MATT MCLEAN BUILDS MOMENTUM IN GEELONG

Matt McLean leading the KA3 Senior field (Pic: Coopers Photography)

The second round of the Australian Kart Championship has got underway in spectacular fashion at Geelong’s International Karting Raceway today with tight racing among every category.

Defending KA3 Senior Australian Champion, Matthew McLean has taken his Arrow chassis to victory in each one of the three heat races conducted throughout the day.

Whilst it might look like a dominant performance from McLean, it is far from it with a number of drivers taking turns at leading throughout the course of the three races. Young Top Gun Racing Academy driver, Oscar Priest is right among the frontrunners having qualified on the front row and multiple Australian Champion James Sera is right with Priest and McLean. Others to impress include Jack Bell and Benjamin Mouritz, whilst five times Australian Champion, Matt Waters could challenge for a podium come tomorrow should things fall his way.

In the X30 category, entries exceeding track capacity led organisers to split the field into four groups for heat racing. This delivered phenomenal racing throughout the day with Gladstone-based Deadly Kart driver, Jordi Marcon recording his first ever Australian Kart Championship heat race win. Another to achieve that feat was West Aussie Ben Harders – who has been showing incredible speed on-board his FA Kart. South Aussie Morgan Feast recorded two heat race wins, so too his regular AKC rival, Justin Francis and former National Champion, Brendan Nelson.

Nelson was also able to take a win in the TaG 125 category on board his KAOS Karting FA Kart, sharing the heat race wins pole-sitter Joshua Rogers in his Praga Kart and CompKart Australia driver, Joshua Car.

South Australian Daniel Price (Pic: Coopers Photography)

In KZ2, round one winner, Troy Loeskow kept his good streak going on board his Vrooam Lubricants Ricciardo Kart taking the first heat race victory, whilst in the second race this afternoon, South Australian Daniel Price took his Team CRG Australia entry to the win, however JC Kart’s Aaron Cameron was nipping at his heels.

Jace Matthews, who was one of four Ricciardo Kart drivers to win at Newcastle’s round one scored a double win today in a highly competitive KA1 field.

Matthews led the field around with Scott Sorensen keeping him honest – so too Ryan Sanderson and PCR’s Kyle Henry-Smith.

Sanderson – who’s company AME Management produces the Supercars Life TV Program about the personalities within the Virgin Australia Supercars paddock – makes his return to racing this weekend aboard the Pro Karting Formula K chassis.

In the elite KA2 Junior category, defending Australian Champion, Jack Doohan made a return to Australian competition after basing himself in Europe during the off season with immediate success.

He scored the pole position and heat race one win, however the second race didn’t go his way. An over-zealous move by a competitor in front of him left Doohan nowhere to go but to collide with the driver in front of him. Dropping him down the order, Doohan was charging back before spinning out of the race at the first turn.

His fellow Gold Coast-based Kosmic Kart competitor, Broc Feeney took a confidence boosting win in that heat race.

Jay Hanson leading Zac Chrichton in KA4 Junior (Pic: Coopers Photography)

KA4 Junior has generated some amazing racing once again today. Last year’s Champion, Cooper Webster and Jay Hanson have been going at it right throughout the day with the likes of JC Kart’s Zac Crichton getting involved as well.

Hanson has taken victory in two of the races with Webster edging his arch rival in the third.

The youngest category, Cadet 9 has been brilliant with any one of eight or nine drivers in with a genuine shot of taking the round win tomorrow.

The youngsters have put on a great show right from the very first race this morning.

New Zealander Emerson Vincent has been producing extremely quick laps right throughout – track position hasn’t been his friend in many cases, but he walked away with the first heat race win.

Ben Holliday from South Australia won the second heat, whilst in the third – Cadel Ambrose took the win. Ambrose was one of the foundation participants in Karting Australia’s SP Tools Junior Sprockets program and has gone on to compete regularly in the sport.

Cadet 12 has been incredible throughout the day – like X30 competitors had to be split into four groups due to increased numbers this round and it has delivered across the six races.

Shamick Racing’s James Wharton took two race wins from the front row throughout the course of the day, while Corbin Bailey was another to score two wins.

Fletcher Harris and Marcos Flack also tasted victory, but the wins didn’t come easy for any competitor – the final round of heats this afternoon both saw a group of 10 karts fighting it out for the win.

Tomorrow, hostilities will resume with the third heat for KA2, KA1 and KZ2 before the fourth round and then finals.

Coverage will be live streamed on karting.net.au from the first race due to take place at 8am Australian Eastern Standard Time.