April 27th 2008 Race Report - Celtic Championship

The third round of Llandow Kart Club’s annual championship escaped the predicted squally weather and produced some exciting racing on a dry circuit, as the 74-kart entry was boosted by the visiting Two Counties KC and NKRA runners.

Cadet Comer produced a clean sweep for Francis Peters, who won all three heats and the final as his rivals scrapped for runners-up honours. Owen Griffiths and Jed hicks shared second spot in the heats before Hicks grabbed the upper hand in the main event, finishing just 0.18secs behind the winner.

Zach Jones produced a similarly dominant performance in Junior Honda, as Ferdinand Ball and Jamie Warren swapped second and third between them in the heats. A rematch in the final was denied, however, when Warren dropped out after a single lap.

There was an international flavour to the Honda Cadet class as Ashley England took on Robert Holland among the nine runners. For once, however, England proved to have the upper hand, taking all four races, while Holland edged BPKC’s Dylan Phibbs for second in the final.

Junior TKM 2-Stroke continued the ‘clean sweep’ theme, with Ashley Davies proving to be the man to beat. Although Sebastian Hutchinson took second place in each of the heats, he had to settle for third in the final, as Sam Morgan came through to take runners-up honours.

Where the first four junior classes had seen one driver dominate, Junior TKM proved entirely different, with as many winners as there were heats as Andrew Davies, Liam Jones and Ross Owen shared the honours. The final proved to be another close-fought affair, before Owen maintained his momentum from heat three to take victory over Davies and Ryan Howells.

Minimax saw Luke-Jean Laister claim heat one, but that was the only time that Sam Marsh was to be headed for the rest of the day. Laister finished second in the remaining races, with Josh Hatton denying Ryan Wheeler a spot on the podium in the final.

Without the boost of too many visitors, the Senior Honda category again provided one of the biggest fields of the day, and some of the closest – and most contentious - racing too, as four of the class’ ‘young guns’ shared the wins between them. Gareth Lewis, Luke Merrey and Ryan Waters each took a heat win, before a last corner tangle in the final saw David Entwhistle come through to claim a maiden win. Lewis, the visiting Andy Wills and veteran Paul Saunders chased Entwhistle home.

Although the Senior Honda Heavyweight class only made up a small proportion of the overall field, it produced a struggle between Graham Davies and reigning champion Hugh Jones, who shared the wins between them. Jones made the most of an early delay for Davies in the final, while an engine-troubled Craig Llewellyn took third.

The burgeoning Formula Rotax also boasted a 17-kart field, swollen by a number of NKRA regulars, and produced four different winners after some typically nose-to-tail racing. Andrew Winter, Chris Davis and Gareth Taylor took the heat wins before Matthew Dowers claimed the final. Dowers’ success did not come easily, however, as the top four – completed by Taylor, Barry Thomsit and Winter – were covered by just 0.64secs.

For Results Click Here

Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

March 16th 2008 Race Report - Celtic Championship

The second round of Llandow Kart Club’s annual championship saw the mood in the paddock heightened by Wales’ Grand Slam triumph on Saturday, and only slightly dampened by the dreadful weather which accompanied weekend practice. Rain was also forecast for raceday but, aided by the late arrival of the paramedic, competition among the 68 entries took place under brightening skies and on a rapidly drying track.

A strong Cadet Comer entry was boosted by the visiting Zip Young Guns team, but it was local ace Macaulay Austin who came out on top, beating Jay Goodwin into second place, with Francis Peters an excellent third.

The Cadet Honda field was also boosted by drivers practicing for the forthcoming Super 1 round, and it was Jessica Hawkins who took a clean sweep in the heats. The final, however, did not go Jessica’s way, as Jack Partridge snatched victory, with Harvey Lanaway claiming third.

Despite not having any opposition in Cadet WTP, the club was again happy to allow Cory Stevens to join in the fun, adding even more variety to the day’s proceedings.

Junior Honda entries were almost as sparse, but produced some excellent racing over three heats and a final between the two novices on track. Ferdinand Ball led nearly every lap, but it was Jamie Warren who claimed all four wins. The final culminated in a crash between the two, from which Warren emerged to take the flag, but both drivers deserved praise for their efforts.

Sam Morgan had best ever run in Junior TKM 2-Stroke and was in contention for a maiden win in the final before his kart failed. Sebastian Hutchinson thus came through to take the honours in close duel with Steffan Williams and Dilip Singh.

Where the 2-Strokes failed, Junior TKM 4-Stroke did produce a first final victory, this time for Liam Jones, after Fraser O’Brien and Lewys Davies clashed on final lap. Defending club champion Ryan Howells took second, with Andrew Davies third.

Mini Max produced a grid of ten and some equally good racing as Oliver Pidgley, Ellis Belton and Sam Marsh shared the heat wins. Marsh the edged the final after race long pressure from Belton. Ryan Wheeler claimed third after a great dice with impressive novice Elliott Davies.

