MSA
British Karting Championship 2008 Round 1- Three Sisters Wigan 1
After the first three Super
1 events for Rotax
and TKM
failed to complete a full set of finals we hoped we might see a
complete program today. Thankfully we did, but the weekend was not
controversy free.
Rumblings around the paddock suggest that the Comer
Cadet class still has issues with the new Tryton carbs introduced
to replace the notoriously inconsistent Tillotsons. I spoke to a
few competitors who were very unhappy with the reliability of the
Trytons, with one competitor pulling out of the event altogether.
While KF2
and KF3
have attracted bumper grids, KF1
has a sorry grid of 15 drivers competing for the lofty title of
'MSA British Kart Champion'. Perhaps it would make more sense to
abandon KF1 and have the huge grids of KF2 karts competing for the
title.
KF1 – MSA British Karting Championship
Final 1
Lee Bell was the man on pole, and Mark
Litchfield was on second. Reigning Champion Chris Rogers was
just behind with grid 3.
Richard Bradley dominates KF1
At the lights Lee Bell got the jump and comfortably
took the lead. Sam Tordoff managed to leap into second from fourth
on the grid. Chris Rogers sat in second, with Litchfield just behind.
By lap 5 it was clear Bradley was a man on a mission.
He made his way through Litchfield and Rogers and was sitting in
third. Litchfield didn't make it easy for Bradley as he his passed
at the penultimate corner, tight stuff!
Jonathan Walker's KF1
It wasn't long before Bradley got ahead of Tordoff,
and started chasing down the leader Bell. By about lap 10 he had
caught Bell. Rather bizarrely Bell lifted down the main straight
and allowed Bradley through. Maybe he wanted to pace himself against
Bradley. At first it seemed Bell could handle Bradley's pace. However
it appeared he wasn't satisfied with his engine performance and
was playing around with his power valve.
It wasn't enough to catch Bradley, and at the lights
it was Bradley from Bell, with Tordoff in third.
1. Richard Bradley
2. Lee Bell
3. Sam Tordoff
Final 2
Bradley led the field away, and it was clear the
right side of the grid had an advantage, as second on the grid Bell
was knocked back several places. Mark Litchfield was in second and
pushing, with reigning champion Rogers in third. Bradley just looked
too quick for Litchfield as he slowly built a decent gap.
Chris Rogers KF1
With about 6 laps left the rain came down, and
it looked as if Litchfield had the advantage in the slippery conditions.
He gradually started reeling in Bradley but the laps ran out and
Bradley took a fantastic double win!
1. Richard Bradley
2. Mark Litchfield
3. Chris Rogers
KF2
Final 1
Craig Breen was on pole for the final, with Jack
Harvey in second. Shaun Carter, and Jason Edgar made up the second
row. As the lights went green Edgar found him self spinning hard
into the tyres at turn 1. It was a hard impact, but he shook it
off, and carried on with the race.
Raymie Eastwood sporting a mint
lid
It was Breen who cemented his pole by taking the
early lead from a fantastic starting Charles Bonsey. Lap 3, Bonsey
had a sniff at Breen at Turn 1 which could have ended in tears,
but thankfully it didn't. On lap 4 Bonsey made his way through.
It was Harvey, who had dropped to forth at the
start, that was on a charge. He found his way through Carter and
Breen by lap 8 and was in the hunt for the lead. A clean exit from
the last corner gave him enough momentum to pass Bonsey, and he
soon pressed home his advantage by pulling out a decent gap.
Harvey looked good for a double
until being helped off in Final 2
Meanwhile Chris Brown had made his way into third,
with Bonsey in second, Breen in fourth and Robert Foster-Jones ominously
on a recovery mission nabbing fifth.
1. Jack Harvey
2. Charles Bonsey
3. Chris Brown
Final 2
Pole man Jack Harvey lost out big time at the start
when he found himself being helped into a spin from behind at the
start and out of race winning contention, taking out Breen in the
process.
