May 2011 Round 3 FEKC Club Championship
May 2011 Round 3 FEKC Club Championship
Round 3 of the FEKC Championship for 2011 welcomed 266 drivers racing on the Sunday to round off a three day weekend taking in the Royal Wedding to allow an extra day’s practice. The club welcomed Super 4 and the NKRA to provide grids that represent one of the biggest kart meetings in the UK for the past decade, with grids closed on Honda, Rotax and 177, proving that MSA racing is alive and well in HampshireJ
The first race out, Comer Cadet had Max Bird on pole, Thanassi Barnicoat alongside, Jake Blackledge third, Barnicoat was unable to take the green lights allowing Bird to get into Haynes Loop with Blackledge tucking right in behind. Calum Hague and Izacc Channing moved up to see the youngsters nose to tail after two laps and each driver taking their turn in the lead, Channing timed his turn to perfection and with two laps to go eked two karts length lead. Hague managed to pull Blackledge and Bird up to Channing’s rear bumper coming out of Whinger’s on the last lap and at the line Blackledge secured the final podium by a sweet wrapper distance from Bird!
34 Hondas sat on the grid, with an ever growing number attending Barton Stacey monthly, right at the front sat Elliot Harvey, Ari White and Kieran Jewiss, Fletcher Trueman and Max Wieteska taking the top five qualifying slots. All 34 got through the first corner with Harvey coming through in the lead with the others glued to his rear, Trueman fell back after 5 laps allowing Felix Meek through. Harvey drove a hugely mature race keeping White, Kieran Jewiss and Wieteska behind to take a fantastic sterling win in a grid full of both quality and quantity. A trophy of stature to adorn Harvey’s mantelpiece with a great drive from a grid being one of the biggest the youngsters will experience.
Minimax saw Myles Potter resolve Saturday’s technical problems to sit on pole, get a great start with Jordan Richards right on his rear for four laps, the pair battled throughout to mid race and got caught by Jordan Gilbertson who edged past both and into the lead. Richards seized his opportunity and outbraked Potter who spent the last three laps looking for a way back past at every corner, at the line the top three remained Gilbertson, Richards from Potter.
Junior Max grids, like all at the track continue to swell, S1 front runner Levi Coombs on pole from Kieran Gifford looked to have a great race ready, Jack Mayle on third in his last race before heading to Seniors. Coombs managed a great start after three non starts and Gifford settled in behind and that was how it stayed the whole race with Gifford being the faster but just unable to find a way through to the lead. Mayle in third dropped behind Elliot Hall and Ian Bolland after four laps, at the line it was Hall who secured the final podium position with Bolland losing out coming past a back marker two laps from the end meaning he had to be comforted with fourth.
Junior TKM is now heading towards the high teens in terms of entrants and great to see the class revival, front three Robin Sedden, Calum Woodridge and Tom Hackett all looked capable of taking the top step, Hackett this month moved into the lead early to also take fastest lap from Sedden, Woodridge and a mention to fourth place George Thomson who continues to gain on his move up from Honda. Very little separates this four in lap times and looks set to continue to prove a very difficult class to identify this year’s winner!
Sam Dible managed to pull clear by a second from Ben Pearson to take first place in Junior Blue, Ben Sutton third.
Thirty Four drivers lined up for Rotax with the clubs new increased grid license updated by the MSA to handle the club’s growing grids had Michael Cheek sitting at the front. A lights to flag victory for Cheek was unchallenged with seven drivers battling behind allowing Cheek to break away leaving Henry Easthorpe, Craig Mooney, Stephen Andrews and Barry Thomsit all looking for the second place, two laps from home Easthorpe managed to get some respite by breaking clear from Mooney to secure the second from Cheek, Andrews fourth. A great win by Cheek from a huge grid and racing with a dislocated knee earned the youngster a celebratory air thrust going across the line to compliment his first place trophy in a masterful drive!
Thirty four Rotax 177/Masters had only one non member and eight novices providing one of the biggest and hard fought grids in the UK and is still growing! Steve Pratt had pole, but this month was unable to hold off Jamie Drabble’s Gillard who moved into the lead on lap three to pull clear. They both avoided a blocked track incident at Haynes Loop early in the race that allowed some drivers at the front of the grid to take full advantage to move clear from the field and damage. Chris Lodge secured third 177 just unable to keep with the blistering lap record breaking pace of both Drabble and Pratt. Kieron Woolgar in Masters matched everyone’s pace setting his own class lap record on the way to first place home a long way ahead of Chris Hartridge and Graham Mackie who were caught amongst the outcome of the earlier accident. Nick Broker took first novice finishing a credible on track eighth place taking advantage of the earlier incidents.
Formula Blue saw Mike Ross return to karting after thirty years away and on the day of his 70th birthday saw him get one of the signatures for his license. Alas Mike was not able to complete a fairytale return and win, this fell to Chris Derrick who came through from fifth to win by two kart lengths from Duncan Mcleod and Mark Wylde who crossed the line side by side.
Super 4 will be covered in separate report leaving the Club Gearbox as the last race out of a very packed itinery with polesitter Kenton Ashforth just holding off Andy Bird on the final lap to take the win.
A very busy weekend finished, over 800 spectators and cars parked in every orifice of the huge Barton Stacey site provide stunning racing across all classes and lines up nicely for the June Southern Championship meeting then heading nicely into July’s Help For Heroes Festival with the army providing bigger and better catering for this year.
Comer Cadet 1st Izacc Channing, Zip
2nd Callum Hague, Shark
3rd Jake Blackledge, Sodi
4th Max Bird, Zip
5th Matteo Zanetti, BRM
1st Novice Ben Hewitt, Zip
Honda Cadet 1st Elliot Harvey, Project 1
2nd Ari White, Project 1
3rd Kieran Jewiss, Project 1
4th Max Wieteska, Zip
5th Myles App, Project 1
Minimax 1st Jordan Gilbertson, Tony
2nd Jordan Richards, Gillard
3rd Myles Potter, Alonso
4th Lewis Bowles, Storm
Junior Max 1st Levi Coombs, Tony
2nd Kieran Gifford, Gillard
3rd Elliot Hall, Gillard
4th Ian Bolland, Maranello
Rotax Max 1st Michael Cheek, DR
2nd Henry Easthorpe, Sodi
3rd Craig Mooney, CRG
4th Stephen Andrews, CRG
5th Barry Thomsit, Kosmic
Junior TKM 1st Tom Hackett, Intrepid
2nd Robin Sedden, Gillard
3rd Calum Woodridge, Tony
4th George Thomson, Intrepid
Formula Blue 1st Chris Derrick, Tony
2nd Duncan McLeod, Corsa
3rd Mark Wylde, Tony
Senior TKM 1st Matt Greatley, Alonso
Rotax 177 1st Jamie Drabble, Gillard
2nd Steve Pratt, Tony
3rd Chris Lodge, Gillard
4th Daniel Watson, Gillard
Rotax Masters 1st Kieron Woolgar, X30
2nd Chris Hartridge, Gillard
3rd Graham Mackie, Gillard
4th Mark Argent, Tony
177/Masters Novice Nick Broker, BRM
Super 4 125 1st James Glenister, Kosmic
2nd James Mudd, Energy
3rd Richard Palmer, Gillard
4th Tom Moore, Energy
5th Dafydd Iles,Energy
Super 4 250 1st James Hassall, Jade
2nd Nick Willcox, Jade
3rd Alex Burrows, Jade
Club Gearbox 1st Kenton Ashforth, Jade
2nd Andy Bird, Anderson
Report Colin Wright
Next Race Round 4 and Southern Championship, June 4th and 5th 2011