As has become the norm, Senior Honda produced the biggest entry of the day, with 16 karts lining up over two classes, and also provided some cracking racing. Simon Evans took the win on his first race out of the juniors, and in a kart that had only turned a wheel for the first time on Saturday afternoon, while Luke Merrey edged a frantic six-kart scrap for second. Another junior graduate, Jak Kent, was third.

Graham Davies appeared on course for victory in the Senior Honda Heavyweight division until a late crash with one of the lightweight runners allowed Huw Jones through to take the win. Craig Llewellyn also passed the stricken Davies to claim a best-ever second, with the erstwhile leader rejoining to finish third.

Formula Rotax saw three different winners across the three heats, with Liam Revell notching up a first success in heat one. Thomas Newton took heat two, and Richie Raymond heat three, but the final produced a fourth different name at the head of the field, with Matthew Dowers coming through to win from Raymond and Bjorn Rodde.

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Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

February 17th 2008 Race Report - Celtic Championship

After several near misses in 2007, the opening round of Llandow Kart Club’s 2008 season was blessed with the dry weather that had graced the preceding week – and saw the club rewarded with a 70-strong entry that it hopes racing regularly on the third week of the month will continue to encourage.
 
Raceday opened with a strong entry in the Cadet Honda class, but it was Harvey Lanaway who won comfortably from Robert Reed. The battle for third place was more closely fought, with Niall Williams getting the nod over Marcus Lewis and Brett Ward.

Running separately, the Cadet Comer class also boasted an excellent entry, but the result was familiar, with a clean sweep of wins for Macaulay Austin, including a new lap record in heat three. Hannah Pym proved to be Austin’s biggest threat, running a lone WTP kart, but was unfortunate to retire from the final. Rory Cuff came through to take second places from Peter Saxby and Francis Peters.
 
Junior Honda also produced a clean sweep,with Zach Jones taking all three heats and the final to claim his first LKC victory. Novices Ferdinand Ball and Jamie Warren fought hard over second, with Warren taking it at the flag.

Shaun Clay ran unchallenged for a lights to flag win in the Junior Max final, with Rhys Jenkins claiming second after the best performance of his career. Jenkins was pressed hard by heat one winner James Duncalfe, who claimed third from Junior Honda convert Jack Davis.
 
Emphasising the new influx of juniors all round, Mini Max enjoyed both a big field and excellent racing. Sam Marsh, however, won all three heats and the final, but there was a lot of action in his wake, with up to nine karts fighting for second place before Josh Fry and Ellis Belton completed the podium.
 
Junior TKM 4-Stoke also fielded a big entry, with all the major players on show. Super 1 champion Tommy Truscott led the final, but a mistake on the penultimate lap allowed ‘O’ Plate winner Carly Latcham through to take the win. Welsh champion Ryan Howells also passed Truscott for second with the erstwhile pacesetter just edging Fraser O’Brien for third.
 
Junior TKM 2-Stroke, by contrast, provided an easy win for Sebastian Hutchinson, with Dilip Singh second and Sam Morgan third.

For Results Click Here

Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

December 9th 2007 Race Report - Celtic Championship

Llandow Kart Club brought the curtain down

on its 2007 season with the annual Celtic

Championship meeting in early December.

Bad weather on Saturday did not bode well

for raceday but, despite overnight gales

continuing throughout, there was no rain

to dampen the enthusiasm of the hardy souls

who turned out for the twelfth event of the

Club’s longest campaign.

The cold conditions meant that a track wet

from overnight precipitation took some time

to dry, but the healthy 65-strong entry soon set

about pursuing the coveted CC plates on offer

to class winners.

A strong Cadet Honda field, bolstered by a lot

of drivers testing for next season’s Super 1

national championship round saw Ashley England

take pole for the pre-final, but only finish sixth

as Conor Jupp secured top spot for the main

event. England was not to be denied, however,

and came back strongly in the final to win by

three seconds over Jupp, with Robert Holland

third.

By contrast, missing LKC regulars thinned the

Cadet Comer grid, leaving Francis Peters to cap

a solid with victory. Novice Ben Davies finished

second.

Jack Davies was also celebrating as he rounded

off a dominant Junior Honda campaign with an

easy win. Near namesake Michael Davies took

second after starting fourth, while Welsh

champion Jak Kent finished third.

Junior TKM 4-Stroke provided a clean sweep for

Will Hulacki, with Ryan Howells coming home one

second behind winner to take second ahead of Liam Jones.

Sophie Lanc made the long trip down from Scotland

worthwhile as she claimed Junior TKM 2-Stroke

honours after using the meeting as a test for next year’s

Super 1 round. Lanc proved untouchable in qualifying,

but Ashley Davies pushed her all the way in the day’s

two races. Just half a second covered the top two in the

final, with Sebastian Hutchinson third.

