Llandow Kart Club - Older Race Reports
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Llandow Kart Club – February 2011
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Ryan Edwards leads the Cadet class at the opening round of Llandow Kart Club’s 2011 season
Report: Craig Llewellyn
Photo: Hardy Rodde
After what felt like the most fleeting of breaks, Llandow Kart Club swung back into action with the opening round of its 2011 season on a cold and blustery Sunday in late February.
Some 63 hardy competitors, including a healthy number of new faces and returning novices, combined to represent nine classes, although some were merged on track to provide meaningful grids.
After sitting out the Celtic Championships that closed the 2010 campaign, the Bambino class made a welcome return and, despite a low turn-out compared to some meetings last season, provided some close competition between Max Fenlon, George Alp-Williams and Alex Austin before the former came out on top.
Honda Junior featured just one more runner, but welcomed back Daniel Jones to provide Welsh and Celtic champion Lloyd Sealy with some competition. Out of action for the second half of 2010, however, Jones could not prevent Sealy from taking a clean sweep of heat and final victories, but did enough to come in ahead of novices Danny Griffiths and Jack Hixon.
A combined field of 21 Cadets provided the biggest grid of the day, with Ryan Edwards and Brandon Patrick upholding Honda honour by sharing the heat wins before the group was split for separate finals. Edwards duly returned to the front of the pack to take victory in the Honda class, with Hugo Holmes and Daniel Thomas completing the podium after early leader Patrick dropped to fourth at the flag.
The Comer class was won by Louis Griffith-Walker, from Lucas Wynne and novice Tom Rawlings, but only after Wynne had come out on top in two of the three heats.
Junior TKM and Minimax were similarly combined to make a bigger field, and continued to run together throughout the day. Ross Chell swept the six-kart TKM field, with Scott Morris and Yousuf Ashraf giving chase in every encounter, while Lewis Malin appeared set to do likewise in Minimax before his kart failed on the dummy grid ahead of the final.
That disappointment allowed closest challenger Harry Williams to take an uncontested win in the main event, and the reigning Cadet champion gave a good account of himself by harrying Chell through the opening stages before settling for second on the road.
Novice Ellis Jackson, the sole Junior Blue runner, also found himself in the TKM/Minimax mix, but added a valuable signature to his licence after a clean weekend.
After some disappointing turnouts in 2010, the Honda Senior class gained strength with nine entrants, including a couple of novices. Without Chris Lipscombe to bother them, past and present club champions Gareth Lewis and Simon Evans shared the heat wins, before Evans eased to a six-second victory over his main rival in the final. The returning Hugh Jones took second in heat two, but was equally delighted to take fourth in the final as veteran Paul Saunders completed the podium.
The two remaining Rotax classes closed proceedings, with the seven-strong Junior category providing some close racing behind Macaulay Austin, who swept to four wins in as many races. Josh Gray provided the closest opposition with a brace of second places – including one in the final – although both Adam Berwick and James Johnson gave chase to Austin in the heats. Berwick could have caused the victor problems had he managed to start the final, but it was again left to Gray and Johnson to fill the podium places.
Numbers in Senior Max were down on some of the headlining numbers seen in 2010, but the competition again proved exciting, despite the best efforts of debutant Josh Collings, The reigning Junior champion made a big impression on his graduation to seniors, winning the first two heats before class stalwart Matthew Dowers ended hopes of a clean sweep.
Collings was back on top in the final, however, easing to a four-second victory over his main rival, while Craig Mooney made the most of a lap one off for reigning champion Chris Davis to complete the podium. Wayne Stone found some stern opposition in the Max 177 class, but eventually overcame the challenge of Richard Phillips to claim victory.
RESULTS
BAMBINO
1. Max Fenlon
2. Alex Austin (Tony)
3. George Alp-Williams (CRG)
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
2. Daniel Jones (MS)
3. Danny Griffiths (Wright)
CADET HONDA
1. Ryan Edwards (Zip)
2. Hugo Holmes (Project One)
3. Daniel Thomas (Project One)
CADET COMER
1. Louis Griffith-Walker (Zip)
2. Lucas Wynne (Zip)
3. Tom Rawlings (Zip)
JUNIOR TKM
1. Ross Chell (Intrepid)
2. Scott Morris (CRG)
3. Yousuf Ashraf
MINI MAX
1. Harry Williams (Tonykart)
JUNIOR BLUE
1. Ellis Jackson (Tonykart)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Simon Evans (MS)
2. Gareth Lewis (MS)
3. Paul Saunders (7Kart)
JUNIOR ROTAX
1. Macaulay Austin (Exprit)
2. Josh Gray (Tonykart)
3. James Johnson (CRG)
SENIOR ROTAX
1. Josh Collings (CRG)
2. Matthew Dowers (Tonykart)
3. Craig Mooney (Intrepid)
ROTAX 177
1. Wayne Stone (Tonykart)
2. Richard Phillips (CRG)
December 2010
Report: Craig Llewellyn
Photo: Hardy Rodde
Llandow Kart Club’s 2010 season culminated a little later than planned with the popular Celtic Championships ensuring a third highly-charged meeting in succession.
Chris Davis claimed three race wins en route to the Senior Rotax Celtic Championship title
Postponed from its original date by the first ‘big freeze’ of the South Wales winter, the Championships finally took place on Sunday 12 December during a brief break in the weather. Seven classes produced 58 hardy competitors, each getting a qualifying session, heat and pre-final before the trophies were decided in the main events of the day.
The smallest field of the day got things underway and, without his season-long rivals, Honda Junior proved to be something of a stroll for Welsh champion Lloyd Sealy, who went fastest in qualifying and reeled off three race wins to claim a title double. The rapidly improving Monty Gorridge claimed second each time out, with fellow novice Jack Hixon gaining valuable track time as the third and final runner.
A 13-kart group, featuring a mix of new and familiar names, combined to form the Cadet class, with the outcome of each session closely fought. Fletcher Trueman’s Honda Cadet topped the lone qualifying session from leading Comer runner James Small, but it was Small who drew first blood when racing began, winning the heat from Ryan Edwards and Ross Thomas. Small also won the Pre-Final, from Brandon Patrick and Edwards, but it was the latter who came good when it mattered, beating Patrick by just over a second to claim the Celtic title. Small was again the best Comer runner, claiming third overall.
The biggest grid of the day was provided by a mixed Junior TKM/Minimax field, with 16 drivers weighted slightly more heavily in favour of the former. Niall Williams (TKM 2-Stroke) claimed qualifying honours, ahead of Ben Davies and James Moorcroft (both Minimax), but it was Minimax the took the first race win, with Morgan Rose heading TKM stalwarts Sebastian Hutchinson and Josh Collings across the line.
Hutchinson would go on to make a habit of coming second, finishing as runner-up in both the Pre-Final and Final, as Welsh TKM 4-Stroke champion Andrew Davies came through to claim victory on each occasion. While Collings was third on the road in the Pre-Final, however, he was an early retirement in the main event – along with Rose and Moorcroft – allowing TKM runner Zach Jones to complete the podium. Ben Davies took Minimax honours, ahead of category debut – and new LKC Cadet champion – Harry Williams.
Four drivers braved the elements in Senior Honda and, in the absence of Dragon Challenge champion Ferdinand Ball, top spot was fought over by Welsh champion Simon Evans and seasoned returnee Chris Lipscombe. Evans topped qualifying, before Lipscombe emerged on top of a heat that also saw veteran Paul Saunders ahead of the ‘C’ plate, but order was restored thereafter, with the Welsh champion winning both the Pre-Final and Final by small margins. Lipscombe was second on both occasions, with Saunders and Nick Turley completing the field.
Having been thwarted in his bid to win the combined TKM/Minimax final, Collings was not to be denied in Junior Rotax, sweeping the board each time the field ventured out. Comfortably fastest in qualifying he went on to win the heat, Pre-Final and Final to claim the coveted ‘CC’ plate, while the order behind him changed with each race. Macaulay Austin was the most consistent challenger, appearing in the top three in every outing, but had to settle for second in the main event. Robbie Gallier, Ryan Wheeler and JJ Wilson all suggested that they may be contenders but, ultimately, it was Josh Gray who ended the day on the podium.
Senior Max rounded out proceedings with another strong field, but proved to be the domain of Chris Davis once racing began. Buoyed by recent strong results, Liam Revell opened up on top ion qualifying, but had to watch as Davis went on to win the three rounds and, with it, the Celtic crown as the pair crossed the line just 0.13secs apart in the Final. After top three cameos from Richard Raymond and Dilip Singh in the build-up, it was Dean Arthur who came through to complete the podium in the main event, with Simon Wheeler taking 177 category honours after Nigel Hughes, Dan Orlandea and class stalwart Wayne Stone each took turns topping the order during the day.
With competition over for the season, the club will enjoy the Christmas and New Year festivities before kicking off 2011 with the annual dinner and awards ceremony.
