The host state of Tasmania will have 84 representatives at this year's
championships while the largest contingent of drivers will come from Victoria
with 101 entrants making the trip across Bass Strait for the Easter event.
Official practice begins next Wednesday (March 19) followed by
qualifying on Friday, heat races on Saturday and the championship finals on
Sunday.
Detailed below is information on entrants from all across the
country to assist with any articles, columns or news bulletins on local drivers
competing in the event.
The images shown on the right are downloadable
by clicking on the images to the right, following the prompts and entering the
password 2008bam Alternatively images of all drivers mentioned in this media
release are available by contacting me on the details below.
If I can be
of any further assistance or you would like to contact one of the drivers
outlined below please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Regards
Lee
Hanatschek – BAM Media
Communications Manager
Australian Karting
Association
Phone 07 5563 1155
Mobile 0403 531 914
HOST
STATE: TASMANIA – 84 entries
LAUNCESTON, Tasmania
Sam Crack – Clubman Heavy, Leopard Light
Launceston driver Sam
Crack has been one of the pacesetters across the state since gradating into the
senior ranks to compete in both the Clubman Heavy and Leopard Light categories.
The 16-year-old has enjoyed a superb preparation for the national championships
and won his last race by a considerable margin at Smithon.
Brodie
Maher – Junior National Heavy
Year 9 student at Launceston
Grammar
Since starting his karting career 18 months ago 14-year-old
Brodie Maher has continually improved and is now one of the state’s top junior
drivers. He finished second at an event in Hobart recently before winning last
time out at Smithton.
Zane Wyatt – Clubman Heavy, Leopard Heavy
Second generation racer
When your Dad races karts for 30
years it is inevitable that you will one day end up behind the wheel as well.
This is exactly what happened with Zane Wyatt. At the age of nine he got his
first taste behind the wheel and hasn’t looked back since. Over the past 13
years the small engine mechanic has developed into one of the state’s top line
drivers. Last year was the best of his career with wins in the statewide series
along with the state championship. Wyatt will enter the Nationals as one of the
local favourites.
Nathan Zuj – Clubman Light
Apprentice
Electrician
19-year-old Launceston driver Nathan Zuj started racing
ten years ago and has developed into one of the states top young drivers. After
finishing second in the statewide series in 2007 Zuj will take on the best
drivers in the country while contesting the elite Clubman Light category. When
the Nationals were last held in Launceston Zuj finished 15th in Junior National
Light.
Wade Bone – Junior National Light, Junior Clubman
Finished second in his last race at Smithton
Four years ago
Wade Bone attended a ‘come n try’ day at the Launceston kart track and he hasn’t
looked back since. The year nine student at Launceston Grammar has been one of
the front runners in the statewide series over the past few years in the
Midgets, Rookies and now Junior ranks. In the final warm up meeting at Smithton
last month he finished second in Junior Clubman.
Jamie Bricknell –
Clubman Light, Leopard Light
Second generation racer
High on
confidence after finishing second in Clubman Light at last year’s state
championships Jamie Bricknell will be one to look out for at the National
Championships. The second-generation Launceston driver has been competing on
karting circuits across the state for the past ten years with various success in
the state wide series and closed state titles. Last summer he also made his
debut in a 700hp Sprintcar on the dirt track speedway.
Aiden Shelton
– Senior National Heavy, Leopard Light
First drove a kart at the age of
four on the family farm
Launceston’s Aiden Shelton first drove a
kart at the age of four on the family farm before starting his racing career at
the age of eight. Last year he won the Rotax Heavy state championship and is
hopeful of adding a national championship to his list of achievements over
Easter. Shelton finished fifth when the Nationals were last held in Launceston.
HOBART, Tasmania
Ben Walter – Leopard Heavy
Races in the National Formula Ford Championship
At 22 years
of age Ben Walter is one of Tasmania’s most experienced karters . In 2008 he is
contesting the National Formula Ford Championship under the Britek Scholarship
program. This event could be Walter’s last crack at claiming the prestigious
National Championship to add to the pair of state titles he already has in his
trophy cabinet.
Jake Sale – Junior National Heavy
Year 10
student at Sacred Heart College
When the National Championships were
last held in Launceston nine-year-old Jake Sale was an interested spectator.
Shortly after, he started racing and hasn’t looked back since. The now
15-year-old has won the Closed State Championship in both the Rookie and Junior
National Light category.
