VICTORIAN JUNIORS SET THE TONE AT AKC IN MELBOURNE

Bradley Majman leading the KA2 field in Melbourne. (Pic: Pace Images)

Two Victorian juniors, Brad Majman and series debutante, Amos Orr have set the track alight in the opening heat races for the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship presented by Castrol EDGE in Melbourne on Saturday.

The event has attracted the highest entry numbers in Championship history, topping out at more than 320 entries with no less than three classes exceeding capacity limits.

Majman, in his second year of the elite junior competition took his first ever heat race win today in the class, while Orr has signalled his Championship intentions with a string of top three finishes, including a recovery in heat two, storming through the field after a collision with another driver.

Others to impress included New South Wales racer, Costa Toparis and Jake Rutkowski – while Queenslander Ryan McMillan rounded out the day with a heat race win.

In the premier KZ2 class it has been a day of woes for fancied Championship contenders, none more so than defending Champion, Troy Loeskow.

After qualifying fifth, he stalled on the grid in heat one and then on the next roll around lap, collided with another driver ending his first heat and this compromised his day. He’ll start the final heat well down the order.

It wasn’t such bad news for Adrian Haak, the young Sydney-sider won the first heat and has been among the front runners, while Henry Johnstone won heat two, however as another heat one non-finisher is still outside the front runners.

The pace-setter heading into Finals day though was WPK (Will Power Kart) driver, Cody Gillis. After qualifying down the order, Gillis was able to use a brace of blistering starts to get himself on the front row for heat three.

His ability to get off the line propelled him to the lead in that final race of the day and he’ll go to heat four on the pole.

Defending Australian Champion, Brad Jenner has been solid throughout the course of his X30 Title defence, being in the top two among his heat races, but Jacob Dowson and Jace Matthews are holding the aces heading into finals day.

Junior star, Alex Ninovic has graduated to KA3 Senior with aplomb, he is right at the front of the field and showing great form in his PCR, however Jace Matthews – the defending Champion doing double duty this weekend – is right among the front runners and will be a huge threat come the finals.

Maximus Chudasko, Winston van Laarhoven and Zachary Heard took the heat wins in TaG 125, but the ever present forces of defending Champion Brendan Nelson and perennial runner-up, Cody Brewcznski loom incredibly large.

Michael Janusz, Ben Munro and Patty Buckley have shared wins in an incredibly entertaining KA4 Junior event.

Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi has wasted little time in staking his claim for the Cadet 12 title this year with two heat race wins. The reigning Cadet 9 Champion finished second in the first heat to Hamish Campbell, but overall there are four or five drivers in with a shot to win tomorrow.

Blake Haigh, Carter Lamperd and Cruz Kelly shared the wins in a tightly bunched Cadet 9.

The final round of heats begins at 8am AEDT tomorrow morning with Finals to follow from approximately 11:30am.

Livestreaming of each event is being carried throughout this weekend, with full information available at www.watchmysportlive.tv/?campaign=karting

Entry to the Port Melbourne Kartway off Todd Road is free to the public.