November 2009, Round 9 FEKC Championship
The last race of 2009 was greeted by torrential rain that started in the early hours and led to a temporary race suspension that put the club under pressure to get through the three heats and a final with the limited winter light. After 45 minutes, many fathers and brooms, racing resumed and provided a great finish to the 2009 Championships. Lunchtime the sun came out and the wind dried the track out quickly allowing the third heats and final to be run under dry tyres.
First final out was the Minimax grid, poleman Piers Hick grabbed a great start to pull clear of Owen Hunter, Matt Duffett seemed glued to Hickin’s bumper and edged Hunter out wide on the first corner. A storming start from Sam Cassidy saw him move to third from seventh by the end of lap one and set after Hickin and Duffett. Over the last four laps the lead changed between all three no less than six times and the win looked open to all, Oliver Pidgely closed up on the back of the trio and was pressurising looking for an error. Across the line Hickin held off Duffett from Cassidy and Pidgely securing fourth.
Senior TKM saw three fine heats to put Dan Bushell on pole with George Lovell alongside, Lovell got the better start and got stronger toward the end just taking the win by less than half a kart length from Bushell who might just have to console himself with the 2009 TKM Championship! Lovell also picked up the inaugural Kevin Haynes Memorial Trophy in respect to the club’s former Chief Marshall who earlier this year lost his battle to cancer.
The libre cadet A final had Jordan Gilbertson’s comer on pole and his win never looked in doubt as he drove away from the field to take overall first and Comer first! Behind Gilbertson the battles were many and fierce with David Wright’s WTP shod machine coming through from eleventh to move past third placed man Oliver York with one lap to go to finish third on track just behind James Chubb’s Honda who took first place in the class. York took second Comer following Wright across the line, George Thomson’s Honda who qualified second had a mixed final, taking fastest lap yet finishing second to Chubb who edged past early in the race. Jordan Richard’s Comer took third and sixth on track, with Simon Carr making the long trip from France to take the final silverware in Honda. Second WTP home was Sean Gee with Marcus Boyd taking final podium position.
Junior Max had Jack Mayle on pole produce a faultless performance with a lights to flag victory and fastest lap, leaving the top 5 qualifiers to finish where they started. Will Blackwell Chambers, just fractionally slower than Mayle held off Levi Coombs on the line to secure second place.
Rotax 177 saw Gary Parsons jump past Martin Gadd at turn 1 and the pair followed nose to tail the whole race with Parsons taking the win, Kieron Woolgar took first Masters home taking fastest lap just behind Gadd.
Formula Blue had Chris Derrick on virtuoso form with a great start and drive to the flag ahead of Kevin Ford who just lost a little each lap to Derrick and having to settle for the second place.
125 Gearbox had novice James Berio take the flag ahead of Ashley Ashforth.
In 250 Gearbox poleman Kenton Ashforth did not get away at the lights, which presented second place Roy Beal a superb opportunity that he grasped to drive away and take a fantastic win from Paul Von Gerard, also Beal has to take a prize for the best performance at trophy collection!!:-)
Rotax piloted a new starting system for the MSA, Jamie Drabble on pole was slow to get off the start, third place man Scott Smart got a great start moving past Drabble straight away and never looked challenged to take the first place and Nicky Fielder cup. Barry Thomsit, in the closing stages moved past Jonathan Drabble to edge second place but neither could dent Smart’s lead in the last race of 2009!
So with 2009 finished, all Championships decided, electric, viewing area, new clubhouse, new scruitineering office all installed in 2009 the club looks forward to bigger and better things in 2010 and beyond and welcome everyone to the awards dinner on first weekend of December!