RESULTS
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Lloyd Sealy
2. Monty Gorridge
3. Jack Hixon
HONDA CADET
1. Ryan Edwards
2. Brandon Patrick
3. Alex Rees
HONDA CADET
1. James Small
2. Edward Tansley
3. Lucas Wynne
JUNIOR TKM 2-STROKE
1. Sebastian Hutchinson
2. Zach Jones
3. William Shaw
JUNIOR TKM 4-STROKE
1. Andrew Davies
2. Alex Thomas
3. Ryan Jones
MINIMAX
1. Ben Davies
2. Harry Williams
3. Ross Chell
SENIOR HONDA
1. Simon Evans
2. Chris Lipscombe
3. Paul Saunders
JUNIOR ROTAX
1. Josh Collings
2. Macaulay Austin
3. Josh Gray
SENIOR ROTAX
1. Chris Davis
2. Liam Revell
3. Dean Arthur
ROTAX 177
1. Simon Wheeler
2. Wayne Stone
3. Dan Orlandea
October 2010
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Photo: Joshua Collings en route to victory in the Junior Rotax category – a result he later backed up with second place in Junior TKM 2-Stroke.
The penultimate round of Llandow Kart Club’s summer championship, and the third and final encounter of the inaugural Dragon Challenge attracted both 80 drivers and late October sunshine to South Wales, and the quality of the racing stepped up accordingly.
The Bambino class again got things underway, with four drivers on track in pursuit of ‘victory’. This month it was the turn of Jake Fenlon to star, topping the times in each of the three preliminary outings and then claiming the ‘Final’ by three second from Jake Bagley, with September winner George Alp-Williams completing the podium.
Cadet Honda numbers grew again, this time with 15 entries registered, but it appeared that little was going to stop Ari White from repeating his September success after he swept the three heats. Max Wieteska, however, had run White close in two of those, and he refused to follow the script in the final, hounding the early leader before slipping past on lap six of ten. Just 0.13secs split the pair at the line, mirroring the 0.13 and 0.08secs margins in White’s favour from races one and three, but the runner-up had done enough to be crowned Dragon Challenge champion.
With Harry Williams away at PFI, the Comer Cadet appeared more open than ever, but one driver still dominated. Scott Morris, who had finished second in September’s controversial final, went one better this time around, winning all three heats and then cruising to a three second victory in the final. Tylor Ballard finished second, ahead of Oliver Graham, but it was not enough to deny Morris the Dragon Challenge title.
Honda Junior entries were boosted by the appearance of novice Monty Gorridge, but remained the preserve of season-long rivals Jamie Warren, Lloyd Sealy and Alex Thomas, who battled over the podium places in each race. Despite the competition, however, the result of each was the same as Warren boosted his title hopes. Sealy, meanwhile, finished second on the road in every outing, enough to clinch the Dragon Challenge crown.
An impressive 15 karts took to the track in Junior Rotax, but Joshua Collings was still the man to beat as he took two wins and a second in the three heats. The driver to beat him in heat two, Macaulay Austin, lined up on the front row of the grid for the final and the tension was clear to see as the clerk of the course red-flagged proceedings in an effort to calm things down. Once underway, however, the race again belonged to Collings, who wrapped up the Dragon Challenge title with a six-second victory. Austin, meanwhile, retained second spot, but came under pressure from third-placed Ben Johnson.
Collings was also out in Junior TKM 2-Stroke, and provided Sebastian Hutchinson with some of his closest competition. Hutchinson again won the opening heat, but Collings took the second, before one of two 4-Stroke runners, Andrew Davies, topped race three. Hutchinson, running second on the road, was top 2-Stroke runner, however, and started at the front of the field in the Final, where he denied Collings a double victory by 1.7secs. Will Shaw capped a strong weekend by finishing third on the road and in class, while Alex Forward’s fourth place was enough to claim Dragon Challenge honours.
Davies, meanwhile, struggled in the final, allowing sole 4-Stroke rival Ryan Jones to claim both class honours and the Dragon Challenge title.
In common with Junior Honda, Minimax had a four-kart field and produced four identical results, as Morgan Rose again dominated proceedings to claim the Dragon Challenge trophy. Runner-up in September, James Williams had a disappointing day as he battled with Ben Davies and had to give best every time. The pair came together in the Final, but Williams showed what might have been by battling back from a very distant fourth to finish on his rival’s tail. Rob Ellis was fourth.
Now Guernsey exiled, Ferdinand Ball returned to Llandow as promised, and was rewarded for his efforts by claiming victory in heat one. Although he then had to give best to Welsh champion Simon Evans in the remaining qualifying races, Ball bounced back when it mattered, taking full advantage of Evans’ lap one DNF to take victory and the Dragon Challenge crown. Evans’ demise promoted Paul Saunders to second and Steve Griffiths to third, ahead of novice Stuart Davies, who had claimed third on heat one following another Evans DNF.
A 16-strong Senior Rotax field again provided a fine spectacle to round out the day and, amid some controversy, saw a change on top of the podium. The heat wins were split between Liam Revell, Chris Davis and Dan Jones, but Davis’ strong form in each race secured him pole for the final. He led Revell early on, but Jones was on a charge, and his rise through the pack eventually led to a coming together on lap five which sidelined the leader.
Jones continued out front, but could not shake Revell and, when he was penalised five places for the contact with Davis, the heat one winner was promoted to victory. Ashley Davies and Matthew Dowers completed the top three, while Craig Mooney and Dilip Singh, who could both boast top three finishes in the heats, rounded out the top five. Jones’ penalty, however, did little to prevent him becoming the inaugural Dragon Challenge winner.
Wayne Stone finally had some competition in the Max 177 category, and was beaten on this occasion by Simon Wheeler, while John Watson – one of four welcome visitors from Guernsey - filled the class podium.
RESULTS
BAMBINO
1. Max Fenlon
2. Jake Bagley (Tony)
3. George Alp-Williams (CRG)
CADET HONDA
1. Max Wieteska (Zip)
2. Ari White (Project One)
3. Yousuf Ashraf (Project One)
CADET COMER
1. Scott Morris (Zip)
2. Tylor Ballard (Zip)
3. Oliver Graham (Zip)
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Jamie Warren (Wright)
2. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
3. Alex Thomas (Jade)
JUNIOR TKM 2-STROKE
1. Sebastian Hutchinson (Intrepid)
2. Joshua Collings (CRG)
3. William Shaw
JUNIOR TKM 4-STROKE
1. Ryan Jones (CRG)
2. Andrew Davies (Jade)
JUNIOR ROTAX
1. Josh Collings (CRG)
2. Macaulay Austin (Exprit)
3. Ben Johnson (Tonykart)
MINI MAX
1. Morgan Rose (Tonykart)
2. Ben Davies (Gillard)
3. James Williams (Tonykart)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Ferdinand Ball (MS)
2. Paul Saunders (7Kart)
3. Steve Griffiths (MS)
SENIOR ROTAX
1. Liam Revell (Tonykart)
2. Ashley Davies (Intrepid)
3. Matthew Dowers (Tonykart)
ROTAX 177
1. Simon Wheeler (Tonykart)
2. Wayne Stone (Tonykart)
3. John Watson (CRG)
Report: Craig Llewellyn
Photo: Steve Everitt
September 2010
Report: Craig Llewellyn
Photo: Steve Everitt
Photo: George Alp-Williams came out on top of a burgeoning Bambino class at Llandow Kart Club in August
Llandow Kart Club was blessed with another dry weekend as 65 competitors turned out to do battle in the eighth round of its summer championship.
As usual, with the culmination of a season’s endeavours drawing ever nearer, the on-track action was both fierce and contentious, but it was the time trialists in the new-for-2010 Bambino class that caught the eye. The Llandow club enjoyed its biggest turn-out of 6-7 year olds, with five runners taking to the track in search of their best individual lap time. The Bambino format does not permit any form of racing between competitors and drivers are classified - and rewarded - according to their performance against a given target time.
Despite the close competition, George Alp-Williams emerged as the weekend’s winner, posting the best time in two of the three heats, and then doing so again in the Final. Fellow newcomer Ffion Rees denied Alp-Williams a clean sweep by claiming the second run of the day, but was denied a spot in the Final top three as Jake Bagley and August round winner Morgan Chell completed the podium.
Cadet Honda numbers were up slightly on the previous month, with a dozen drivers in action, and enjoying track time without their Honda brethren. Yousuf Ashraf took the opening heat, and followed that up with second behind Ross Thomas in heat two, but thereafter it was August winner Ari White to the fore, claiming heat three and the Final. Ashraf took runners-up honours ahead of Thomas, the pair having shared the front row.
The Comer Cadet class also saw its number swelled by an additional starter, but an acrimonious weekend ended in drama as frontrunners Harry Williams and Owen Griffiths saw their participation culminate in the clerk of the course’s office after a final lap clash. Prior to that, the pair had shared the heat wins, with Williams getting the nod for pole and leading until the penultimate lap, when emotions boiled over. Although Griffiths went on to take the chequered flag, he joined Williams – who was accused of blocking - in being disqualified from the race. Lewis Griffiths gratefully accepted the Final victory, ahead of Scott Morris and Tylor Ballard.