Jordan Willson made light of the step up to Junior Max,

winning first time out, with Shaun Clay a distant

second. Oliver White followed Willson out of Minimax

and took third on his first race in the higher category.

With Willson and White gone, Sam Marsh was first to

take advantage in Minimax. However, while Marsh

paced qualifying, Cadet graduate Steven Handford

won both the pre-final, from fourth on grid, and the

main event, after opening out a useful gap in the

early laps. Marsh held on to second, with Ellis Belton

a well-deserved third.

Gareth Lewis added the Celtic crown to both the

Club and Welsh titles as he claimed victory in

Senior Honda. Novice Tony Reilly was a superb second

fastest in qualifying, but it was veteran Paul Saunders

who came through to claim the position in the pre-final.

Second changed hands again in the main event, as Luke

Merrey came though to take runners-up spot after

qualifying only tenth. Saunders finished third.

The Senior Honda Heavyweight class enjoyed a

competitive outing, with the frontrunners right

amongst the lightweights. Hugh Jones was fastest

in qualifying, but Graham Newman won the pre-final,

setting up a promising battle in the final. When Jones

spun, however, Newman was able to claim the title, with

the club champion recovering to deny Mike Thomas

the runners-up spot.

The Senior Max class boasted an impressive 16-strong

field, but no-one could prevent defending Celtic champion

Daryl Henderson from taking pole position and winning

both the pre-final and final with ease. There was,

however, a great fight for second, with half a dozen

karts involved before Matthew Dowers claimed the

runners-up spot ahead of Chris Davis.

For Results Click Here

Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

November 18th 2007 Race Report

The final round of Llandow Kart Club’s summer

championship managed to produce 65 entries

despite the obvious clash with the new Kartmania,

but those hardy souls were not rewarded with an

extension of October’s clement weather, as the

rain returned with a vengeance.

Despite the conditions, however, the racing

again proved to be exciting, and credit was

paid to the drivers after the meeting passed

off without a single red flag.

Macaulay Austin dominated Cadet Comer,

winning all four races, but the consistent Thomas

Harvey produced another strong performance

that saw him take the title. Francis Peters took

second on the day, with novice Owen Griffiths an

impressive third ahead of the eventual champion.

Cadet Honda saw a new name at the head of

the results sheet, as Freddie Lee proved

extremely quick on his first Llandow appearance.

Lee’s pace was enough to secure victory, with

fellow newcomer Harvey Lanaway second on

his Llandow debut. Club champion Liam

Manning completed the podium.

National champion Jack Davis proved

untouchable in Junior Honda as the wet

conditions made the usual close racing tricky.

The #1 plate won the final by fully seven

seconds over Simon Evans and Andrew

Davies to seal the club championship.

Junior TKM 4-Stroke saw a tight championship

decided in favour of Ryan Howells, despite

Lewys Davies' best efforts. It was Will Hulacki

who dominated the final, however, with Fraser

O’Brien also getting home ahead of Howells,

with Davies only sixth.

There was bad luck for triple heat winner Ashley

Davies in Junior TKM 2-Stroke as he coasted to

a halt in the final. Fortunately, the club

championship had already been decided in

his favour at the time of the problem, and

Sebastian Hutchinson’s win could not alter the

outcome of the season. As he had on his October

debut, Dilip Singh produced an excellent

performance, chasing Hutchinson home in his

first wet race.

Minimax champion Jordan Willson just edged

Conor Hardiman after a closely fought series of

races. Ryan Wheeler had to settle for third after

opening the day with a victory in the first heat.

Junior Max again proved to be the domain of

Jake Lloyd, who beat Richard Phillips in close

battle of the novices.

Welsh Senior Honda champion Gareth Lewis

added the club title to his season’s haul with a

close win over double heat winner Luke Merrey,

with the appropriately-named Ryan Waters

taking third.

Another apt bit of naming saw Graham

Newman take the Senior Honda Heavyweight

win on his Llandow debut, overcoming a

fraught couple of heats when it really mattered.

Untouched in the final, Newman benefited from

a rotation by Hugh Jones that sidelined Mike

Thomas and relegated the new champion to the

tail of the field, prompting a comeback drive that

eventually netted second. Craig Llewellyn put a

disappointing season behind him with third place.

Senior Rotax boasted another healthy turn-out,

with 14 starters producing some excellent racing.

Matthew Dowers claimed the final from Chris

Davis and Richie Raymond, but fourth place

was enough to secure Bjorn Rodde the title.

For Results Click Here

Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

October 21st 2007 Race Report

The penultimate round of Llandow Kart Club’s

summer championship threatened to join the

list of wet meetings but, after a week full of

rain, eventually dawned – and remained –

dry and sunny, albeit with the traditional chill wind.

Once again, the club welcomed a visiting series,

this time with the Junior and Senior Biland ‘O’

Plate headlining the meeting, but being matched

all the way by the regulars in terms of track action.