Jason White – Leopard Heavy
2006
Targa Tasmania Champion
Hobart driver Jason White is a former winner
of the Targa Tasmania. At the National Karting Championships he will trade his
Lamborghini for a 125cc go-kart to compete in the Leopard Heavy category. During
his karting career, which has spanned a total of 25 years, White has claimed
three national championships and 13 state crowns.
Mitchel Evans –
Junior Heavy, Junior Clubman
Hasn’t been off the podium in 2008
In the three events he has contested this year Mitchel Evans hasn’t been off
the podium. He is the reigning Tasmanian Closed Champion in the Junior National
Heavy category. With 2008 being his last year in juniors Evans could certainly
be one to watch in the battle for the junior titles.
VICTORIA –
101 entries
Of the 292 entries received for the 46th National Sprint
Kart Championships sponsored by Yamaha to be held in Launceston, Tasmania over
the Easter weekend, 101 entries will be from Victoria.
Leading the
charge for the Victorian drivers will be the Sera cousins of David and James.
David is a multiple Australian Champion and after numerous runner-up placings
James, the older of the pair, broke through for his maiden Australian
Championship last year at Sydney's Eastern Creek.
Sunbury resident
Matthew Wall is considered one of Australia's best kart racers of all time, the
29-year-old has won six Australian championships during his career but would
love to add the 2007 crown to his achievements.
Melbourne drivers
include:
David Sera – Clubman Light, Leopard Light
James Sera –
Clubman Light, Leopard Light
Matt Wall – Clubman Heavy, Leopard Light
Warrnambool driver:
Jeremy Anderson – Clubman Light
Geelong drivers include:
Dominic Albanese – Leopard Heavy
Brett Dillon – Junior National Light
Bobby Burke – Leopard Heavy
NEW SOUTH WALES – 48 entries
North Shore driver Troy
Hunt is the reigning Australian Clubman Heavy Champion. Hunt has won seven
Australian championships throughout his time in the sport and is considered the
favourite for the 2008 crown.
However, hunt will face tough opposition
from Woy Woy’s Peter Lawler in the chase for the title as Lawler won both the
South Australian and New South Wales State Tiles during 2007. He is also a
former National Champion.
Daniel Stein is the defending champion in the
Senior National Heavy category.
Newcastle will be well represented at
the championships Simon Roberts, Simon Meyer and Daniel Oosthuizen among the
contingent of Novocastrians heading to the Apple Isle
Sydney drivers
include:
Troy Hunt – Clubman Heavy
Daniel Stein – Senior National
Heavy, Leopard Heavy
David Whitmore – Clubman Light, Clubman Heavy
Fergus Symes – Leopard Light
Craig Stauner – Leopard Heavy
Matty
Dorado – Clubman Heavy
Central Coast drivers include:
James
Kovacic – Junior Clubman
Peter Lawler – Clubman Heavy
Newcastle
drivers include:
Simon Roberts – Clubman Heavy
Simon Meyer – Clubman
Heavy
Daniel Oosthuizen – Junior National Light, Junior Clubman
Wollongong driver:
Jason Burns - Clubman Light, Leopard Light
QUEENSLAND – 36 entries
Toowoomba’s Matt Greenbury and
the Gold Coast’s Scott Simpson are the defending champions in the Leopard Heavy
and the Clubman Super Heavy categories.
The pair will be joined by 34
fellow drivers from the sunshine state in the 46th National Sprint Kart
Championships sponsored by Yamaha in Launceston over Easter.
Amongst the
Queensland contingent is third-generation racer Matthew Brabham, Chris Hays –
who is a part of Vodafone’s junior development program and Barclay Holden.
Holden, a second-generation racer from the Gold Coast, is a four-time
Australian champion. He won his first Australian crown in 2001 at Newcastle.
Brisbane drivers include:
Mitch L’Estrange – Junior National
Light, Junior National Heavy
Sean Butcher – Junior National Light
Ben
Jurczak – Junior Clubman
Gold Coast drivers include:
Chris
Hays – Junior National Light, Junior Clubman
Barclay Holden – Clubman Light
Geoffrey Uhrhane – Leopard Light
Scott Simpson – Clubman Super Heavy
Matthew Brabham – Junior Clubman
Scott McLaughlin – Junior Clubman
Toowoomba drivers include:
Matt Greenbury – Leopard Heavy
Tyler Greenbury – Junior National Light, Junior Clubman
SOUTH
AUSTRALIA – 10 entries
Adelaide driver Paul Pittam upstaged many of
his more fancied rivals in the Victorian Championships earlier this year in
Geelong by qualifying fastest and finishing a close second to veteran karter
Matthew Wall. Pittam will be one of the darkhorses in the elite Clubman Heavy
category aboard the South Australian made Omega chassis.