By contrast, there were just three Honda Junior entries and, while the racing was close, no-one had answer for Jamie Warren, who claimed victory each time the trio ventured out. Similarly, Alex Thomas continued her strong recent form with second place in each race, while August winner Lloyd Sealy took third spot.
A dozen Junior Rotax drivers turned out for the weekend, but Joshua Collings proved to be the one to beat, winning the opening pair of heats and going on to take the Final by a massive eleven seconds. Josh Gray proved to be Collings’ closest opposition on the result sheet, adding second place in the final to a brace of thirds from the heats, but the spot had been filled on track by Macauley Austin, who was subsequently disqualified for having the wrong chassis number on his scrutineering card.
Dean Clayton inherited the final podium spot, denying regular frontrunners Adam Berwick and Ryan Wheeler, who were classified fourth and fifth after failing to reach the chequered flag in race one, and Oliver Pidgely, who faded to ninth in the Final after claiming two runners-up spots in the heats.
Minimax winner Morgan Rose was even more dominant than Collings, claiming victory in each of the four races to deny James Williams, who finished second three times on the day. Lewis Malin got the better of the Delta Karting driver in heat one, but could do nothing about either Williams or Rose in the main event.
Junior TKM 2-Stroke again saw Sebastian Hutchinson win the opening heat, and the second, but an early exit in race three ended hopes of a clean sweep. Ross Chell stepped up to claim the victory, but had to watch as Hutchinson took the honours in the Final, despite leading until the penultimate lap. Chell didn’t even make the podium, finishing sixth as the consistent Jack Love – who finished in the top three in every race – and Niall Williams rounded out the top three. Ryan Jones was the only 4-Stroke runner, and finished third on the road in the combined Final.
Newly-crowned ‘O’ Plate champion Ferdinand Ball started raceday with a victory as he attempted to complete a hat-trick of overall wins, but thereafter had to settle for second best as Welsh champion Simon Evans took top spot in each of the remaining heats and the Final. Ball was forced to chase veteran Paul Saunders for the first half of the race, but eventually claimed second on the road in what could be his last appearance at Llandow.
Although numbers were down on recent meetings, and below a few of the junior classes, Senior Rotax continued to provide some of the best racing, even if reigning Welsh champion Dan Jones claimed victory in each of the three heats. Any thoughts of complete domination ended on the dummy grid, however, as Jones’ kart failed to fire, leaving the road clear for someone else to take the honours in the main event. Chris Davis, who had led the chase of Jones throughout the heats, was a deserving winner, although Ashley Davies and Shaun Fulford kept him honest to the end. Wayne Stone was again the only runner in the Max 177 category.
RESULTS
BAMBINO
1. George Alp-Williams
2. Jake Bagley (Tony)
3. Morgan Chell (CRG)
CADET HONDA
1. Ari White (Project One)
2. Yousuf Ashraf (Project One)
3. Ross Thomas (Wright)
CADET COMER
1. Lewis Griffiths (Zip)
2. Scott Morris
3. Tylor Ballard (Zip)
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Jamie Warren (Wright)
2. Alex Thomas (Jade)
3. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
JUNIOR TKM 2-STROKE
1. Sebastian Hutchinson (Intrepid)
2. Jack Love (Gillard)
3. Niall Williams (JKH)
JUNIOR TKM 4-STROKE
1. Ryan Jones (CRG)
JUNIOR ROTAX
1. Josh Collings (CRG)
2. Josh Grey
3. Dean Clayton (Alonso)
MINI MAX
1. Morgan Rose (Tonykart)
2. James Williams (Tonykart)
3. Lewis Malin (Tonykart)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Simon Evans (7Kart)
2. Ferdinand Ball (MS)
3. Paul Saunders (7Kart)
SENIOR ROTAX
1. Chris Davis (Storm)
2. Ashley Davies (Intrepid)
3. Shaun Fulford (CRG)
ROTAX 177
1. Wayne Stone (Tonykart)
August 2010
Report: Craig Llewellyn
Photo: Hardy Rodde
Photo: Connor Hall leads Welsh champion Harry Williams in the Cadet Comer encounter at Llandow Kart Club in August
Llandow Kart Club was blessed with a break in the wet August weather for the seventh round of its summer championship, and the competitors present responded with some typically close racing.
The Bambino category boasted its biggest turn-out for several months, but there was no stopping Morgan Chell, who duly topped every session. Jake Bagley and Shane Deakin provided the opposition, but spent the day alternating in second and third places.
Eleven Cadet Honda runners ensured that the class would have its own track time, and Ross Thomas opened proceedings by claiming heat one. However, after that, the weekend belonged to Ari White, who swept the remaining two heats before fending off Thomas by nearly two seconds in the final. Yousuf Ashraf took the final podium place as the top three ran unchanged throughout, while novice Ryan Edwards finished fourth.
The Comer Cadet also enjoyed an upturn in numbers, with eight runners present, but the results mirrored those in the Honda group, with Welsh champion Harry Williams taking the opening spoils but Connor Hall coming through to dominate the rest of the meeting with three wins thereafter. Scott Morris actually started the final on pole position, but had been demoted to third by the end of lap one, and remained there to the chequered flag as the top three crossed the line split by just 0.56secs.
There may only have been three runners in the Junior Honda class, but the increased level of competition between Welsh champion Lloyd Sealy, Jamie Warren and Alex Thomas saw all three claim a heat victory, Thomas for the first time. Sealy started the final from pole, and remained out front while his rivals battled over second spot. Thomas initially lost the position on lap one, but remained in touch and reclaimed it three laps later, before holding on for her best final result.
Junior TKM 2-Stroke opened with a win for Sebastian Hutchinson, but Alex Forward then stepped…. well, forward to stake a claim on the class by winning the remaining heats. The final also appeared to be going Forward’s way, only for 4-Stroke runner Ryan Jones to claim top spot on the last lap of the combined race. Zach Jones finished nearly four seconds adrift of Forward, with Hutchinson having to settle for fifth on the road after dropping to eighth at the start.
There was a twist in the tale, however, for 4-Stroke winner Jones was later disqualified, handing victory to his only rival, one Alex Thomas on only her second TKM outing, while Hutchinson was promoted to third in the 2-Stroke class after the visiting Jack Edinborough suffered the same fate.
The Junior Rotax entry returned to health with 13 runners signing on, and the competition proved as close as any, with Oliver Pidgley denying Joshua Collings an easy run. Collings was not to be denied, however, and after claiming heats one and three, he led from lights to flag in the final. Behind him, Pidgley had his hands full with Macaulay Austin who, after accounting for Dean Clayton on the opening lap, came home just three tenths shy of second spot, with Clayton a similar margin adrift in fourth.
With Austin stepping up to Junior Rotax full-time, MiniMax honours were there for the taking. Ben Davies was the driver to step up, claiming a clean sweep of victories as the class merged with Junior Blue for the weekend. Having dominated the heats, Davies led throughout the final, while Morgan Rose overcame James Williams on the opening lap to secure runners-up spot. Ryan Edgecumbe was the only Junior Blue runner and duly claimed top honours in fifth overall.
Having broken through with his first Senior Honda win in the July meeting, Ferdinand Ball was the man to beat this time around. Confidence boosted, he claimed the first two heats, before having to settle for fourth behind Welsh champion Simon Evans in the third. The pair then produced one of the most exciting finals of the day, exchanging the lead on almost every lap before Ball seized top spot for good three laps from home. Evans’ challenge was blunted by the attention of Gareth Lewis, who came through from fifth on the grid to briefly snatch second until Evans fought back and claimed the position by a matter of tenths.
The headline Senior Rotax class enjoyed the biggest field of the day, with 16 runners vying for honours, and the three heats were equally shared between Welsh champion Dan Jones, Liam Revell and Dan Rodde. The final, however, again belonged to Jones, who led from start to finish and eventually took the chequered flag three-and-a-half seconds clear of second place. Despite the claims of Revell and Rodde, who started immediately behind the winner, that spot went to Daryl Henderson, who used a stellar first two laps to move from eighth on the grid to third, and then took second from Chris Davis at half-distance. Davis completed the podium a further couple of second astray, while Revell and Rodde came home fifth and eighth respectively. Wayne Stone claimed an unchallenged victory in the Max 177 category.
RESULTS
BAMBINO
1. Morgan Chell (CRG)
2. Jake Bagley (CRG)
3. Shane Deakin (CRG)
CADET HONDA
1. Ari White (Project One)
2. Ross Thomas (Wright)
3. Yousuf Ashraf (Project One)
CADET COMER
1. Connor Hall
2. Harry Williams (Zip)
3. Scott Morris
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
2. Alex Thomas (Jade)
3. Jamie Warren (Wright)
JUNIOR TKM 2-STROKE
1. Alex Forward (Storm)
2. Zach Jones (Jade)
1. Sebastian Hutchinson (Intrepid)
JUNIOR TKM 4-STROKE
1. Alex Thomas (Tal-ko)
JUNIOR ROTAX
1. Josh Collings (CRG)
2. Oliver Pidgley (Kosmic)
3. Macaulay Austin (Maranello)
MINI MAX
1. Ben Davies (Gillard)
2. Morgan Rose (Tonykart)
2. James Williams (Tonykart)
JUNIOR BLUE
1. Ryan Edgecumbe (Tonykart)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Ferdinand Ball (MS)
2. Simon Evans (7Kart)
3. Gareth Lewis (7Kart)
SENIOR ROTAX
1. Dan Jones (Tonykart)
2. Daryl Henderson
1. Chris Davis (Storm)
ROTAX 177
1. Wayne Stone (Tonykart)
July 2010
Report: Craig Llewellyn
Photo: Hardy Rodde
Morgan Rose leads the MiniMax class en route to victory at Llandow Kart Club’s July meeting
Although the start of the summer holiday season appeared to take its toll on Llandow Kart Club’s July meeting, the absence of some notable names did little to affect the quality of the racing on display in round six, on a day that dawned damp, but dried despite persistent cloud.