A tough day for the Cadet Comer class saw the

heats punctuated by a slew of red flags before

Jack Thorne triumphed in the main event –

despite having been disqualified from one of

his qualifying races for ignoring the waved stop signa

l. Francis Peters beat Thomas Harvey in close fight

for second on the road in the final.

The Cadet Honda group had a slightly less

fraught day, but Niall Williams hit a marker

cone at the start of the final, thankfully

emerging unhurt but with his chances of

victory all but over. Liam Manning gratefully

accepted the clear path to the chequered flag,

with Marcus Lewis taking second from novice

Kieran Davies.

The Junior TKM 4-Strokers produced some

typically close racing, with Ryan Howells,

Will Hulacki and Lewys Davies sharing the

heat wins. Howells came through to claim

the final, but runner-up Hulacki, third-placed

Davies, Liam Jones and Fraser O’Brien were

all within one second of the winner at the flag.

By contrast, the Junior TKM 2-Stroke class

produced a perfect score for Ashley Davies.

Sebastian Hutchinson claimed second place,

but it was novice Dilip Singh who attracted

the most attention, raising more than a few

eyebrows with a third place in his first race

meeting that deservedly claimed driver of

the day honours.

Junior Honda provided entertainment in the form

of a day-long head-to-head between Welsh

champion Jak Kent and #1 Plate Jack Davis.

Kent eventually won the final by a scant

four-hundredths, with Andrew Davies a distant

third.

Minimax produced both a strong grid and

good racing, even though Jordan Willson

took all four race wins. Conor Hardiman

pushed Willson every step of the way,

but had to settle for second, while Oliver Hughes

led a tight battle for third.

While the Minimax grid looked reasonably healthy,

the same could not be said for Junior Rotax,

where novice runner Jake Lloyd had lonely run to victory.

With more than just a race win to play for, the

Intermediate Biland class provided some

cut-and-thrust but, despite winning all three heats,

Luke Williams was unable to deny returning local

driver Emyr Honeybun the final and the ‘O’ Plate.

Nick Kelly also came through in the main event,

claiming a close second behind Honeybun, with

Williams a disappointed third.

Veteran Paul Saunders appeared to be on course

for a repeat of his September Senior Honda

success after winning two heats and leading the

final, but clashed with Luke Merrey in the latter

stages of the main event. Merrey inherited top

spot and led leads until the final corner, only to

be passed by heat one winner Gareth Lewis in

a great three-wide move at Raymonds. Ryan

Waters took second place after Merrey was

pushed down the order, allowing David Entwistle

to claim third.

The Senior Honda Heavyweight division once

again belonged to champion-elect Hugh Jones,

who won the final by seven seconds from Len

Field, with Michael Thomas third.

A dozen Senior Rotax runners highlighted a class

on its way back to prominence at Llandow, but

witnessed a clean sweep for Richie Raymond,

who went on to win the final by six seconds.

A great battle for second ended up with Matthew

Dowers getting the nod over Bjorn Rodde.

Senior Biland hinted at a second ‘O’ Plate title

for local talent even though Thomas Barrow

claimed a double heat win ahead of Llandow

ace Andrew Thomas. Defending champion

Barrow proved too strong for anyone in the

final, and won by half a second over Steve Bell,

with Thomas a close third.

For Results Click Here

Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

September 23rd 2007 Race Report

Round seven of the summer championship series finally

saw Llandow Kart Club blessed with pleasant weather

after three months of rain, and graced by a pleasing

number of new faces on novice plates.

The Cadet Comer class witnessed a maiden final win

for Alex Jones, while heat winner Francis Peters and

a rejuvenated Thomas Harvey produced a great battle

for second. Harvey eventually crossed the line in second

place, only to be docked a place for his part in a last lap

collision with his rival.

Double heat winner and Welsh champion Sam Morgan won

the Cadet WTP final, but the spotlight fell on second place

which fell to Oliver Pidgley after a much improved drive.

Liam Manning took a comfortable win in Cadet Honda

after closest threat Niall Williams crashed on the opening

lap. Behind the leader, a great scrap for second between

Celtic champ Kim Latcham and Marcus Lewis entertained

the spectators before being settled in Latcham’s favour.

On paper, Junior Honda appeared to have been dominated

by newly-crowned National champion and O Plate winner

Jack Davis, who completed a clean sweep, but the reality

was that he faced the same sort of tight-fought class as

every month, and had to come from fifth in the final after

making a rare mistake. Simon Evans just pipped Welsh

champion Jak Kent for second place on the last lap

Junior TKM 2 Stroke saw Ashley Davies recover from a

first heat DNF to beat Sebastian Hutchinson and Matt

Beattie in final. Steffan Williams made a welcome return

to action and took fourth after recovering from a broken

shoulder suffered in a crash at Rissington.

The accompanying Junior TKM 4 Stroke class again produced

four excellent races from a talented field. Lewys Davies won

the opening heat, O Plate winner Carly Latcham the second

and Welsh champion Ryan Howells the third, before the

final was fought out by Howells, Latcham and Fraser O’Brien.