Pittam will be
joined in the South Australian contingent by Newton’s Matthew Panella, Michael
Cross and female driver Gemma Deakin.
Adelaide drivers include:
Paul Pittam – Clubman Heavy
Gemma Deakin – Junior National Heavy
Matthew Panella – Senior National Light, Clubman Light
Michael Cross –
Clubman Heavy
Nick Scudds – Clubman Super Heavy
Ben Edwards – Leopard
Light
WESTERN AUSTRALIA – 7 entries
Perth driver
Steven Scoble is one of the top line drivers in the country and is a two-time
runner-up in the National Championships. After breaking through for his maiden
senior state championship in South Australia last November Scoble is one of the
favourites for the prestigious Clubman Light category at next weekend’s National
Championships.
Scoble will be joined in the Western Australian
contingent by Michael Goss, who represented Australia in the World Leopard Final
in Spain last year, and the Kandola brothers, Amrit and Deepal.
Perth
drivers include:
Steven Scoble – Clubman Light
Michael Goss –
Leopard Light
Amrit Kandola – Clubman Light
Deepal Kandola – Clubman
Light
Brodie Maher - Launceston. Pic: Coopers Photography Brodie Maher -
Launceston. Pic: Coopers Photography Brodie Maher - Launceston. Pic: Coopers
Photography Brodie Maher - Launceston. Pic: Coopers Photography Brodie Maher -
Launceston. Pic: Coopers Photography
ABOUT KARTING
Karting is
a sport for people of all ages - from as young as seven to over 70 years old,
everyone can enjoy it!
With children racing at speeds up to 80km/h it is
a sport that teaches these kids, both boys and girls, basic driving skills well
before they are able to obtain their road licence.
There is no doubt
karting is competitive but it is also fun and family orientated, with
involvement in the sport both on and off the track giving it a strong feeling of
community. It teaches driving skills and offers people an opportunity to gain a
career in motorsport, all in a safe and organised environment.
Kart
meetings take place at circuits across Australia every weekend and are either a
club, regional, state or national level meeting. There are 92 clubs across
Australia affiliated with the Australian Karting Association.
These
clubs are mainly sprint kart clubs which race on bitumen circuits however, some
regions also have dirt and speedway tracks which drivers can race at. An
alternative to the traditional style of karting is a recent addition to
Australian circuits, endurance karting.
A full list of clubs and contact
details for karting clubs across Australia can be found at www.karting.net.au
ABOUT YAMAHA MOTOR AUSTRALIA
Yamaha Motor Australia was
incorporated in June 1983, becoming part of a large international corporation
with subsidiaries all over the world.
Yamaha has continued over the
years to successfully introduce new products into the marketplace. It has always
met market demand by offering better quality, higher performance products that
fully utilize Yamaha's advanced technology. These products have become part of a
wide range of recreational items and industrial products, such as motorcycles,
scooters, four-wheelers, snowmobiles, outboards, water vehicles, boats, golf
cars, go kart engines, power generators, water and sludge pumps, industrial
engines and accessories.
Yamaha is a proud sponsor of the 46th National
Sprint Kart Championships at the Southern Cross Archerville Kartway in
Launceston, Tasmania on March 21-23.
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Sam Crack - Launceston. Pic:
Photowagon.com.au
Jason White - Hobart. Pic: Coopers
Photography
Jake Sale - Hobart. Pic:
photowagon.com.au
Brodie Maher - Launceston. Pic:
Coopers Photography
Ben Walter - Hobart. Pic: Coopers
photography
Nathan Zuj - Launceston. Pic:
photowagon.com.au
James Sera (#1) and David Sera (#96)
- Melbourne. Pic: photowagon.com.au
Matthew Wall - Melbourne. Pic:
photowagon.com.au
Troy Hunt - Sydney. Pic: Coopers
Photography
Peter Lawlor - Central Coast NSW. Pic: Coopers
Photography
Simon Roberts - Newcastle. Pic: Coopers
Photography
Scott McLaughlin - Gold Coast. Pic:
photowagon.com.au
Matthew Brabham - Gold Coast. Pic: Coopers
Photography
Paul Pittam - Adelaide. Pic:
photowagon.com.au
Amrit and Deepal Kandola - Perth.
Pic: photowagon.com.au
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