The Bambino category saw only Morgan Chell on track, but the youngster again saved his best for last, posting a fastest lap of 33.8secs on his final run of the day.
With new Welsh champion Robbie Gallier missing from the Cadet Honda class, the way was open for a different name to top the podium. The early heats suggested the day would belong to Max Wieteska, who claimed two victories, but fourth place behind Ross Thomas after dropping to the back of the field showed that he could be beaten. Come the final, however, and Wieteska was back on top winning by a massive eleven seconds over Ross and Daniel Thomas.
With the Cadet field back running together after a massive June entry, Hondas and Comers mixed it on track. Welsh champion Harry Williams had to give best to Louis Griffith-Walker in the opening heat, but then remained unbeaten for the rest of the day, taking a comfortable victory in the final, ahead of Lewis Griffiths and Tylor Ballard, with Griffith-Walker missing the podium by a tenth.
Another Welsh champion remaining at the head of his class was Lloyd Sealy, who won the opening two heats before claiming the final by a tenth ahead of perennial rival Jamie Warren. The main race proved to be a close-fought affair between three drivers, however, as Alex Thomas, now off her novice plates, ran the boys as close as anyone this season, producing personal best times as she finished just three tenths behind Sealy.
Junior TKM 2-Stroke again fell to Sebastian Hutchinson who, despite finishing only third in his opening heat, bounced back to win the next two races and then remain untouchable in the final. Niall Williams finished a distant second, but was well clear of third-placed Sam Morgan.
The Junior TKM 4-Stroke class belonged to Welsh champion Andrew Davies, who again swept all four races. Although he had to give best to Hutchinson as the two classes went head-to-head in the final, he remained comfortably ahead of impressive novice Ryan Jones, who finished a couple of seconds in his wake. Alex Thomas, having shone in the Junior Honda final, doubled up on the weekend, making a respectable Junior TKM debut to claim third in class.
Junior Rotax entries may have been reduced in number, but continued to produce some exciting racing, with the three heats being shared equally between Oliver Pidgley, Ryan Wheeler and Joshua Collings. Wheeler started the final from pole, but saw Collings seize top spot at mid-distance, having come through from third on the grid, Pidgley also succumbed to the eventual winner, but was promoted back to second when Wheeler was later excluded from the results, allowing Adam Berwick to complete the podium
MiniMax saw multiple club champion Macaulay Austin edge the opening heat from Morgan Rose but then fail to appear for the rest of the day, leaving the way clear for Lewis Malin to claim the remaining two heats. The final, however, saw Rose return to the fore, winning by a fraction under a second from Malin, with James Williams taking third.
Lone Junior Blue runner Phillip Gibbons joined the MiniMax boys in each of their races, winning heat two outright, before finishing third on the road in the final.
Senior Honda boasted just five runners, including novice Steve Griffiths, but saw a new name emerge at the front as Ferdinand Ball enjoyed a career day. Two heat wins showed what the Junior Honda graduate was capable of, but no-one would have expected him to dominate the final as easily as he did, pulling away to a five-second win. Returnee Chris Lipscombe and veteran Paul Saunders initially duelled over the runners-up spot, but it ultimately went to Welsh champion Simon Evans as he battled back from an early spin.
Even the Senior Rotax class saw a depleted entry, but ten runners produced the usual fireworks. The weekend appeared to be the domain of new Welsh champion Dan Jones, who claimed two of the three heats and eased away to a comfortable win in the final. However, as in the Juniors, there was a sting in the tail, with Jones being disqualified after the event, handing victory the heat two winner Chris Davis. Ashley Davies and Jon Sweeper completed the podium, the latter from eighth on the grid
The Rotax 177 class went the way of lone runner Wayne Stone.
RESULTS
BAMBINO
1. Morgan Chell (CRG)
CADET HONDA
1. Max Wieteska (Zip)
2. Ross Thomas (Wright)
3. Daniel Thomas (Project One)
CADET COMER
1. Harry Williams (Zip)
2. Lewis Griffiths (Zip)
3. Tylor Ballard (Zip)
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
2. Jamie Warren (Wright)
3. Alex Thomas (Jade)
JUNIOR TKM 2-STROKE
1. Sebastian Hutchinson (Intrepid)
2. Niall Williams (Storm)
3. Sam Morgan (Intrepid)
JUNIOR TKM 4-STROKE
1. Andrew Davies (Jade)
2. Ryan Jones (CRG)
JUNIOR ROTAX
1. Josh Collings (CRG)
2. Oliver Pidgley (Kosmic)
3. Adam Berwick (Tonykart)
MINI MAX
1. Morgan Rose (Tonykart)
3. Lewis Malin (Tonykart)
2. James Williams (Tonykart)
JUNIOR BLUE
1. Phillip Gibbons (Tonykart)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Ferdinand Ball (MS)
2. Simon Evans (7Kart)
3. Paul Saunders (7Kart)
SENIOR ROTAX
1. Chris Davis (Storm)
2. Ashley Davies (Intrepid)
3. Jon Sweeper (Kosmic)
ROTAX 177
1. Wayne Stone (Tonykart)
June 2010
Report: Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette
Photo: Hardy Rodde
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Harry Williams (C) was just one of the new Welsh kart champions to continue their winning form into Llandow Kart Club’s June meeting
After the success of May’s Welsh Championship meeting, Llandow Kart Club returned the business of determining its annual champions with round five of the club championship taking place under blazing June sunshine.
With the Dadson and NKRA Southern series helping to swell the entry, more than a hundred drivers ignored the football World Cup to sign on for the Fathers’ Day action, and again produced some captivating competition.
The Bambino category saw Alex Austin and Morgan Chell joined by Jackson Apps, who promptly set the fastest Bambino lap yet seen at Llandow. All three drivers produced personal best times, however, leaving each satisfied with their efforts.
New Welsh champion Robbie Gallier underlined his good form by dominating a 16-strong Cadet Honda class throughout, although he was made to wait for victory in the final after Yousuf Ashraf brought out the red flags on lap one after being thrown from his kart. With Ashraf’s condition diagnosed as concussion and fortunately little else, racing resumed and such was Gallier’s dominance, attention switched to the four-kart scrap for second, which was eventually won by Southern champion George Thomson from Ari White.
34 total Cadet entries meant a split grid for the 17 Comer runners – plus WTP’s Jack Crisp - for the second month running. Mirroring Gallier’s success, new Welsh champion Harry Williams took victory in the final, but only after a five-kart scrap that saw him get the better of podium finishers Ryan Anderton and Bradley Drowne.
Maintaining the Welsh champion theme, Lloyd Sealy produced a clean sweep in Junior Honda, although Jamie Warren pushed him all the way, with novice Alex Thomas again taking third.
Junior TKM produced three different winners from each of its three heats, but an old face returned to the top of the pile in the final as Sebastian Hutchinson came out on top over Ross Chell. Cadet graduate Niall Williams eventually claimed third after fellow graduate Jed Hicks retires.
The poorly supported Junior TKM 4-Stroke class allowed Welsh champion Andrew Davies to complete a sweep of victory, with novice Ryan Jones second.
In contrast, Junior Rotax produced another big grid and some close racing, although Cody Tree claimed victory in the final after leading from start to finish and opening out a two-second gap over his pursuers. Leading the vain chase was Josh Collings, while Oliver Pidgley got the better of Ryan Wheeler to win the scramble for third.
MiniMax produced a clean sweep for multiple club champion Macaulay Austin, who led home a Delta team battle over second as James Williams and Morgan Rose fought to the line before Williams came out on top.
A depleted Senior Honda field ensured another clean sweep, this time for new Welsh champion Simon Evans. The only time Evans appeared threatened was in heat two, where veteran Paul Saunders almost got the victory, but, come the final, it was Ferdinand Ball leading the pursuit, with Saunders having to settle for third.
Senior Rotax again proved competitive, with 15 entries chasing the honours. Ultimately, however, the Welsh champion thread continued, with recently crowned Dan Jones taking a comfortable win in the final. Chris Davis, who claimed victory in heat two, finished the day as runner-up after narrowly holding off Michael Kent in the battle for podium places.
The accompanying Rotax 177 class went the way of Wayne Stone, with David Peddie and Simon Wheeler giving chase.