Howells eventually came out on top, with O’Brien taking a

best-ever second to restrict Latcham to third.

Newcomer Jake Lloyd won Junior Max, while Mini Max went

the way of Welsh champion Jordan Willson, who won two heats,

but then scraped the final by just eight-hundredths of a second

over Sam Marsh, with novice Ryan Wheeler an excellent third.

Senior Honda again produced its usual close racing, with new

Welsh campion Gareth Lewis winning the opening heat. However,

veteran Paul Saunders then took control for the rest of the day,

winning the remaining two heats and the final. Luke Merrey

chased Saunders all the way in the main event to record his

best ever finish, with Lewis left to settle for third.

The Senior Honda Heavyweight class saw Welsh champ Hugh

Jones and Mike Thomas share heat wins, before Jones took

the final by less than a second from Len Field and Thomas.

Another thrilling series of races between Dan Jones, Matthew

Dowers and Chris Davis characterised the Senior Max class.

Jones and Davis shared heat wins, but it was Dowers who came

good in the final, winning by half a second over Davis, with

Jones seven-tenths back in third.

For Results Click Here

Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

July 22nd 2007 Race Report

Llandow Kart Club reached the halfway point of its summer

championship, but the much hoped-for summer sun appeared

a long way off in another week plagued by persistent – and

, at times, torrential - rain.

As in June, however, a wet start greeted an 80-strong entry

swelled by the visiting NKRA runners, before the skies cleared

and most of meeting was, thankfully, staged in dry, if

overcast, conditions. There were some casualties, however,

with clerk of the course Peter Klaassen and Mini Max runner

Zoe Wenham prevented from taking part because of the

floods sweeping the country. The club sent best wishes to

both families.

Those that did make it, however, put on some stirring racing,

beginning with the Cadet Comer class. Although Macaulay

Austin took a clean sweep of wins, Alex Jones ran him hard

in heat two, before Austin led the final from start to finish

for his most comfortable win of the day. Jones claimed a

well-earned second, with Francis Peters closing in in third.

The Cadet Honda runners produced a ‘rough-and-tumble’

day with double winner Niall Williams and Liam Manning

sharing the heats. The final also proved to be evenly matched

between Williams, Manning and Kim Latcham, with Manning

just prevailing over Latcham and Williams.

Junior Honda also provided some entertaining battling

throughout the day. Jack Davis won the opener, before

Simon Evans claimed heats two and three. Evans also led

the first eleven laps of the final, with Davis and Jak Kent

doing their best to keep in touch. The pressure paid off,

however, with Davis making his move with half a lap to go,

depriving Evans of victory. Kent completed the podium.

Junior TKM 2-Stroke again proved to be a battle of the Ashleys,

with Crossey and Davies fighting for top spot all day. It was

Crossey who prevailed on this occasion, taking all four wins,

including the final. Davies had to settle for second with Matthew

Beattie third.

Determined not to be outdone, the Junior TKM 4-stroke runners

also provided excellent entertainment. Lewys Davies won the

opening heat, but only after completing a full 360 spin,

before Carly Latcham fought back in race two. Davies returned

to the fore in the final heat, and was leading the final before

another spin, this time under pressure from Latcham, saw him

lose his advantage. Latcham then held off an inspired Liam Jones

to win the final, with Ryan Howells third and Davies fourth.

Novice Richard Phillips proved far more competitive after moving

up to the Junior TKM Intermediate class, winning all four races.

Mini Max opened with a victory for Oliver White, but that only

seemed to spur regular frontrunner Jordan Willson into action.

He bounced back with wins in heats two and three, and went on

to claim the final, but only after White had again shown him the

way in the early stages. Connor Hardiman eventually came

though for third after a lengthy battle with Oliver Hughes.

Youth and experience shared the honours in Senior Honda,

with veteran Nigel Kent claiming two heats to youngster

Gareth Lewis’ one. The ‘man in black’ then led the first ten laps

of the final, only for Lewis to close in and snatch the win with

just over a lap to run. David Entwistle produced his best ever

performance to take third after getting the better of series

stalwart Paul Saunders.

Senior Honda Heavyweight was more straightforward, with

Huw Jones taking a clean sweep of wins to strengthen his

hold on the points lead. The main action was in Jones’ wake,

with Jeremy Clare and Michael Thomas battling over second

in every race. Clare eventually claimed the spot in the final,

but only by a couple of tenths.

Senior Rotax also put on another excellent set of races, with

Chris Davies accepting heat one after Jordan Pike retired,

Pike bouncing back to win heat two and then going from third

to first on the last lap to take heat three as well, denying

Matthew Dowers in the process. The final, however, was better

still, with Davies fighting to the front to win from Bjorn Rodde,

Pike and novice David Meenan, who claimed driver of the day

honours for his efforts.

