11th September 2014

Jenner and Andrews finish 1-2 as Birel Kartsport Australia are awarded Best Presented Team - From Birel kartsport

Brad Jenner took the win in the Rotax Light final confirming his place in Team Australia at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals (Pic: Coopers Photography)

Rotax Light’s Brad Jenner has clinched his first ever Australian National Karting Championship, taking the win ahead of fellow RK Kart driver and G-Force Karting’s Nicholas Andrews. The weekend’s result was in addition to Birel Kartsport Australia being awarded the ‘Best Presented Team’ Award for the whole 2014 Rotax Pro Tour season.

The result from the 2014 Rotax Nationals provided Jenner with his first ever Australian National Karting title, subsequently also confirming his place in Team Australia for the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Spain. The Victorian took the wins in his RK Kart in all three of his heat races, before also taking victory in the pre-Final and Final, handing him the green plate.

“It was an amazing experience to win my first Australian Championship. It was good to see all the hard yards I have put in throughout the 2014 Rotax Pro Tour season finally pay off in the best way possible. I can’t thank the Birel Kartsport Australia team enough for their support over the whole year, to be the best presented team of the year is something very special to be part of.”

“I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to represent Australia at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Spain in November, I will be working closely with my pit crew, Matt Macken, and be giving it the best shot we possibly can against the best in the World,” Jenner said.

Andrews managed to secure two third place finishes from three heat races before finishing fifth in the pre-final. The speed from the RK Kart driver, being the third quickest on track, managed to move him forward, setting his quickest time in the final on lap 18 with a 49.187, subsequently taking second position.

Both Mitch Maddren and Hunter McElrea managed to secure top ten finishes in the oversubscribed Junior Max class in Saturday night’s Final. The pair managed top ten finishes in all three of their heat races across Friday and Saturday before finishing eighth and ninth respectively in the 20 lap Final race. Fellow Junior Max driver, Joshua Car finished the Final in 15th after experiencing a mixed weekend including two top ten finishes in the heat races.

DD2 driver Jaxon Evans carried extensive pace throughout the weekend, setting the third quickest time in qualifying with a 47.548 before recording two second place finishes in the three heat races on Saturday. After finishing seventh in the pre-final, Jaxon lead the Final in the mid stages of the race before an incident saw him taken out of contention on lap nine.

Birel Kartsport Australia team principal, Steve Macken, was ecstatic with the team being formally announced, ‘Best Presented’ for the 2014 season and credits much of the success to the fleet of drivers and crews that are actively involved at each and every event.

“I was really thrilled to receive on behalf of everyone in the Birel Kartsport Team the award for “Best Presented Team 2014”, it is great to receive peer recognition for the commitment to a job well done. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for wearing their Birel and RK uniforms with pride and, of course, for always assisting in the big job of setting up, unpacking, pulling down and packing up our team tents and race gear for each race meeting.”

“It has been a great year for our team with lots of highs and some lows but to gain recognition from our peers and be awarded best presented team for 2014 is a team effort so I have to thank each and everyone involved,” Macken said.

The 2014 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals take place in Valencia, Spain from November 25-29.