The guesting NKRA series produced two strong classes, and some close racing. In Junior Blue, Ben Pearson appeared favourite for the final after dominating the heats, but Ryan Edgecumbe and Ash Goodliffe had other ideas and pushed him back to third in the main event, as novice Alana Taylor finished fourth.
Senior Blue, meanwhile, saw Craig Copeland take an easy six-second win despite some frantic scraps going on behind him. David Washington came out best from these in the final, holding off Duncan McLeod for second.
Although Dadson numbers were down on previous visits to Llandow, the class continued to produce some good racing, as Melvin Francis claimed the main event win from Greg Finke and Kevin Gilbert.
RESULTS
BAMBINO
1= Jackson Apps (Topkart)
1= Alex Austin (Zip)
1= Morgan Chell (CRG)
CADET HONDA
1. Robbie Gallier (Project One)
2. George Thomson (Project One)
3. Ari White (Project One)
CADET COMER
1. Harry Williams (Zip)
2. Ryan Anderton (BRM)
3. Bradley Drowne (BRM)
CADET WTP
1. Jack Crisp (Tonykart)
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
2. Jamie Warren (Wright)
3. Alex Thomas (Jade)
JUNIOR TKM 2-STROKE
1. Sebastian Hutchinson (Intrepid)
2. Ross Chell (Tonykart)
3. Niall Williams (Storm)
JUNIOR TKM 4-STROKE
1. Andrew Davies (Jade)
2. Ryan Jones (CRG)
JUNIOR ROTAX
1. Cody Tree (Kosmic)
2. Josh Collings (CRG)
3. Oliver Pidgley (Kosmic)
MINI MAX
1. Macaulay Austin (Maranello)
2. James Williams (Tonykart)
3. Morgan Rose (Tonykart)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Simon Evans (7Kart)
2. Ferdinand Ball (MS)
3. Paul Saunders (7Kart)
SENIOR ROTAX
1. Dan Jones (Tonykart)
2. Chris Davis (Storm)
3. Michael Kent (Tonykart)
ROTAX 177
1. Wayne Stone (Tonykart)
2. David Peddie (Kosmic)
3. Simon Wheeler (CRG)
JUNIOR BLUE
1. Ryan Edgecumbe (Tonykart)
2. Ashley Goodliffe (Zip)
3. Ben Pearson (Tonykart)
SENIOR BLUE
1. Craig Copeland (Mac)
2. David Washington (Tonykart)
3. Duncan McLeod (Tecno)
DADSON MASTERS
1. Melvin Francis (Kosmic)
2. Greg Finke (Alonso)
3. Kevin Gilbert (Tonykart)
Best novice: Ryan Edwards (Cadet Honda)
Driver of the Day: Alana Taylor (Junior Blue)
Best presented kart: David Peddie (Rotax 177)
May 2010 (Welsh Championships)
Report: Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette
Photo: Hardy Rodde
Lloyd Sealy on his way to Welsh Championship success in the Junior Honda class at Llandow Kart Club’s May meeting
Round four of Llandow Kart Club’s 2010 season was perhaps the most ambitious event yet undertaken, as the usual summer series combined with the annual Welsh Championships, inaugural Dragon Challenge round and a visit from the Southern Blue Challenge to require 61 races over two days blessed by hot sunshine.
In all, 14 classes were in action, with eleven chasing the increasingly prestigious ‘C’ Plate, and the status of the occasion was underlined by no fewer than 70 visiting drivers being included on the entry, including a number of Super 1 and Formula Kart Stars regulars.
The elongated weekend saw all drivers practice freely on Saturday morning, before launching into a brace of qualifying sessions, two heats and a Pre-Final to set themselves up for the main event.
A mammoth 30-strong Cadet field was sensibly split for the Finals, with defending Welsh champion Tom Harvey the man to beat in the Comer class after winning a heat and the Pre-Final. However, with Jordan Gilbertson and Connor Jupp both showing their potential in the earlier races, and local boys Harry Williams and Harrison Thomas also on form, a five-way scrap for the title ensued.
Harvey and Williams both led in the early laps, before a move from Jupp in to Raymonds saw both drivers run wide and allow Williams back into the lead. Given his break, the youngster was not about blow the biggest win of his short career, and held on to claim the crown with Jupp second and Thomas third. Despite being visibly disappointed at the result, however, fourth-placed Harvey showed sportsmanship isn’t dead by handing over his ‘C’ Plate to the new champion in parc ferme.
The Honda class was all about Robbie Gallier, who returned to the Welsh Championship determined to atone for the mechanical failure that robbed him of the 2009 title. Although he made life hard for himself by posting the wrong number on his scrutineering card – resulting in a DSQ from the opening heat – he quickly made amends by winning race two and then coming from eighth to claim the Pre-Final and pole for the main event.
While Ari White and Kyle Petricca battled over second place in the Final, Gallier calmly pulled away at the front, eventually taking a five-second victory to add the Welsh title to the Celtic crown he claimed in December. Behind him, White eventually got the better of Petricca, with Fletcher Trueman taking fourth.
Junior TKM was one of the biggest benefactors of the increased entry, and it was Llandow debutants Alex Forward and Ross Darlington who set the pace. Forward took pole and a new lap record en route to heat one victory over Darlington and Zach Jones, and then proceeded to rewrite the record again in second qualifying. From there, however, it was Darlington to the fore, claiming each of the remaining three races and, with them, the title of Welsh Junior TKM 2-Stroke champion. Forward then had to make do with third, having been beaten to the chequered flag by Liam Jones.
With Jones and cousin Zach moving to the 2-Stroke class, Andrew Davies had only novice Ryan Jones as opposition in the 4-Stroke equivalent and had things his own way for most of the weekend. Although Jones was gifted the Pre-Final when Davies’ engine shut down on the rolling lap, the more experienced driver bounced back to claim the Final and the Welsh title.
Although the Junior Honda entry boasted only five entries, the racing underlined the typically close nature of Prokart competition. Each driver laid claim to at least a podium place, with Daniel Jones and Lloyd Sealy taking the heat wins, before the latter began to stamp his authority on proceedings with victory in the Pre-Final.
Sealy could have expected Jones to provide his usual close opposition in the main event, but was gifted an easy run to the flag when Jones struggled with an intermittent engine problem that eventually saw him retire just as his fightback was beginning. The Jones family then learned a salutary lesson in dealing with tough times as brother Chris was also sidelined with engine gremlins, leaving defending champion Jamie Warren and novice Alex Thomas to complete the podium.
Having taken both the Minimax and Junior Max crowns in 2009, Sam Marsh returned in search of a ‘double double’ in 2010, but found the competition as stiff as ever.
Although he remained unbeaten all weekend in Minimax, and pulled away comfortably in the Final to leave Macaulay Austin and Leon Hilleard scrapping over the minor podium places, Marsh found life in Junior Max altogether tougher, with a 25-strong entry one of the biggest of the weekend.
Fraser O’Brien appeared the class of the field as he claimed victory in all four races, but the ever impressive Joshua Collings made sure that O’Brien didn’t have life easy by pressuring him throughout. While O’Brien eventually took the Welsh title by a mere second, Marsh’s bid for a little bit of history ended with third place, meritorious in its own right after he dropped to eighth at the start.
Dominic Gorrett, meanwhile, suffered an up-and-down weekend, starting with a trip to hospital after crashing practice, Having missed first qualifying and heat one, he returned to claim pole for race two – only to crash on the opening lap! From last on the Pre-Final grid, Gorrett then recovered to tenth, only to undo his hard work by dropping to 20th on the opening lap of the Final. He eventually battled back to eleventh - and was then awarded the weekend prize for best presented kart.
Thanks to a lot of hard work by competition secretary Colin Lipscomb and several of the drivers, Llandow welcomed back a Senior TKM grid for the first time in five years, with a ten-strong entry led by 2009 Super 1 runner-up Randall Lynn and old rival Joe Forsdyke. The pair shared heat wins before Lynn secured pole for the Final with a close Pre-Final win, but an opening lap move from Forsdyke gave him a lead he was not to lose. Two seconds separated the rivals at the end, with Kevin Westbrook taking third and Sam Grogan, from the back of the grid, fourth.
Simon Evans dominated a Senior Honda class graced by just four karts, with club veteran Paul Saunders coming through to take second from youngsters Ferdinand Ball and Gareth Lewis.
While Evans finally converted a string of podium finishes in Welsh finals into victory, Dan Jones did likewise in Formula Rotax, winning all four races despite a closely-matched 20-driver entry to claim his first Welsh crown after ten years and three runners-up results.
Although Nathan Lawley and Nigel Davies fell by the wayside health-wise, the action was a fierce as ever in this season’s best-supported class at Llandow, with some unexpected names featuring on the Final podium. Having dominated the front of the field through the build-up to the main event, Jones took advantage of the scrapping behind him to open out a four-second cushion, while the visiting Stephen Andrews got the better of the LKC regulars to take second. Liam Revell completed the top three after bouncing back from exclusion in first qualifying.
Richie Raymond also finally achieved the goal of lifting a Welsh Championship title by becoming the first such winner of the Max 177 class and emulating father Jonathan, who won on several occasions in the 1980s.
