June 2010 Round 4 FEKC Club Championship and Southern Championship
Another hot month, another bumper grid at Forest Edge for round 4 of the 2010 Championship and also including the annual 2 day aggregated Southern Championship meeting. Over 160 drivers bowed their head in silence in remembrance of stalwart Chief Scruitineer Tony Trueman who sadly passed away a few weeks earlier having been on the Scruitineer scene in the South since the 1960’s!
B finals of Cadet and Junior Max were first out followed by the Minimax A final with Kieron Gifford on pole making a good getaway at the start from Piers Hickin, tucked in behind the front two were Joe Byrne and Elliot Hall. Gifford looked to be moving clear with the trio behind trading places, Hickin up to second with four laps to go suddenly found himself down to fourth at "Midgetts" with Hall following Byrne through on the inside. Two laps to go Hickin used Midgetts to regain both places and push after Gifford, at the line less than half a second separated the top four, Gifford in first, Hickin, Hall followed home by Byrne who clinched a new lap record.
In Rotax absolutely nothing separates the laptimes of the top thirteen runners all within 2/10ths of a second of each other’s lap times in the final to show how equal 2010 is for Rotax. Michael Cheek had a great day sitting on pole and with the bright sunshine got the breakaway leading into Haynes Loop and looked to have a comfortable few karts length lead from Jonathan Drabble and Michael Kent, three quarters length in a rare mistake from cheek allowed Drabble and Kent to move past and at the flag Kent took the win by half a kart length from Drabble with Cheek just behind. Craig Mooney with fastest lap could have done with a few extra laps to reel in the front trio and make a challenge for podium or even the win with extra pace toward the end of the race.
A combined 177 and Masters grid that continues to grow produced a full grid of 28 drivers and equal between both classes in numbers produced a great two days racing. Michael Parsons, one of the new refugees from Rotax sat on pole but his race was run before the start with a detached clutch, allowing Steve Pratt on old rubber due to bar code irregularities to move away from the field. Master (;-)) Pete Thomas was quicker than Pratt in the closing stages but had left it too late to take overall win with Nick Maton coming through with fastest laps to pressurise Pratt and use his better tyres to finish less than half a tenth behind his team mate. Thomas took third on track, Dan Bushell fresh from a Hamburger diet found his new refugee status rewarded with third placed 177, Jamie Drabble fourth. Kieron Woolgar finished second Master just on the back of Drabble, Chris Hartridge taking final podium slot for Masters.
In TKM Jonny Goddard managed to displace poleman Christopher Kasch mid race to secure first place, fastest man Martin Kirby suffered a retirement on lap four to ruin his day!
The Cadet A final saw Jordan Gilbertson set a new lap record and took an unchallenged win with a lights to flag victory. Behind him there were groups of four and five karts producing some fantastic racing that was enthralling to watch, Oliver York, George Thomson, Jordan Richards and Jason Duffett all moved into second and back to fifth constantly throughout the race and were equally matched proving Honda and Comer parity at the track. Last lap York found himself in second, Thomson again took Richards, Richards tried to respond at Midgetts, Duffett alongside, each youngster gave each other respect and more room then Vettel on his team mate to produce a fantastic climax to the race, Gilbertson first, York, Thomson, Richards and Duffett. Max Bird battled a few seconds behind with the Comers of Matteo Zanetti and James Thompson throughout the final to take fourth placed Comer home.
The A final for Junior Rotax was truly mouth watering with a full grid full of undoubted talent, local member Ollie Pidgley had pole with Nathan Harrison alongside, Harrison stormed into the lead at the start with Pidgely briefly dropping to third before resuming second before Whingers. For 4 laps Pidgley was glues to Harrisons bumper, lap five Harrison looked to have the race under control moving a few kart lengths clear leaving Pidgley to fall back into the reach of Jack Mayle, Levi Coombs and Cody Tree. Pidgley dug deep and on lap nine was back on Harrison’s bumper and looked stronger, looking to pressure Harrison into an error at every corner and just showing the front of his kart at every potential overtaking opportunity. Harrison never put a foot wrong, a mature drive taking the win from Pidgley who wished for one extra lap to add to a new lap record for the Wiltshire youngster. Levi Coombs edged out Mayle from Tree to take the final podium step in a fantastic race with another full grid looming in July.
Gearbox continues to see a renaissance at Barton Stacey with smiling faces at the new track changes, Jamie Garvie racing in both 125 and Rotax rounded off a tiring day with first place on track and first place in 125, Ben Gilliard took second place. 250 gearbox had Kenton Ashforth hold off Andrew Gulliford to secure a well deserved first place.
Another successful weekend’s racing with full grids across all the classes leads nicely to July’s showpiece event which will be a Help For Heroes event that is littered with donated prizes from the karting and Motorsport world, including the world famous Red Devils parachute display team who will be “dropping in” at 1pm on Sunday 4th July! Entries in early for July and bring all your spare change for Help For Heroes!!