The guesting NKRA classes, making their final round appearance

before September’s Grand Finale at Larkhall, were claimed by

Macaulay Austin (Cadet Comer), Lewis Round (Junior Blue) and

James Langham (Senior Blue).

For Results Click Here

Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

June 24th 2007 Race Report

Despite more inclement conditions, round four of Llandow Kart Club’s

summer championship boasted the best entry of the season so far,

despite clashing with a national S1 TKM event.

Building on the success of May’s meeting, numbers were swelled by

several visiting Stars of Tomorrow drivers and the popular Dadson

Masters series, with an overall entry of 83 braving the threat of a

wet weekend.

In the end, a damp start gave way to dry weather for the heats and

finals – with the exception of the final Pro-Kart race – as the club

reverted to its occasional practice of running two timed qualifying

sessions ahead of a pair of heats and a final.

Ashlee Whiteman and Macaulay Austin shared pole positions in

Cadet Comer, but could not prevent Alfonso Skriczka coming from

fourth to first on the final lap of heat one, with the top four

separated by just two-tenths at the flag. Whiteman then won

heat two after Steven Handford and Austin ran wide at the

final turn. After that sort of excitement, the final had much to

live up to, but proved to be excellent entertainment as Austin

led until final corner, when tap from Handford sent him spinning

and let a surprised Whiteman through for the win. Handford

took second on the road, but was later excluded, which meant

Sam Parrant and Thomas Harvey completed the podium.

Cadet Honda proved no less entertaining, with pole winners

Marcus Lewis and Niall Williams winning heats one and two

respectively. Both races, and the final, were characterised by

great battling - and the occasional scrape – with Williams

eventually coming out on top from William Butt and Lewis.

Jack Davis and Jak Kent shared the poles and heat wins

after some fantastic dicing in Junior Honda. Both then

took turns at leading the final, before Davis eventually

came out on top, leading Kent and a close Michael Davies

across the line.

Junior TKM 4-stroke provided a breakthrough weekend

for Lewys Davies, who took both poles, one heat and his

first ever win in a final. Alex Everitt spoiled what could

have been a clean sweep for the popular youngster by

winning heat two, but Davies bounced back to claim the

main event, as Everitt found his hands full of novice Ross

Owen. The battle raged for most of the race before Everitt

finally found a way through for second.

Ashley Davies came out on top of Junior TKM 2-stroke,

winning both heats and the final, but not before Llandough-

based Sebastian Hutchinson had taken the first race pole

and appeared on course for victory before his chain came

off. Granted pole by his heat results, Davies then led the

final from start to finish, with Hutchinson chasing hard in

second. Sam Morgan completed the podium.

Junior Rotax provided a victory sweep for visiting Stars

driver Kenneth Andrews, although Tom Ingram snatched pole

in heat two to prevent a complete whitewash. The pair were

the class of the field in the final, with Sam Taylor having

to settle for third.
 
Macaulay Walsh and Jordan Willson indulged in a day-long

scrap in Mini Max, with the former sweeping the heats

after some close battling. The tables were turned when

it really mattered, however, as Willson pulled off a great

late move to take victory in the final. Oliver White finished third.

Novice Michael Weatherley stunned the Formula Rotax

regulars by taking pole in damp first qualifying and then

following it up with second in Q2, but the stalwarts took

over when racing began, with Matthew Dowers winning

heat one and Jordan Pike race two. Pike then came through

to claim the final as the field produced some intense scrapping

for position. Dowers eventually took second, with Llandow

newcomer Steven Strudwick an impressive third.

Senior Honda produced its usual shenanigans, helped at the

end of the day by a sudden turn in the weather. Veteran Paul

Saunders won a three-wide blanket finish in heat one, while

rising star Gareth Lewis claimed race two. The final, however,

proved to be something of a lottery as the heavens opened just

enough to ensure that the majority of the field was obliged to

tackle damp conditions on slick tyres. Experience won out as

poleman Saunders hung on for the win from Nigel Kent, with

Ryan Waters having to accept third after being part of a

four-kart scrap that also included Lewis.

The Heavyweight section of the Senior Honda field almost

produced the upset of the day as an inspired tyre gamble

sae double heat winner Huw Jones leading the Pro-Kart

final outright after an inspired tyre gamble. Conditions

dried just enough to ensure that Saunders and co came

through to deny him that glory, but Jones still managed

to out-distance both Michael Thomas and novice Jeremy

Clare, who claimed second and third in class.
 

The guesting Dadson Masters produced the biggest field

of the day, with 24 karts, and some spectacular racing

throughout. Nigel Fordham led nearly every lap as he won

both heats and the final, but there was plenty of excitement

behind in every race. Dave Wooder eventually came

through to claim second in final, but only after Richard

Friend retired. Nick Rogers took a close third from Kevin Otway.