After winning both heats and the Pre-Final, Raymond saw off Wayne Stone in the main event, with the runner-up taking advantage of a wild moment for Nigel Hughes to claim second spot. Hughes recovered to complete the podium as the 177 class showed an increase in numbers.
Although not competing for Welsh titles, both Junior and Formula Blue added to the rich variety of the weekend, with Ryan Edgecumbe and Craig Copeland running out victors.
The weekend ended with the latest outing of the Bambino class as Alex Austin and Morgan Chell respectively the younger brothers of former Welsh champions Macaulay and Ross – went head-to-head to the delight of the large crowd.
RESULTS
CADET COMER
1. Harry Williams (Zip)
2. Connor Jupp (Zip)
3. Harrison Thomas (Zip)
CADET HONDA
1. Robbie Gallier (Project One)
2. Ari White (Project One)
3. Kyle Petricca (Project One)
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
2. Jamie Warren (Wright)
3. Alex Thomas (Jade)
JUNIOR TKM 2 STROKE
1. Ross Darlington (Tonykart)
2. Liam Jones (Jade)
3. Alex Forward (Storm)
JUNIOR TKM 4 STROKE
1. Andrew Davies (Jade)
2. Ryan Jones (CRG)
MINIMAX
1. Sam Marsh (Kosmic)
2. Macaulay Austin (Maranello)
3. Leon Hilleard (Energy)
JUNIOR MAX
1. Fraser O’Brien (Kosmic)
2. Joshua Collings (CRG)
3. Sam Marsh (Kosmic)
SENIOR TKM
1. Joe Forsdyke (Tal-Ko)
2. Randall Lynn (Alonso)
3. Kevin Westbrook (Alonso)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Simon Evans (7Kart)
2. Paul Saunders (7Kart)
3. Ferdinand Ball (MS)
FORMULA ROTAX
1. Dan Jones (Tonykart)
2. Stephen Andrews (CRG)
3. Liam Revell (Tonykart)
MAX 177
1. Richard Raymond (Tonykart)
2. Wayne Stone (Tonykart)
3. Nigel Hughes (CRG)
JUNIOR BLUE
1. Ryan Edgecumbe
2. Ashley Goodliffe (Zip)
3. Ben Pearson (Kosmos)
FORMULA BLUE
1. Craig Copeland (Mac Minarelli)
2. Robin Brotherwood (Tecno)
3. Jamie Rush (Tecno)
BAMBINO
1. Alex Austin & Morgan Chell
Best presented kart: Dominic Gorrett (Junior Max)
Best performance by Honda driver: Hugo Holmes (Cadet Honda)
Best novice: Ryan Jones (Junior TKM 4-Stroke)
Kath Denscombe Memorial Award – Driver of the Day: Alex Thomas
April 2010
Report: Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette
Photo: Hardy Rodde
Glorious weather graced round three of Llandow Kart Club’s summer championship which, thanks to the annual visit of the RAF Premier series, boasted the biggest entry of the year, with 75 drivers in action, many of whom will have been warming up for May’s Welsh Champs
Although the Bambino class only featured one driver, there was no lack of talent as Morgan Chell, younger brother of Junior TKM 2-Stroke ace Ross, hired one of two karts owned by Llandow KC and set the fastest lap yet seen in the fledgling category, despite never having driven it before.
Brother Ross, meanwhile, had to deal with slightly more competition, taking on the biggest Junior TKM 2-Stroke field of the year, but still came away with a clean sweep and a new lap record of his own. He didn’t have it easy, however, being chased hard in the final by Isobel Storrar and Sebastian Hutchinson, who completed the podium in second and third respectively.
There was also a clean sweep for Harry Williams in Cadet Comer, which left the real action to a good battle for second between Lewis Griffiths and Louis Griffith-Walker, eventually settled in Griffiths’ favour. Debutant Scott Morris finished a superb fourth.
Cadet Honda boiled down to a battle between Ari White, who won two heats, and Yousuf Ashraf, who was handed the other by a White DNF. As expected, the pair went head-to-head in the final, with White coming out on top, while Daniel Thomas was left to settle for third
While Chell Sr was dominating the 2-Stroke class, Junior TKM 4-Stroke saw Zach Jones and Andrew Davies share the heat wins and face off in the final. Jones was leading when matters were decided by an unfortunate coming together between the pursuing Davies and backmarker Matthew Steddy, which brought out the red flags. Fortunately, neither driver was hurt in the incident, but it left Jones to win the restarted race from cousin Liam.
Lloyd Sealy and Daniel Jones shared the heat wins in Junior Honda, but their rivalry did not last the final as Jones spun attempting a move for the lead, allowing Sealy to win with ease. Jamie Warren assumed second place, while Chris Jones moved briefly into third before his kart shed a chain, allowing his brother to recover a spot on the podium.
Junior Rotax produced a gripping series of races, with Oliver Pidgley and Ryan Wheeler sharing the heat wins before renewing their rivalry in the final. Pidgley led early on but was caught and passed by Wheeler, who held on for a narrow win. Dean Clayton was a close third, with Guernseyman Kasey Watson fourth.
A clean sweep for Morgan Rose belied the competition in Mini Max, with Ben Davies, James Williams and Guy Wenham all running the winner close at various points. Rose duly dominated final, with Davies snatching second from Williams late on.
Despite five runners being a slight improvement on last month, Senior Honda produced a superb final battle between double heat winner Simon Evans and reigning champion Gareth Lewis. The lead changed hands six times before Evans eventually triumphed. Paul Saunders claimed the third podium spot after a spin for Ferdinand Ball relieved the pressure. Ball recovered to take fourth.
The visiting RAF Premier class provided a welcome 15-strong grid, with Chris Guy, Rob Andrews and Chris Davies all taking heat wins. Davies duly led the final from start to finish, with Andrews chasing, but the star of the show was Claire Kemp, who recovered from two heat DNFs to come from last to third in the main event.
Senior Rotax again produced a strong field, with heat wins being shared by Dan Jones, Craig Mooney and Matthew Dowers. Jones started the final from pole and led from lights to flag, with Mooney chasing, while Chris Davis battled back from a heat two crash to take third place.
Rotax 177, meanwhile, was once again the preserve of Wayne Stone, who won with a new lap record after Simon Wheeler retired.
RESULTS
BAMBINO
1. Morgan Chell (CRG)
CADET COMER
1. Harry Williams (Zip)
2. Lewis Griffiths (Zip)
3. Louis Griffith-Walker (Zip)
CADET HONDA
1. Ari White (Project One)
2. Yousuf Ashraf (Project One)
3. Daniel Thomas (Project One)
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
2. Jamie Warren (Jade)
3. Daniel Jones (MS)
JUNIOR TKM
1. Ross Chell (Tonykart)
2. Isobel Storrar (X30)
3. Sebastian Hutchinson (Intrepid)
JUNIOR TKM 4 STROKE
1. Zach Jones (Jade)
2. Liam Jones (Jade)
3. Matthew Steddy (Tal-Ko)
JUNIOR ROTAX
1. Ryan Wheeler (Tonykart)
2. Oliver Pidgley (Alonso)
3. Dean Clayton (Alonso)
MINI MAX
1. Morgan Rose (Tonykart)
2. Ben Davies (Gillard)
3. James Williams (Tonykart)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Simon Evans (7Kart)
2. Gareth Lewis (7Kart)
3. Paul Saunders (7Kart)
SENIOR ROTAX
1. Dan Jones (Tony)
2. Craig Mooney (CRG)
3. Chris Davis (Storm)
ROTAX 177
1. Wayne Stone (Tonykart)
2. Simon Wheeler (CRG)
RAF PREMIER
1. Chris Davies (Gillard)
2. Rob Andrews 9Sodi)
3. Claire Kemp (Alonso)
Best Novice: Alex Thomas (Junior Honda)
Best Presented Cadet: Ross Thomas
Best Presented RAF: Gary Hall
Driver of the Day: Scott Morris (Cadet Comer)
March 2010
Club Championship - Round 2
Report: Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette
Photo: Hardy Rodde
Photo: Ross Chell en route to Junior TKM 2-Stroke success at Llandow KC’s March round
The fine spring weather that graced round two of Llandow Kart Club’s 2010 championship was dampened slightly by a disappointing entry, but the racing in several classes more than made up for the lack of numbers.
If the entire February turnout had returned, the ‘new’ faces for March would have pushed the entry above 70 but, instead, just 58 drivers hit the track, which proved fast enough to produce three new lap records during the course of the day.
Alex ‘The Bear’ Austin was again the name to watch in the new Bambino class, making his second run of the year and knocking another 1.5secs off his personal best lap.
The Cadet Honda class almost achieved double figures, with a good number of novices enjoying some good racing. Ari White won all three heats and final to dominate the points, with Yousuf Ashraf taking second place from Daniel Thomas.
There was another clean sweep in Cadet Comer, where Harry Williams, won all four of his races – and took the new award for ‘best presented Cadet kart’, sponsored by THR Graphics. A stunning drive from novice Sam Faulkner earned him a deserved second place on his Llandow debut, while Louis Griffith-Walker took third spot.
