Round three for go karts - From the Whyalla News

FRONT STRAIGHT: local driver Jeremy Head coming onto the front straight during a recent meeting. Pic: Whyalla News

Saturday April 6 saw the Whyalla Kart Club hold round three of its club championship.

This round welcomed new drivers Matthew Clarke (junior national medium) and Ethan McPhail (Sportsman SA).

Racing commenced with the cadets putting on a show for the crowd with close racing by the boys.

Local driver Cooper Jones won all his races for the day closely followed by regular Adelaide drivers Aaron Oliver and Bond Brady.

Young Brayden Steward continues to show promise and will be up there pushing the rest of the drivers soon.

The next class to hit the track was the 125 restricted heavy/clubman heavy combined class.

Unfortunately due to mechanical problems this class was heavily reduced in numbers with only local driver Brian Sampson left to edge out Adelaide regular Steven Oliver for first place.

The 125 restricted light/clubman light combined class was probably the racing of the day.

Neil Schmidt led the way early, continually pulling away and finishing on the top podium for the day.

The fight for second and third was far more dramatic, four drivers fighting it out for the final two podium places of the day.

Club president Dennis Cumerlato was fortunate to gain a four point buffer over Angelo Karoussis to take second and third respectively.

This was however not an easy task with Sodi Kart driver Chris Reid pushing the guys for every lap.

The fight for the final two places for the day came down to not only the last race for this class of the day but to the last three corners.

Junior national medium class was again a close event, only four points separating first, second and third.

Boolaroo driver and now regular to Whyalla Bethany Simpson fought hard to keep Adelaide driver Jack Haverland and local driver Isabella Cumerlato behind her.

This was not an easy task with places regularly changing until the last couple of laps when the race settled down.

Bethany Simpson first, Jack Haverland second and Isabella Cumerlato third.

Final class for the day was Sportsman SA.

Sportsman SA had close individual racing happening all day with Darrol Jones and Kade Lawson at the front fighting it out for first and second place all day, hot on their heels was Jeremy Head.

However this was not always easy with Rob Butt in only his second race jostling at times with Jeremy for third.

First time driver Ethan McPhail did not disgrace himself either with hints of becoming a potential front runner in the future.

Results

Cadets
1st; Cooper Jones, 2nd; Aaron Oliver, 3rd; Bond Brady

Junior National
1st; Bethany Simpson, 2nd; Jack Haverland, 3rd; Isabella Cumerlato

Sportsman SA
1st; Darrol Jones, 2nd; Kade Lawson, 3rd; Jeremy Head

125 Light/Clubman combined
1st; Neil Schmitt, 2nd; Dennis Cumerlato, 3rd; Angelo Karoussis

125 Heavy/Clubman combined
1st; Brian Sampson, 2nd; Steve Oliver