Round 4 photos from Wakefield Park Nov 4 2012

2012 CAMS NSW Motor Race Championship - Round 1
Superkart Club of NSW Round 2
Sponsored by ICON and Qantas Courier

The ICON and Qantas Courier  Superkart Club of NSW Round 2, part of the 2012 CAMS NSW Motor Race Championship Round 1 at Eastern Creek Raceway March 31 and April 1, was filled with drama and excitement - a new lap record, a crash resulting in three laps under the safety car, and the new turn 6/7.

The Motor Race Championships were hotly contested with 28 entries, five of which were competing for the first time at Eastern Creek and two from interstate - Matt Bass (125cc) from Victoria and Bernard Walsh (Rotax Max Light) from Queensland. Also on debut was Bill Wilson’s 4-stroke superkart competing in the 250cc National class.

Practice on Saturday morning saw the majority of drivers experience the changes to the track for the first time. Different lines were tested through the revised turn 6/7 and most agreed that it was faster than they expected. 2011 CAMS Australian Superkart Champion Warren McIlveen succumbed to mechanical issues during the session while Club President Wayne Horswell failed to start due to a clutch problem though the issues were resolved by the time race 1 was held.

At this event all classes are mixed together and therefore drivers start the race in the position they qualified, and then in the position they finished in the previous race. Sam Zavaglia’s Procomp Electronics 250cc International Stockman MR2 qualified on pole with a 1:31.8385, with Paul Rose’s PVP Alspeed 250cc International in second with a 1:37.9036 and Dalton Rowell’s Stockman Superkarts/DLR Racing 250cc National Stockman MR2 in third with a 1:38.8066. Dalton recently purchased the kart from Brian Stockman after leasing it from him during 2011 and coming second in the 250cc National class in the 2011 CAMS Australian Superkart Championships.   

Race 1 saw Warren McIlveen in his Stockman Superkarts/Mac’s Marine 250cc International Stockman MR2 pass Sam Zavaglia on lap 2 and take the lead. Dalton Rowell retained third place from Paul Rose, while following was reigning 125cc class 2011 CAMS Australian Superkart Champion Jeff Reed in his 125cc Stockman MR2, Matt Bass in his Top Torque Racing 125cc Stockman MR2 and Mark Vickers in his Persas 125cc Arrow X1 Stock Honda.

Surprising many in his first race at Eastern Creek was Joshua Ellacott in the DLR Racing Arrow AX8 Rotax Max, beating fellow Rotax Max Light driver Wayne Horswell in his AASA-MRA Superkart Racing Team Phoenix Hypermax and Rotax Max Heavy racer Alan Dodge in his Guards Australia Arrow Bmax.   

Race 2 was the first event on Sunday morning. The safety car was sent out on lap 1 after Bill Wilson went off the track and hit the wall coming into turn 2. Bill was taken to the medical centre and given the all-clear, however his kart sustained damaged that prevented him from continuing. The safety car remained for three laps before racing resumed for the last three laps. Warren McIlveen and Dalton Rowell were forced to retire with a mechanical issues leaving Sam Zavaglia in first place, with Paul Rose in second and Jeff Reed in third. After missing Saturday, John Pellicano in his Giova Racing 125cc Avoig Elise came through the field and finished fifth behind Matt Bass.

In the Rotax Max battle, Alan Dodge, Joshua Ellacott and Graeme Taplin fought for the lead Rotax position. Alan’s race time of 15:14.9383 beat Joshua by 0.0342 seconds, while Joshua’s fastest lap of 1:51.9222 beat Alan’s fastest time by 0.6862 seconds. It was definitely side-by-side, nose-to-tail racing.

Several cars received time penalties at the end of the race due to passing while under control of a safety car or passing before the control line at the restart of the race.

Race 3 saw the return of Dalton Rowell after replacing his engine, Goran Milenkovic in his 125cc Honda Avoig Elise who retired in race 2 due to a suspected puncture, and Warren McIlveen. Warren came from the back of the field to take the lead from Sam Zavaglia with Paul Rose in third. Alex Soravia in his Stockman Superkarts 250cc Stockman MR2 held fourth ahead of Dalton Rowell in fifth place. Next was Jeff Reed ahead of Mark Fennessy in his Grand Motors 250cc International Stockman MR2 and Matt Bass.

Alan Dodge and Joshua Ellacott continued their Rotax Max battle, with Graeme Taplin in his Taplin Racing Arrow X1E and Wayne Horswell close behind.

Race 4 and the first four positions were an exact copy of race three with Warren McIlveen first, Sam Zavaglia second, Paul Rose third and Alex Soravia in fourth. Dalton Rowell took fifth place from Jeff Reed while Matthew Wark in his Wark Air Conditioning 250cc International Centreline came next. This was the first outing at Eastern Creek for Matthew’s new kart.

Three Rotax Max karts did their fastest lap of the weekend in the final race, with Alan Dodge setting a new record for Rotax Max Heavy with a 1:50.6696, and Joshua Ellacot and Wayne Horswell doing personal bests with 1:50.6583 and 1:50.6707 respectively.

The final race was also the Eastern Creek Raceway/ARDC Trophy Race. Warren McIlveen (250cc International), Jeff Reed (125cc), Alan Dodge (Rotax Max Heavy) and Joshua Ellacot (Rotax Max Light) each received a trophy for coming first in their respective classes.

The overall results for the ICON and Qantas Courier Superkart Club of NSW Round 2, part of the 2012 CAMS NSW Motor Race Championship Round 1, are:

 Joshua Ellacott, Mark Fennessy and Alex Tofler successfully completed their observations over the weekend to receive their CAMS Provisional Superkart licence (PSK).

The Superkart Club of NSW would like to thank CAMS, Eastern Creek Raceway, the ARDC, the event officials and volunteers, and the Ambulance Service Australia paramedic team for a great event.

The Superkart Club of NSW acknowledges the continued support of ICON and QANTAS Courier and their sponsorship of this event.

 The ICON and Qantas Courier Superkart Club of NSW Round 2, part of the 2012 CAMS NSW Motor Race Championship Round 1, results based on class per race are:

 Practice:

Race 1:

Race 2:

Race 3:

Race 4: