October 2010 Round 8 FEKC Championship
October 2010 Round 8 FEKC Championship
The penultimate round of the 2010 Championship saw the rain set in as soon as Saturday practice finished, continuing right through the night until the Sunday afternoon allowing the finals to be run with slicks as opposed to the ever present treaded wets throughout the day!
First final out Junior Max sported a grid full of quantity and quality, Levi Coombs took the head of the field to sit on pole, Cody Tree alongside. Coombs made the best of the drying conditions with his start, Kieran Gifford moved up from seventh on the start to get behind Tree with Ollie Pidgley losing out on his third place. Coombs edged away from the duo of Gifford and Tree, Gifford eased past Tree mid race and set after Coombs however, with the full 12 laps Coombs had enough in hand to take a fine win from Gifford, Tree, Bolland and Pidgley.
With Minimax still up for grabs in the Championship, leader David Wright sat on second, Dan Fazzone pole, Alan Rees third, green light Wright tucked right up behind Fazzone, Elliot Hall starting in fifth edged through to third to get on terms with Fazzone and Wright. Fazzone, with Wright tucked right on his bumper pulled away from Hall and at lap 8 the youngsters karts looked as if they were glued together, three laps from home Fazzone’s kart seemed to find a little extra boost and at the line maintained a 10 metre advantage to take first from Wright, following by Hall.
For Rotax Jonathan Drabble secured pole, Dean Hale, Michael Kent and Scott Smart in close proximity, the race promised to be full of overtaking and action. Drabble took a steady start and moved unchallenged into the lead on the first lap, Hale looked to be making a break after a bold move past Drabble, Kent mid race established a turn of pace that took him past Drabble and set about closing down race leader Dean Hale. Three laps to go Kent was closing down Hale with every corner, every apex, every braking point, two laps to go Hale’s pace seemed to drop off falling back into Drabble’s reach, coming off Climate Drabble was right on Kent. Kent went spinning off the circuit with a failed axle that snapped under stress at the third bearing point that made it easy for Drabble to take the second step behind Hale, Steve Pratt racing in Max and 177 came through from tenth to secure the final podium, Scott Smart fourth, Stephen Andrews fifth.
The Honda of George Thomson sat on pole, Mateo Zanetti’s Comer sparkling with new bodywork alongside, Zanetti drove a blinding race moving past the Honda early on and taking a well deserved first place by four seconds from Zak Fulk’s Comer. Fulk, Thomson and the Comer of Jordan Richards all swapped places throughout the race, near identical laps times that allowed Zanetti to make the break and leaving the squabbling to the trio behind. Two tenths separated Fulk from Thomson from Richards but with mathematics equalling out it looks odds on for Thomson and Richards securing their respective championships.
The combines 177 and Masters grid ran the first John Fleming Memorial Trophy to celebrate young 177 driver John Fleming who sadly drowned two months ago in Germany. Pete Thomas pole had Charlie Watson looking sideward, at the start a kart mounted the back of Watson causing first corner fracas that played to Thomas allowing him to break free with only Dan Bushell getting a clear advantage to get through the melee. Chris Hartridge missed the spinning karts moving into third and with pace better than Thomas he looked to be moving in for the win in Masters, Bushell caught Thomas on lap five, swept past and clean through to take the win and with the two classes battling for separate points Bushell also took the fabulous perpetual trophy in remembrance of John. Thomas took second on track with Hartridge just leaving himself too much to make up securing third on track and second Master. Kieron Woolgar, sponsoring John’s trophy was unable to take it home and had to settle for third Master, Mathew Oke second place 177. Steve Pratt, racing on John’s kart saw a wheel disappear coming off Midgetts with four laps to go meaning John’s kart could not take John’s trophy homeL Next year Steve?
The rest of the day ran faultless to time, with Jordan Richards taking the win in the thrilling Cadet Devil Take the Hindmost.
Junior Blue Ben Pearson unchallenged to take a lights to flag victory, Will Fox first Junior TKM.
Chris Derrick took the win by a small margin in Senior Blue from old stalwart Ron Shone who kept him honest for the whole race!
One race left, many championships still up for grabs, promises to provide some great racing for the last race of 2010!
Comer Cadet 1st Matteo Zanetti, BRM
2nd Zak Fulk, Zip
3rd Jordan Richards, Zip
Honda Cadet 1st George Thomson, Project 1
2nd Max Wieteska, Zip
3rd Samuel Pooley, Project 1
WTP 1st Marcus Boyd, Arrow
Minimax 1st Dan Fazzone, Tony
2nd David Wright, Gillard
3rd Eliott Hall, Tony
Junior Max 1st Levi Coombs, Tony
2nd Kieran Gifford, Gillard
3rd Cody Tree, Kosmic
4th Ian Bolland, Maranello
Junior TKM 1st William Fox, Venom
Junior Blue 1st Ben Pearson, Tony
Rotax Max 1st Dean Hale, Kosmic
2nd Jonathan Drabble, Gillard
3rd Steve Pratt, Tony
4th Scott Smart, Tony
5th Stephen Andrews, CRG
Senior Blue 1st Chris Derrick, Tony
2nd Ron Shone, Minarelli
Senior TKM 1st Joshua Waters, Tony
Rotax 177 1st Dan Bushell, Kosmic
2nd Matthew Oke, Gillard
3rd Michael Parsons, Maranello
177 Masters 1st Peter Thomas, Kosmic
2nd Chris Hartridge, Gillard
3rd Kieron Woolgar, X30
4th Keith Bishop, Trulli
125 Gearbox 1st James Berio, Birel
2nd Steve Berio, Birel
Report Colin Wright