June 7th 2009 Round 5 FEKC Club Championship
Round 5 of FEKC’s 2009 Championship was also the two day Southern Championship event and a day earlier the delivery of two new buildings to be up and running as a clubhouse hopefully for the next meeting! A welcome display from the Historic Kart Club provided a great opportunity for today’s drivers to see close up the quality machinery of yesteryear and Ayrton Senna’s kart!
Rotax ran as the first final of the day with last year’s Champion Jacques Jensen returning to ForestEdge starting from pole, with Jonathan Drabble alongside. For the first half of the race Drabble pushed Jensen hard with little to separate the pair, the remainder of the run saw Jensen just eek small gains each lap to take the win and Southern Championship from Drabble. Chris Gibbs came through from 5th place to secure the final podium position.
Senior TKM saw Dan Bushell take a lights to flag victory and fastest lap to round off a perfect day, Matthew Cardwell lost a couple of tenths per lap from Bushell to secure second place, Tom Brown held off Jonny Goddard to take the final podium step.
The cadet libre grid saw a complete mix of the three classes in the top eight and only a second and a half separating all of them at the chequered flag to produce a great final! Ryan Anderton lined up on pole Comer shod, David Wright’s WTP alongside, row two Cory Steven’s WTP and Jordan Gilbertson Comer. At the start Wright moved clear into the lead with Anderton out wide allowing Stevens to tuck in behind Wright, lap two saw Wright displaced up the back straight which allowed Stevens, Gilbertson, Harri Newey and Simon Carr’s Honda to move through. With three laps to go Newey made a bold move on Stevens to squeeze through and keep the lead by the smallest of margins on the line. Comer of Newey first home from Steven’s WTP 2nd on track. Gilbertson drove a mature race settling for third on track and taking the SC plate for Comer, Simon Carr’s Honda was fractionally behind to take first place in the Hondas. Next four home was the Comer of poleman Ryan Anderton to secure fifth on track, with Sean Gee’s WTP glued to his bumper, fractionally ahead of the Honda of Jason Duffett and Wright’s WTP to round off a stunning race full of overtaking of the highest calibre.
Again the Minimax class proves to be one of the most popular and highly talented pilots continue to impress with driving quality and spills galore to keep spectators glued to every point! Michael Gibbins on pole got caught out in a first corner scuffle that displaced a few of the front qualifiers, Nathan Harrison took full advantage to get through with Maculay Austin tucked in behind throughout the whole race. Midway Austin looked comfortable and looking for his opportunity, however Harrison was faultless, did not succumb to the pressure and did not put a wheel wrong for the remainder of the race to take a well driven win from Austin. Tyler Weedon and Piers Hickin crossed the finishing line astern with the timing system favouring Weedon from Hickin, a fraction behind was Archie White just looking for a chance to squeeze through.
Junior Max had a front row of Jack Mayle on pole, Zak Price second and Matt Isaccs in third. At the start Price made the most of his TWS chassis and edged Mayle into the first corner with better front end grip, Mayle was glued to Price’s rear bar for the entire race and many times looked “inside” for a passing opportunity. Isaccs shadowed the pair for the whole race waiting for a mistake that was proven not to come, and at the line it ended with Price, Mayle and Isaccs separated by less than a second.
A mixed 177 and Masters grid supplied a full grid of drivers that saw Nick Maton sitting on pole. At the start, last years Rotax 177 champion Colin Wright now in Masters came through from 4th to tuck in behind Maton, Kieron Woolgar from third in turn behind Wright. Maton with Wright glued to his tail edged away from the field and it looked hard to determine the winner, lap 7 Wright faded with a neck injury letting through Woolgar who lap after lap edged ever closer to Maton. Laps ran out for Woolgar which left Maton as first home, Woolgar second on track and first Master, Steve Pratt capitalised on Wright’s injury to take third on track and second 177 with Wright second Master home.
250 Gearbox provided a welcome return, with Ben Simpson the class of the field driving away from the field taking an unchallenged win from Rick Simpson and Simon Bazeley.
The Devil was the last race of the day for cadets and provided a hatrick for Cory Stevens to take the win to add to his first place in WTP and Southern Champ.