Llandow Kart Club - Race Reports
February 2010 - December 2009 - November 2009 - Older Reports
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