STILL MUCH TO PLAY FOR IN MELBOURNE

The KA2 field fire into turn one at Port Melbourne (Pic: Coopers Photography)

There is still much to play out in the final round of the Australian Kart Championship presented by Jayco and Castrol EDGE at Port Melbourne’s Todd Road Karting Complex after heat racing got underway today.

While more than half of the Championships are likely to go down to the wire, four drivers claimed unassailable points leads and therefore go into the final day as Champions Elect.

Jack Doohan is Champion-elect for the second year in a row having amassed an unbeatable lead in the elite Junior category, KA2. Whilst the dominance he’s shown thus far to win three of the four rounds in 2016 isn’t on display, points accumulated ensure that barring any unforeseen intervention he will
be winging his way to Italy next month for the international RoK Cup on behalf of Vortex.

Sweet redemption came for Scott Sorenson in KA1. The Queenslander was assured of his maiden KA1 Title after qualifying his HDR Arrow chassis in pole position this morning. Last year heading into the final round, Sorenson was leading the Championship, only to strike trouble in the Final and had to settle for runner up.

Scott Sorensen is Champion-elect in KA1 (Pic: Coopers Photography)

Another Queenslander in Brendan Nelson won his third Australian Championship – and first one over a multi-round format in TaG 125. The KAOS Karting FA Kart racer from the Gold Coast secured the Title by crossing the line third in the opening heat. His closest Title rival – Joshua Car – who did his best to keep the Championship alive at the previous round continued keeping the hope alive setting the pole position and winning all three heats today.

Victorian Kai Allen is Champion-elect for the first time in Cadet 12, which is his first Australian crown. The CRG racer has been locked in battle with his Shamick Racing’s James Wharton. With Wharton spinning in the second heat and watching from the sidelines, Allen was able to finish inside the top three, which saw him secure enough points to wrap up the Championship a day ahead of the finale.

In other categories, the results aren’t so cut and dried.

The most frantically contested class this weekend is X30. With up to six drivers in with a shot of winning the Championship at the start of the day, the day ended with a new Championship leader.

Gold Coast-based Dutchman Marijn Kremers (Pic: Coopers Photography)

Dutchman Marijn Kremers – who last month finished 10th in the CIK-FIA International KZ2 Super Cup for Australian Formula 1 star, Daniel Ricciardo’s factory karting team – has not had a great weekend so far. He has not been able to score a point from qualifying or the three races and has dropped to second on the point standings.

Queenslander Adam Mercer has turned a 12 point deficit into a 10 point Championship lead. Receiving assistance from Bathurst 1000 Champion, Chaz Mostert this weekend, Mercer has played a cool hand whilst Kremers along with other Championship combatants, Daniel Rochford and Adam Lindstrom have been battling hard throughout the day.

Rochford has moved past Kremers in the Championship with 12 points up for a heat race win tomorrow and 25 points for the Final victory.

South Aussie Morgan Feast has been the cream of the crop this weekend so far in X30 and could in fact inflict some damage in the final should the Championship fight escalate.

The other close senior class is KA3. Leader coming into the weekend, Matt McLean holds a seven point lead heading into tomorrow over fellow Victorian, Cody Donald. Local Melbourne driver, Jordan Nicolaou has been the pace of the field in his Shamick Racing entry. Qualifying on pole and taking victory in all three heats – along with other results – has brought him to 10 points adrift of McLean with another heat and the finals tomorrow.

David Sera is closing in on his 18th Australian Championship (Pic: Coopers Photography)

David Sera is chasing his 18th Australian Championship. The Deadly Kart driver qualified on the second row of the grid today however is in the box seat over Marijn Kremers (who is racing two categories this weekend).

Despite copping a five point penalty after a Stewards Inquiry into an incident at the last round, Sera’s points lead sits at 24 points over Kremers with two heats and the final tomorrow. Young Canberra based racer, Joshua Fife was awarded the Aaron Ivermee Medal for qualifying his Energy Chassis on the pole position.

The hotly contested KA4 Championship is yet to be decided, however Sydney driver, Benito Montalbano occupies the box seat. The Scuderia PCR Australia driver extended his Championship lead to 25 points over Jay Hanson and Travis Worton who are equal second in the standings.

Hanson pushed past New South Welshman and round two winner, Travis Worton who got caught up in a qualifying skirmish and was forced to start from the rear of grid.

Cooper Webster has been supreme throughout the course of the weekend so far and has positioned himself third on the Championship table with another heat and the final to go.

In Cadet 9, Ryan Tomsett has closed in on becoming the youngest Australian Karting Champion in history after holding solid throughout the day. He holds a 31-point lead over Alex Ninovic and needs to continue his good form tomorrow to secure the Title. Ben Holliday, who came into the weekend with a mathematical shot of winning the Series set the pole position and has been in the top pair throughout the course of the day in heat racing.

All races from the final day of the Australian Kart Championship, presented by Jayco and Castrol EDGE will be live streamed on the Karting Australia website at www.karting.net.au.