Battle of the karts

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 23

Battle of the karts

The racing was spectacular and close at the Christchurch Kart Club’s first round of its championships at Carrs Road Raceway on Sunday. The club championships are over three rounds, with four classes contesting the series. There will be five races at each meeting, making the series over 15 races.

The midget class, for six to 12-year-olds, went to Lee Claughton after tight racing with Richard Jones, Oliver East, Jared Stevens and Myles Spicer. Spicer normally dominates this class, but on Sunday the motor would not run to peak performance.

Jones was unfortunate in one heat, when he tangled with Damien Varnaham. Both drivers got going again, but Jones was well down the field. He was beaten by Spicer in a points count-back. There was little between Bryce Coulbeck, Darren Drake, Dean Hyde and Jason

Dell in the junior class. Coulbeck took the day with two race wins, but in every heat the pressure was. on all the time.

Nigel Wilkinson completed five heats, and took the lOOcc Yamaha class for senior drivers.

Wilkinson’s opposition came from Damon Sayer and Paul Larsen. These drivers each won a heat. Larsen’s borrowed kart had a fuel blockage. In the open class the main battle was between Paul Crichton, 125 cc Suzuki, Graham Stevens, 125 cc Rotax and Derek Wilson, 250 cc Yamaha. There was little between these three — when they went into the final heat they were equal on points. Crichton got to the front at the start, with Stevens, Wilson and Shane Drake in close pursuit. Crichton spun and dropped back to seventh place. Wilson put the pressure on the new leader,

Stevens, but with two laps to go, he punctured, leaving Drake in second place. Crichton clambered up the field but just missed by a wheel on getting Drake at the line. Results were:

Over 5 heats. MIDGETS: Les Claughton, 1; Myles Spicer, 2; Richard Jones, 3. lOOcc Junior: Bryce Coulbeck, 1: Darren Drake, 2; Jason Dell, 3. lOOcc Senior: Nigel Wilkinson, 1; Damon Sayer, 2; Paul Larsen, 3. OPEN: Graham Stevens, 1; Paul Crichton, 2; Derek Wilson, 3.

FEATURE RACES: — WALES TROPHY: Dell, 1; Dean Hyde, 2; Ron Black, 3. MIDGET FEATURE: — Spicer, 1; Oliver East, 2; Jones, 3.

JUNIOR FEATURE: — Coulbeck, 1; Hyde, 2; Andrew Collins, 3.

OPEN FEATURE: — Stevens, 1; Larsen, 2; John Clifford, 3.