Jeremy Lavelle (66), holds off Hunter Ross (26) and Mark Dunbar (56) during racing at the Australasian Karting Gold Cup at Dubbo's Lincoln County Raceway last weekend. Photo: Josh Heard
Despite a decrease in driver numbers, Dubbo Kart Club’s annual Australasian Gold Cup has been labelled a success with some great racing on show.
With the congested kart racing calender and a meet at Grenfell next week, many drivers from across the state and country found it hard to commit to travelling to Dubbo last weekend for Dubbo Kart Club’s biggest event but club member Bert Wrigley still praised the racing.
“We were just unlucky in the dates as well as there were meetings in Canberra, Eastern Creek and Wagga on the weekend but the quality of drivers and racing was really good and people were happy with the prizes and everyone went away happy,” he said.
Dubbo was well represented on the day with 24 racers from the club joined by drivers from Orange, Tamworth, Canberra, Sydney and even one from Melbourne.
The local riders impressed on the day by picking up wins in seven of the nine classes available. Blake Fardell, winner of the Rookie class, and Nicholas Riley, in the Junior National Light class, both set new lap records in the process.
“We do have good drivers here,” Wrigley said.
“For the size of the club we can go just about anywhere and represent pretty well. A lot of the guys here are pretty good drivers so other drivers can’t just come to Dubbo and think it’s going to be a cakewalk.”
Wrigley, who’s son Luke finished second behind Riley to create an all Dubbo podium with Tyler Everingham in the Junior National Light class, also returned to racing for the first time in a number of years to take out the Restricted 125 Heavy class.
“I’ve raced since 1988 but I gave up racing about four or five years ago because my son was getting more competitive with his racing,” he said.
“So I pulled the pin to concentrate on him but for a bit of fun I dusted off and it was good to get out there and still do it and came away with the win.”
Makk O’Neil (Cadets), Jack Koenig (Restricted 125 Light class), Peter Whale (TAG125 Heavy class) and Michael Riley (Clubman Light class) were the other Dubbo drivers to win on the day while Darren Harris of the North Shore club won the Senior National Pro class and Sydney’s Warrick Norris won the Clubman Heavy field – a thrilling race that reached some real top speeds.
At the conclusion of the day the junior Gold Cup was won by Canberra’s Theodore Livanes and the senior Gold Cup finished in a tie between Bradley Newman of Orange and Grenfell’s Richard Drooger.