By contrast, the Cadet WTP class was a lonely place, with just Jack Barber entered, but he mixed competitively with the other Cadets and took several top five finishes on the road.
The Junior Honda grid proved bigger than its senior counterpart for the first time in many years, and provided some great racing to boot as triple heat winner Lloyd Sealy just managed to hold off Daniel Jones after a race-long battle. Defending club and Welsh champion Jamie Warren was left to take third place.
A superb series of races enlivened Junior TKM 2-Stroke, with newcomer Jack Love taking two heat wins and Ross Chell the third. Chell then claimed a stirring final, with a new lap record, in only his second TKM outing. Defending champion Seb Hutchinson completed the podium.
The Junior TKM 4-Stroke wasn’t quite so competitive, but still provided an unexpected outcome. Four race wins and a new lap record hinted at Zach Jones’ dominance, although his rivals all hit problems during the day. However, the results counted for little when it was discovered that the winner had forgotten to put a chassis number on his scrutineering card and was promptly disqualified from the final! Cousin Liam Jones inherited the win, with Andrew Davies moving up to second.
A big Junior Max grid surprisingly featured just one Welshman defending national honour against eight marauding English rivals, but Ryan Wheeler proved up to the task, claiming all four race wins to dominate the day. Adam Berwick ran Wheeler close in the heats, and deservedly took second in final, while Dean Clayton claimed third spot after Ollie Pidgeley retired.
Macaulay Austin added to his impressive trophy haul by holding off Morgan Rose in tense Mini Max final. Ben Davies, who shared the heat wins with the lead pair, came home a close third.
A disappointing three-kart entry marked a low for the once dominant Senior Honda class, but could not take away from a series of stunning drives by reigning champion Gareth Lewis, who took all four wins and enjoyed a comfortable gap over his pursuers in the final. Ferdinand Ball eventually claimed second from Paul Saunders after great scrap in the final.
Senior Max once again produced the biggest grid of the day, with a dozen drivers all vying for honours. Three different heat winners - birthday boy Dan Jones, Craig Mooney and Nathan Lawley - set up a fantastic final, but it was Matthew Dowers who came to the fore when it mattered most, battling past Mooney to take a close-fought win. Jones also overcame Mooney for second, while Chris Davis was only narrowly edged out of third.
Only Wayne Stone was entered for the Max 177 class, but mixed it with the regulars and broke his own lap record twice before the end of the day.
RESULTS
BAMBINO
1. Alex Austin
CADET HONDA
1. Ari White (Project One)
2. Yousuf Ashraf (Project One)
3. Daniel Thomas (Project One)
CADET COMER
1. Harry Williams (Zip)
2. Sam Faulkner (Zip)
3. Louis Griffith-Walker (Zip)
CADET WTP
1. Jack Barber (BRM)
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
2. Daniel Jones (MS)
3. Jamie Warren (Jade)
JUNIOR TKM 2 STROKE
1. Ross Chell (Tony)
2. Jack Love (Gillard)
3. Sebastian Hutchinson (Intrepid)
JUNIOR TKM 4 STROKE
1. Liam Jones (Jade)
2. Andrew Davies (Jade)
3. Zach Jones (Jade)
JUNIOR ROTAX
1. Ryan Wheeler (Tony)
2. Adam Berwick (Tony)
3. Dean Clayton (Alonso)
MINI MAX
1. Macaulay Austin (Maranello)
2. Morgan Rose (Tony)
3. Ben Davies (Gillard)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Gareth Lewis (7Kart)
2. Ferdinand Ball (MS)
3. Paul Saunders (7Kart)
SENIOR MAX
1. Matthew Dowers (Tony)
2. Dan Jones (Tony)
3. Craig Mooney (CRG)
Best Presented Cadet: Harry Williams
Best Novice: Sam Faulkner (Cadet Comer)
Driver of the Day: Ross Chell (Junior TKM 2-Stroke)
February 2010
Club Championship – Round 1
Report: Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette
The opening round of Llandow Kart Club’s 2010 season got off to a damp start but, having managed to find a rare window among snowy days, eventually took place in largely sunny conditions.
A 61-strong entry was slightly disappointing, but was buoyed by the inclusion of 15 novices, with everyone enjoying three heats of eight laps, with a twelve-lap final to round out proceedings. No red flags meant that the action rattled along swiftly on a day notable for first running of the Bambino class under MSA permit.
The new category was given four six-minute sessions on a 500-metre loop within the usual circuit, but a familiar name emerged at the top of the pile as multiple champion Macaulay Austin’s younger brother Alex became first ‘winner’ after improving his lap time by six seconds over the course of the day.
Cadet Honda appeared to be going the way of Yousuf Ashraf after he claimed victory in all three heats, but it was Llandow debutant Ari White who scraped through when it mattered to take the final, Ashraf came home a close second, with novice Daniel Thomas a fighting third.
The heat wins in Cadet Comer were shared equally between Harry Williams, Ryan Anderton and Harrison Thomas and the same trio completed the final podium, with Williams taking top spot by a kart length after a late pass on Anderton. Jack Barber claimed Cadet WTP honours, while Lloyd Sealy dominated Cadet Honda with a double heat win and final victory. Daniel Jones was a close second in a five-kart grid, with defending champion Jamie Warren third.
Triple heat winner Sebastian Hutchinson looked to have swept the board after taking the Junior TKM 2-Stroke final on the road, but was later disqualified for writing the wrong engine number on his scrutineering card! That handed the win to Sam Morgan, with Cadet Honda graduate Ross Chell taking second.
Zach Jones appeared as dominant as Hutchinson as he won heats two and three in Junior TKM 4-Stroke and then romped to victory in the final as defending champion Andrew Davies spun. Liam Jones was then running second, but had his kart quit under him, handing second back to Davies.
Macaulay Austin made it a family double after bouncing back from a first heat DNF to win races two and three, before taking the final from Cadet graduate James Williams. Williams pushed hard throughout but almost saw his hard work undone as Morgan Rose closed in at the end.
A ten-strong Junior Rotax proved unable to deny defending champion Joshua Collings from taking two heat wins and the final, although Josh Gray was a close second in the main event, with Oliver Pidgley just behind in third.
Bridgestone-mounted Simon Evans won an epic Senior Honda encounter after overcoming defending champion, and Dunlop runner, Gareth Lewis after sensational day of racing. Ferdinand Ball finished third.
Another big grid graced the Senior Rotax class, and proceeded to serve up a thrilling final as Chris Davis charged from third to first in last two laps to claim the win from Matthew Dowers and long-time leader Shaun Fulford. Fulford and Dowers claimed heat wins, along with Ashley Davies.
The Rotax 177 class returned to Llandow after making its debut at last December’s Celtic Championships, and saw Nigel Hughes assume control during the wettest conditions. However, it was Wayne Stone who came through to claim the final, setting a new lap record in the process. Hughes was left to take second, with Richard Phillips third.
RESULTS
BAMBINO
1. Alex Austin
CADET HONDA
1. Ari White (Project One)
2. Yousuf Ashraf (Project One)
3. Daniel Thomas (Project One)
CADET COMER
1. Harry Williams (Zip)
2. Ryan Anderton (BRM)
3. Harrison Thomas (Zip)
CADET WTP
1. Jack Barber (BRM)
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
2. Daniel Jones (MS)
3. Jamie Warren (Jade)
JUNIOR TKM 2-STROKE
1. Sam Morgan (Intrepid)
2. Ross Chell (Tony)
3. Sebastian Hutchinson (Intrepid)
JUNIOR TKM 4-STROKE
1. Zach Jones (Jade)
2. Andrew Davies (Jade)
3. Liam Jones (Jade)
MINI MAX
1. Macaulay Austin (Maranello)
2. James Williams (Tony)
3. Morgan Rose (Tony)
JUNIOR ROTAX
1. Joshua Collings (CRG)
2. Josh Gray (CRG)
3. Oliver Pidgley (Alonso)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Simon Evans (7Kart)
2. Gareth Lewis (7Kart)
3. Ferdinand Ball (MS)
SENIOR ROTAX
1. Chris Davis (Storm)
2. Matthew Dowers (Tony)
3. Shaun Fulford (CRG)
SENIOR ROTAX 177
1. Wayne Stone (Tony)
2. Nigel Hughes (RedSpeed)
3. Richard Phillips (Tony)
Best Novice: James Johnson (Mini Max)
Driver of the Day: Louis Griffith-Walker (Cadet Comer)
December 2009
Celtic Championships 2009
Report: Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette
Photo: Hardy Rodde
The Senior Max class lines up for the 2009 Celtic Championship final at Llandow
With the regular season done and dusted, Llandow Kart Club pulled the curtain down on 2009 with the traditional end-of-year Celtic Championships. Sadly, the 70-strong entry – missing some club regulars – was greeted, at best, by changeable conditions.
Run over the unique format of five-minute qualifying sessions, a six-lap heat, eight-lap pre-final and ten-lap final, there was little room for error if drivers were to claim one of the superb trophies on offer, as well, of course, as securing the CC plate for 2010.