"Then I got hit again and
I was round before I could do anything about it. It was certainly
an eye-opening experience facing the rest of the pack as they came
at me at full tilt!" From
JackHarveyRacing.com
After the first lap Bonsey led from Brown, and
then Foster-Jones. It was clear that Foster-Jones had some serious
speed as he passed Brown a lap later, and then took the lead from
Bonsey at Turn 1. Danny Cruttenden was looking good in forth but
his engine didn't seem to have the grunt as the race went on.
Robert Foster-Jones is getting
used to first place in KF2
Brown made his way through Bonsey at the mid way
point. Then Bonsey lost another place to Alex O'Sullivan who took
third. Foster-Jones looked jubilant as he took the victory.
1. Robert Foster-Jones
2.Alex O'Sullivan
3. Charles Bonsey (Chris Brown disqualified from 2nd pending appeal)
KF3 – MSA Junior British Karting
Championship
Final 1
'O' Plate winner Carl Stirling continued his form
at 3 Sisters with pole position for the first final. Mackenzie Taylor
had his kart on second. Alex Albon was third, and Sam Snell was
on fourth. Taylor found himself swamped at the start and was back
in sixth. Pole man Stirling was leading, with Albon in second.,
and Lewis Hall in third.
Lewis Hall on a Top Kart
Taylor was on a charge and was soon in forth place
behind Snell. But it was Albon who was in control as he took the
lead at Turn 1. It didn't last long as Stirling made his way back
past.
Taylor looked quick and a superb lunge into turn
1 put him into third place deposing Snell. It appeared Albon could
feel the threat from Taylor and was eager to use his Cadet experience
from last year to bump draft Stirling down the long main straight.
It was working and the front two of Stirling and Albon gwere aining
a decent advantage. With two laps to go Albon continued to bump
draft Stirling, it was now or never for Albon, but he didn't make
a move, and Stirling took the win from Albon, and Taylor in third.
1. Carl Stirling
2. Alex Albon
3. Mackenzie Taylor
Final 2
Carl Stirling led the KF3 grid as the lights went
to green. Second place Albon lost out as he was swamped by several
karts on the inside..
Taylor was in second place but was in the lead
within half a lap and looked rapid. Stirling then got a run onto
the main straight and put his car kart on the inside of Taylor.
But an aware Taylor pointed out that there was a yellow flag waving,
and Stirling tucked back in behind.
Ex-TKM Sam Snell continues to perform
well
Suddenly the skies opened and the rain came down.
The whole grid of KF3's found themselves slipping and sliding on
slicks.. Taylor made full use of the tricky conditions to pull out
an advantage over Stirling.
Stirling soon found himself under pressure from
John Norris, who made his way through on the wet track. By this
point Taylor already had a few seconds over the rest of the field,
which he extended. The drying track was not good for Norris as he
started to lose time and Stirling made his way into second again.
A superb Taylor sealed victory from Stirling, and
Rikki Gordon.
Another convincing win for Mack
and RFM
1. Mackenzie Taylor
2. Carl Stirling
3. Rikki Gordon
Cadet
Final
Brett Wykes was on pole for the final, but after
four laps the red flag came out and the race was halted. At that
point Charlie Robertson was leading from Roy Johnson. It was decided
to restart the race in the order of the forth lap. That meant Robertson
would be on pole. However when they were ready to start the race
Robertson's engine wouldn't fire. He was asked to move his kart
form the grid leaving Robertson distraught as he looked to have
very good pace for the race.
Wykes played a waitng game to take
the win
Brett Wykes inherited the pole position and he
led the field away from Johnson, and Sam Vanderpump. A mammoth battle
ensued between the top three and going into the final laps it was
Johnson from Vanderpump, and Wykes in third. But midway through
the last lap Johnson and Vanderpump got together and it allowed
Wykes to sneak through and take an excellent win.
Young Gun T-Jay Nelson (15) put
in some stunning heat performances