For Results Click Here

Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

May 27th 2007 Race Report

Llandow Kart Club’s best entryof the season so far, featuring

fully 74 karts, was not rewarded with ideal conditions as the sun

and warmth of the preceding week was replaced by sometimes

torrential rain that made racing tricky for all. However, sensible

driving and efficient organisation ensured that no-one was kept

out in the wet stuff for longer than necessary, with the meeting

thankfully finishing on time.

Jack Davis wins two out of three Junior Honda heats and led the

final from start to finish to complete a dominant day, leaving the rest of

the field to scrap in his wake. After much place swapping Michael

Davies and first heat winner Jak Kent took second and third.

Carly Latcham was denied a clean sweep in Junior TKM 4-Stroke by

a rare DNF in heat two, but went on to win a hard-fought final from

Ryan Howells, who applied pressure all race. Liam Jones survived the

conditions to come home third.

Juniot TKM 2-Stroke featured great battling between Sebastian

Hutchinson and Ashley Davies all day. Hutchinson won two out of

the three heats but was passed by his adversary in final. Matthew

Beattie was left to mop up in third.

Josh Fry and Steven Handford proved evenly matched in Cadet

Comer all day, with Fry winning the first race of the day and

Handford the next two – but only after a last corner move

to claim heat two. The final proved to be a tense affair,

with Handford leading the final few laps to take another win.

Newcomer Alfonso Skriczka finished third on his first visit

to Llandow.

The conditions upset the applecart in Cadet Honda, with novice Niall

Williams winning the final after Liam Manning spun out and Kim

Latcham ran into kart trouble. Manning recovered to take second,

with novice Marcus Lewis passing Latcham for third.

Senior Prokart once again produced some great – and, for once, clean

– racing, with Llandow Junior Race School instructor Nigel Kent using

all his experience to claim victory in the final - passing former student

and double heat winner Ryan Waters with two laps to go. Points leader

Gareth Lewis finished a very close third.

The increasingly popular Senior Prokart Heavyweight division also produced

more close, competitive racing. Mike Thomas won heat one after

Fred Coleman and Craig Llewellyn collided, while newcomer Jeremy

Clare took heats two and three. Clare was also on course for final

honours until mechanical failure put him out, leaving Hugh Jones to

capitalise from Thomas and Coleman.

Super ICC made its first appearance of 2007, with brothers Dan and

Bjorn Rodde sharing the heat wins between them. Dan the won the final

from Bjorn, with Matt Pritchard taking third afterDafydd Iles succumbed

to mechanical gremlins.

Junior Rotax appeared to be going the way of visiting Stars of Tomorrow

driver Robert Gilmore, who took two heat wins. However, the interloper has

his hands full with Richard Henderson all the way, and it was the Llandow

racer who came out on top when it mattered, passing Gilmore late in the

final to win. Shaun Clay was a battlingthird.

The only clean sweep of the day belonged to Mini max racer Jordan

Wilson, who won all four of his races. Oliver Hughes gave brave chase but

had to make do with second, while Rhys Jenkins produced his best

showing of the season in third.

Daryl Henderson claimed Senior Rotax honours after setting sail

and leading the final throughout, but blotted hi9s copybook somewhat

by punting his uncle out of heat two, which was eventually snatched by

returning class champion Chris Davis. Davies duly claimed second in the

final, with Phil Henderson completing the podium.

The RAF Premier class made its regular guest appearance on the bill,

but featured a smaller grid than usual. Some close racing still produced

three different winners, with David Hancock coming through to win final

after a race-long battle with Luke Bourne. Kevin Meynell came home a

distant third.

For Results Click Here

Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

April 22nd 2007 Race Report

After three weekends of decidedly

chilly weather to open the year, round

two of Llandow Kart Club’s summer

championship was finally graced

with conditions more befitting the name.

A glorious Saturday gave way to a

more overcast Sunday, but the 65

entries – including a refreshing

number of new faces – enjoyed a

dry track before the sun made a

welcome re-appearance in time for

the finals.

After producing the best racing of

the championship opener in March, Comer

Cadet proved to be less hard-fought second

time around, with Steven Handford dominating

by winning all three heats and the final. Alex

Jones posed the closest threat to Motors TV

race winner Handford in the heats, but it was

Sam Parrant who came through in the final,

beating Jones in tense scrap.

Kim Latcham and the novice pairing of Niall

Williams and Liam Manning shared heat wins

in Honda Cadet, before the youngest member of

the club’s Latcham dynasty came out on top of

a thrilling final. Williams finished second by

just half a kart length over Manning.

This time around, it was the Junior Prokart class

that produced excellent racing throughout the day,

with Jack Davis, Jak Kent and Simon Evans

sharing the heat wins after some typical frantic

dicing. The pattern continued in the final, with

Davis passing Evans to take close win, and Kent

coming through for second late in the race.