With the first of the finals taking place in wet conditions, the Cadet Comer class was first on track, with Owen Griffiths belying the conditions to win with ease, coming home ahead of pre-final winner Ryan Anderton and third-placed Harrison Thomas.
Cadet Honda produced a clean sweep for Robbie Gallier, who proved unbeatable on the day. Niall Williams was left to come home a distant second, with novice Yousuf Ashraf taking third after dice with Llandow regular Harvey Lanaway.
Daniel Jones continued his recent good form in Junior Honda to hold of regular frontrunner Jamie Warren for ten thrilling laps, while Lloyd Sealy had to settle for third.
There was something of an upset in Junior TKM 2-Stroke as Seb Hutchinson saw his chances of adding another trophy ended by mechanical gremlins while leading the final by half a length. That allowed Craig Johnson to claim the victory after giving chase, while heat winner Sam Morgan took second.
Junior TKM 4-Stroke saw Zach Jones beat club champion Andrew Davies, with Liam Jones a close third, while the visiting Andy King beat a large Junior Max field, despite Ryan Wheeler closing in over the final laps, having passed Joshua Collings.
The Minimax final produced a lights-to-flag win for returning Welsh champion Sam Marsh, who enjoyed a battle with perennial frontrunner Macaulay Austin before securing the title. Ben Davies was also in contention, but ultimately had to settle for the bottom step of the podium.
Senior Honda saw Gareth Lewis make some amends for missing out on June’s Welsh Championship, adding a third straight Celtic title to the club championship that he secured in November’s season finale. Simon Evans again had to make do with runners-up honours, while pre-final winner Ferdinand Ball rounded out his debut season in seniors with third place.
Again the most popular class on the schedule, Senior Max produced a 15-strong field, only to see Daryl Henderson dominate. Richie Raymond was left to take second spot from Liam Revell, after the luckless Nathan Lawley lost a wheel while on course for a potential podium.
Last but not least, the Rotax 177 class made its Llandow debut, with Colin Davies dominating throughout the day. Local driver Wayne Stone was second best, coming home ahead of Nigel Saunders in the final.
RESULTS
CADET COMER
1. Owen Griffiths (BRM)
2. Ryan Anderton (BRM)
3. Harrison Thomas (Zip)
CADET HONDA
1. Robbie Gallier (Project One)
2. Niall Williams (Project One)
3. Yousuf Ashraf (Project One)
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Daniel Jones (MS)
2. Jamie Warren (Jade)
3. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
JUNIOR TKM 2 STROKE
1. Craig Johnson (Intrepid)
2. Sam Morgan (Venom)
3. Sebastian Hutchinson (Intrepid)
JUNIOR TKM 4 STROKE
1. Zach Jones (Jade)
2. Andrew Davies (Jade)
3. Liam Jones (Jade)
JUNIOR MAX
1. Andy King (Gillard)
2. Ryan Wheeler (Tony)
3. Joshua Collings (CRG)
4. JJ Wilson (Gillard)
MINI MAX
1. Sam Marsh (Tony)
2. Macaulay Austin (Maranello)
3. Ben Davies (Gillard)
SENIOR HONDA
1. Gareth Lewis (7Kart)
2. Simon Evans (7Kart)
3. Ferdinand Ball (MS)
SENIOR MAX
1. Daryl Henderson (Gillard)
2. Richard Raymond (Tony)
3. Liam Revell (Tony)
4. Dan Rodde (CRG)
ROTAX 177
1. Colin Davies (Redspeed)
2. Wayne Stone (Tony)
3. Nigel Saunders (Redspeed)
DRIVER OF THE DAY: Daniel Thomas (Cadet Honda)
November 2009
Club championship - Final Round
Report: Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette
Photo: Hardy Rodde
DRIVER OF THE DAY Dan Jones (pictured earlier in the season) claimed the hotly contested Senior Max class at Llandow Kart Club
The final round of Llandow Kart Club’s championship season arrived with titles still on the line and mixed conditions on the horizon, but still produced some close and exciting racing as 55 runners brought the curtain down on another successful campaign.
The Cadets got things underway, with Jed Hicks claiming two of the three heats to set himself for the class championship. Although James Williams briefly got ahead of him in the final, Hicks quickly redressed the balance and capped his season with another win. Williams came home second, ahead of Tyler Ballard, after heat one winner Harry Williams failed to start the final.
The Cadet Honda category went the way of the season as a whole, with Robbie Gallier and Niall Williams setting the pace and running unchanged out front. Gallier, however, was in a class of his own, pulling out a seven-second advantage by the chequered flag. Ross Chell claimed third on the road, as he did in the overall standings as Gallier, who remained unbeaten all day, claimed the title for the first time.
Daniel Jones continued his recent emergence in Junior Honda, winning two of the three heats and then edging a close final in which the top three crossed the line covered by less than a second. Despite a brief mid-race challenge from Jamie Warren, however, Jones held firm on father Hugh’s ‘old’ MS, taking victory by 0.28secs over Lloyd Sealy, with Warren having to settle for third, 0.54secs from the front. The result was enough for Warren to repeat as champion, however, with Sealy as runner-up.
Sebastian Hutchinson and Dilip Singh went into the final round of the Junior TKM 2-Stroke season knowing that a bad weekend could still decide the title and, when Hutchinson was excluded from heat two, things looked tense. However, the matter was settled in the final, with Hutchinson coming home ten seconds clear of his rival to ensure that he retained the crown. Singh finished runner-up on both the day and the year, with Sam Morgan third on both counts.
Junior TKM 4-Stroke appeared to be going the way of champion-elect Andrew Davies after he claimed each of the three heats from cousins Zach and Liam Jones, but the order was shuffled in the main event as Zach came through to win by 0.47secs after passing Davies on lap eight. That, however, had little effect on the championship standings as Davies replaced three-time champion Ryan Howells as the newest name on the trophy. Liam Jones was second overall.
The Junior Max crown appeared settled before the weekend began, but the class received something of a shake-up courtesy of visitors from beyond the borders. National frontrunner Andy King claimed both the first and third heats, before dominating the final to win by nine seconds as the field scrapped over the remaining podium places. Ben Palmer denied King a clean sweep, but had to settle for second on the day, while Joshua Collings confirmed a second title in as many years of racing by taking the third step. Adam Berwick finished as runner-up in the overall LKC standings, ahead of Josh Gray.
Ben Davies was the dominant force in Minimax, winning three of the day’s four races – including the final – to underline his strong end of season form, but, after missing the first half of the year, was never in position to deny Ellis Belton the title. Morgan Rose claimed the other heat win, but the consistent Belton took three second places on the day to ensure the crown was his. Jordan Gullick finished second on the season, with Macauley Austin third.
The Senior Honda class was the closest heading into the final round, with reigning champion Gareth Lewis under pressure from Simon Evans. Consistency again rewarded Lewis, however, with top three finishes in the heats being followed by a second victory of the day when it mattered. Evans did what he could, winning heat one and coming through to second in the final, but could deny Lewis his title hat-trick. Ferdinand Ball claimed a heat win and third in the final, but it was former heavyweight class champion Hugh Jones who took third for the year.
The usually well-supported Senior Max class was a little down on numbers, but the eleven drivers again provided some thrilling racing, with Dan Jones and Richard Raymond sharing the heat spoils. Raymond then proved to be the man to beat in the last event of the summer season, maintaining the lead throughout the final to edge Nathan Lawley by 0.48secs, with Jones a little adrift in third. That, however, was still enough for Jones to succeed Mathew Dowers as club champion, with Chris and Ashley Davies completing the top three overall.
RESULTS
CADET COMER
1. Jed Hicks (Zip)
2. James Williams (Zip)
3. Tyler Ballard (Zip)
Champion: Jed Hicks
CADET HONDA
1. Robbie Gallier (Project One)
2. Niall Williams (Project One)
3. Ross Chell (Project One)
Champion: Robbie Gallier
JUNIOR HONDA
1. Daniel Jones (MS)
2. Lloyd Sealy (MS)
3. Jamie Warren (Jade)
Champion: Jamie Warren
JUNIOR TKM 2 STROKE
1. Sebastian Hutchinson (Intrepid)
2. Dilip Singh (Venom)
3. Sam Morgan (Intrepid)
Champion: Sebastian Hutchinson
JUNIOR TKM 4 STROKE
1. Zach Jones (Jade)
2. Andrew Davies (Jade)
3. Liam Jones (Jade)
Champion: Andrew Davies
JUNIOR MAX
1. Andy King (Gillard)
2. Ben Palmer (Tony)
3. Joshua Collings (CRG)
Champion: Joshua Collings
MINI MAX
1. Ben Davies (Gillard)
2. Ellis Belton (Tony)
3. Morgan Rose (Tony)
Champion: Ellis Belton
SENIOR HONDA
1. Gareth Lewis (7Kart)
2. Simon Evans (7Kart)
3. Ferdinand Ball (MS)
Champion: Gareth Lewis
SENIOR MAX
1. Richard Raymond (Tony)
2. Nathan Lawley (Gillard)
3. Dan Jones (Tony)
Champion: Dan Jones
DRIVER OF THE DAY Dan Jones