfway through the Final Callaghan has over a second lead from Troiani and can smell the champagne, Upiter well back in 3rd and Horner and Hocking 4th and 5th respectively. Six laps later, nothing had changed – chequered flag time, well done to Braydon Callaghan.
Final only result for the day Cadets: 1. Callaghan 2. Troiani 3. Upiter
Junior National Heavy
Qualifying in Junior National Heavy sees Dylan O’Keefe off P1, then Jordan Poxon and Matthew Lane. Poxon a great job at the start to go around O’Keefe and then Justin Carless through to 3rd, behind him Edward Brown, James Mastorakis and Kyle Hunt. On lap 3 O’Keefe back to the lead and pulled a gap on Poxon who was also clear of a group led by Carless, Brown and Mastorakis, then another gap back to Hunt and Matthew Rhodes. At 4 to go O’Keefe was only about 6 kart lengths clear of Poxon, but looked comfortable and took the win by just under a second.
Lane, Carless and Poxon all through on O’Keefe at the start this time, then Rhodes and Mastorakis with Rhodes getting past O’Keefe too on Lap 2. Lane and Poxon pulled clear out front, Carless shadowing them only a fraction further back, behind them O’Keefe regained some ground, now leading Mastorakis and Rhodes. With 3 to go Poxon was all over Lane, but Lane held on until Poxon got past into the Carousel on the last lap to take the win.
Poxon, O’Keefe, Carless and Mastorakis your front 2 rows in Junior National Heavy and after some dramas in the roll arounds they got away – Poxon your leader but Carless under him on the first lap, then O’Keefe and Mastorakis, Hunt and Rhodes, Lane then Brown, Lane out after an exuberant move into JSKC corner. The first 6 madly at it, less than a second covered them even 4 laps in – good close racing! Carless, O’Keefe, Poxon, Mastorakis, Hunt then Rhodes the order. With 6 to go the front 4 were a train – lap after lap they continued – finally O’Keefe to the lead in the Carousel and Poxon back to 4th. All the while a few drops of rain were building up – what else could happen? Carless back to the lead is what else could happen, and happen it did with 3 to go, but O’Keefe wasn’t going away and back into the lead at the Carousel with 2 to go, Poxon pounced for 2nd while Mastorakis ran wide and dropped to 4th behind Carless. Start of the last lap and it’s O’Keefe, Carless, Poxon, Mastorakis and Rhodes all locked together. At the Carousel Poxon goes under Carless for 2nd, then Mastorakis under Carless for 3rd and Grid Hairpin, then Carless back under him at MKC but out front it was all O’Keefe from Poxon then Carless – a frantic few last laps and a great finish.
Final only result for the day Junior National Heavy: 1. O’Keeffe 2. Poxon 3. Carless
Clubman Heavy / Clubman Super Heavy
Clubman Heavy was the final feature class and fastest qualifiers were Chris Thomas, Lachlan Citrine, David Dvorak then El Presidente himself – Adam Bourke. Behind them, the Super Heavy’s Steve Polak, Malcolm Hunt and Darren Kemp. At the green Citrine to the front and Bourke through to 2nd, while pole man Thomas tangled with Peter Gooch just after the first corner – result: both DNF. Meanwhile Anthony Westaway was through to 3rd. In Supers it was Polak ahead of Hunt then Kemp. Citrine had pulled clear of Bourke and Westaway was clear in 3rd, behind them James Sidwell, Dvorak and Kevin Nicholls. Pretty much no change to the end then, but unfortunately for Citrine the lack of a transponder handed the win to Bourke, Supers no change: Polak, Hunt, Kemp.
Thomas off to a much better start in Heat 2 ahead of Citrine, Bourke, Dvorak, Westaway and the heavily bandaged kart of Gooch – Super Heavy was Polak, Hunt and Kemp, but Hunt putting the pressure on Polak. By halfway Thomas was looking good out front, Citrine clear in 2nd and the Presidential Kart of Adam Bourke was OK in 3rd, but Gooch was lurking not that far back in 4th. Supers saw Hunt pass Polak while Kemp soldiered on in 3rd. With 3 to go Gooch was on Bourke and sailed under him at JSKC. In the end Thomas all clear at the front, then Citrine, Gooch then Bourke and in Supers it was Hunt, Polak and Kemp.
Clubman Heavy and fittingly it’s the Prez himself off P1, Adam Bourke, then Dvorak, Sidwell and Thomas. Super Heavy is Hunt, Polak and Kemp. After a lap Thomas has rounded up Bourke, Citrine through to 3rd and Sidwell 4th. Soon however the crafty Gooch has moved to 4th, sights set on Citrine and Bourke, but Thomas was well clear out front. In Supers Hunt leads Polak and Kemp. Before long Citrine is closing on Bourke and with 7 to go gets under him at MKC corner, Gooch still hovering in 4th, and then on Lap 7 he passes the presidential motorcade – Bourke now off the podium in 4th. Thomas doing it easy out front, Citrine lonely in 2nd and Gooch ever so slightly pulling away from Bourke in 3rd and that’s how they finished. Mal hunt taking out Super Heavy from Polak and P Plater Kemp.
Final only result for the day Clubman Heavy: 1. Thomas 2. Citrine 3. Gooch
All points result for the day Clubman Super Heavy: 1. Hunt 2. Polak 3. Kemp