Junior TKM 2-stroke saw success shared between

Ashley Davies, who was a double heat winner, and

Ashley Crossey, who claimed the final preliminary

race. Crossey then came through to win the all-important

final after an unintentional collision between the two

frontrunners in turn one. Davies clung on to claim second,

with Steffan Williams taking third after Sebastian

Hutchinson retired with a broken rear bumper.

Oliver Bourton and Carly Latcham again shared

the heat wins in Junior TKM 4-stroke, but the

former took an easy victory in the final after

Latcham spun away her chances around mid-distance.

Ryan Howells produced a great drive to capitalise

on Latcham’s error and take second, hassling

Bourton most of the way to the chequered flag.

Alex Everitt produced his best result yet with third.

Junior Max was once again missing a few

Llandow regulars, but Shaun Clay and Tomos

Palmer continue to ensure that the class remains

active. With limited competition, it was no surprise

that the two Gillard drivers shared the heat wins,

but, when double heat winner Clay was forced to

retire from the lead early in final, Palmer romped

home un challenged. Visiting novice Kerry Davies

claimed second, setting her fastest lap of the

weekend on the last lap of the final.

By contrast, Minimax produced a good entry to go

with its excellent racing. Jordan Wilson and

Macaulay Walsh shared the heat wins, before

Walsh led from start to finish in the final. Wilson,

however, ensured that life was difficult for the

winner by chasing all way, while Oliver White

emerged from a six-kart battle to take the final

podium spot.

Senior Prokart again produced another bumper

entry, despite a few late withdrawals, and saw

Gareth Lewis – with two – and returnee Gareth

Latcham take the wins in some typically close-fought

heats. When it mattered, however, Lewis broke

free to win the final, with Gwyn Latcham and

Nigel Kent coming through to claim second and third.

The burgeoning Senior Prokart Heavyweight

category featured yet more new faces, amid

rumours that some drivers had even embarked

on a diet in search of competitiveness! Craig

Llewellyn, Len Field and Huw Jones all took heat

wins, before Jones came to the fore early in the

final. Allowed easy passage to victory after

Llewellyn and Mike Thomas collided, Jones headed

rookie of the day Fred Coleman, who fended off

Field to claim a surprise second.

The Senior Rotax class may have been a little

thin on entries, but produced some good racing,

with driver of the day

Laurie Hughes winning for the first time in

the opening heat. Club stalwart Rob Bevan then

won the next two races before adding success

in the final after seeing off another regular,

Bjorn Rodde. With Hughes luck running out in

the main event, novice David Meenan came

through to claim an impressive third after a

lengthy scrap with Tony Carrafa.

Double heat winner Chris Lipscomb was the

class of the Senior TKM 4-stroke field, but

succumbed to a tap from junior graduate Andrew

Thomas in the early stages of the final. Thomas

was subsequently passed by eventual winner

Lee Sherwin, and had his day soured further

when he was excluded from the results,

allowing the popular Edwin James to claim

second, with novice Jason Rees third.

For Results Click Here

Written By Craig Llewellyn/Henry Beaudette

March 25th 2007 Race Report

Llandow Kart Club’s summer season got under

way without the sunny weather promised by

the forecasters and almost without a paramedic

or chief marshal – both of whom had forgotten

to move their clocks on the required hour!

Cold blustery conditions thus greeted the

70-strong entry, boosted for the weekend

by NKRA runners in both Mini and Senior

Max, although the temperatures rose with

some hot action on track.

The Cadet Comer class produced some of

the best action of the day, with a four-way

battle characterising each race as double

heat winner Steven Handford, heat 2

winner Macaulay Austin, Sam Parrant,

Alex Jones swapped positions continually.

Sadly, a collision between Handford and

Austin prevented a repeat in the final,

as Austin and Parrant spun down the order,

leaving Handford to win from Jones and

Thomas Harvey.

Cadet Honda appeared to be going the way

of Kim Latcham, who took top spot in each

of the heats, but an uncharacteristic spin

on lap one of the final left her with too

much to do, even when chief rival Liam

Manning also spun. That allowed novice

Niall Williams through to take the honours,

with the recovering Manning pipping

Latcham for second.

The Junior Prokart class returned to former

glory, with big grids producing some exciting

racing. Jak Kent swept the heats, and led for

three-quarters of the final, but lost out late

on to the charging Simon Evans. Evans had

looked a threat during the heats, but misfortune

prevented him from challenging Kent.

Winter champion Jack Davis and Michael

Davies both also got ahead of the luckless

Kent on the way to flag, leaving the heat

winner still in search of his first final success.

Ashley Davies showed that early misfortune

in Junior TKM 2-stroke need not affect the

rest of the day, bouncing back from a lap one

crash in his opening heat to scoop the honours

in the remaining heats and then win the final

comfortably. Matthew Beattie also staged a

recovery of sorts, claiming second in the

final after two earlier DNFs, while Steffan

Williams finished third in the main event.

Junior TKM 4-stroke went the way of Olly

Bourton – but only after he had missed the

first heat entirely after putting diesel in