The Slideways Sprint Racing Series turned on the action once again, with a record entry list putting on some of the best race action seen to date at Slideways Go Karting World, Pimpama.
The day featured for the first time ever multiple grids for Senior Heavies (over 80kg) as well as Cadets (ages 7-11), while Senior Lights (under 80kg) and Juniors (ages 12-15) both had single grid fields.
Next up on the Slideways racing calendar is the sixth round of the Enduro Series, scheduled for two weeks’ time on Sunday July 16.
The format for the day sees teams of three take on a 10 minute qualifying session for each driver, ahead of a 90 lap/65 minute race, with a pair of compulsory driver changes.
All of the details are on the Slideways Enduro Series web page, while the Slideways Sprint Racing Series continues on Sunday August 6, with classes for Heavy and Light Seniors, as well as Juniors and Cadets.
Information on all Slideways race days can be found on the dedicated race days page, or by phoning (07) 5546 6566 between 9am-5pm, 7 days a week.
Senior Lights
A standout class on the day were the Senior Lights, with a field rich with talent at the top.
Michael Seeto secured the pole position in the 10-minute qualifying session with a 43.024 lap time, with the top-seven starters split by less than a second.
The first race was a cracker, with second placed starter Dean Ferguson coming through to take the race win from Seeto and Clay Seaborne, with the top-three split by less than 2.5sec at the chequered flag.
Ferguson registered the fastest lap of the race with a 43.065sec on lap 8 of 13.
In fourth was Alex Heaton, ahead of Ryan Jones, Daniel Bell, first time starter Troy Larkham, who just held out Kyle Toirkens, Jordan Toirkens and Samuel Hayward.
The second race continued the theme of great, clean racing, with the top three engaged in a tight battle throughout, constantly changing positions.
Seeto at one stage went from third to first, but coming into the final sequence of corners, it was Seaborne who forged past to take the win.
The final victory margin was 0.280sec, with Ferguson close behind in third. Seaborne registered the fastest lap of the race with a 43.171sec.
Heaton once again finished fourth, from Jones, Bell, who just held out Larkham and Jordan Toirkens, then Kyle Toirkens and the improving Samuel Hayward.
At the upcoming Slideways Endurance Race on July 16, expect to see Seaborne and Ferguson line up for the CTS Motorsport teams, as they look to break through for their first Slideways Enduro win of the year, while Seeto will be looking to return to winning ways with his team, TSR.
Photos
PHOTOS! #Slideways Senior Lights Race Series Round 4 >> https://t.co/yJLvZQXjUl #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/DvnTPV8VPG
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 2, 2017
Video
Senior Lights Racing #Slideways #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/5VJNX0sR1J
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 2, 2017
Senior Lights Qualifying action #Slideways #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/13GFuob7In
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 1, 2017
Juniors
The competitiveness at the head of the Junior field, for racers aged 12-15, has continued to step up as the season progressed, with Jacques Goodman claiming his maiden double race win, after winning the opening heat at the most recent round.
Qualifying went the way of Goodman, who set a best time of 43.597sec, a little over a tenth of a second better than series leader Liam Hydes, with Euan Shields close behind in third.
All three leading drivers, Goodman, Hydes and Shields, recently teamed up at the Slideways Enduro Series round five, where they excelled in difficult conditions.
The opening race looked more like the recent Cadet races, with the top four engaged in a nose to tail battle for the duration, with none of the combatants making a mistake.
Goodman clocked up the win by 0.332sec from Hydes, with Shields half a second behind in third, closely followed by Lewis Spencer, who was the fastest on track with a best time of 43.547sec.
Fifth place went to Liam Wyatt, ahead of new competitor Yuvraj Whala, Chloe Herbison and Juliette Russell.
Goodman was able to eke out a 3.432sec advantage after 12 laps in the second outing, with Hydes once again in second from Shields and Spencer.
Wyatt was next from Whala, Russell and Herbison, with Goodman setting the quickest lap of the race with a 43.609sec time.
Many of the Junior drivers hone their craft at the Slideways Junior Karting Academy, which provides weekly tuition to up and coming racers.
Photos
PHOTOS! #Slideways Junior Racing Series Round 4 >> https://t.co/tcaSZTX01O #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/UjmIhtjaRP
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 2, 2017
Video
Juniors off and racing! #Slideways #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/HVpkdOC96K
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 2, 2017
Junior qualifying now under way! #Slideways #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/u9ekkixZOt
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 1, 2017
Cadets
The Cadets once again supplied two grids of karts, with some fresh faces spending time at the front of the pack, as qualifying proved to be all important.
Returning to action, Jack Hooker topped the 10-minute long qualifying session of 52.979sec, just ahead of Riley Hill (53.003sec) and Max Hooker (53.081sec).
Remarkably, the top-12 competitors were within one second of the pole position time.
The first A division race saw Jack Hooker clear away from the field, registering victory with a massive 9.084sec margin ahead Angus Jardine, who was barely a tenth of a second ahead of Ryan Tame.
Fourth place went to Christian Jardine, from Max Hooker, Alex Petterwood, Hill and Ryan Jardine.
In the second encounter, Jack Hooker once again was victorious, but he was pushed all of the way to the chequered flag by Angus Jardine.
Christian Jardine was a little further back in third, from Petterwood, Max Hooker, Hill, Ryan Jardine and Tame.
Jack Hooker was the fastest on track in both heats, with quick times of 52.818sec and 52.622sec in the respective outings.
In the opening B division race, Noah Parry had a comfortable win from Hayden Quayle and Zaiden Toirkens.
There was a tough battle for fourth, with Lachlan Trevillien coming out on top from the recovering Olivia Herbison, Hamish Shields (fastest race lap – 52.506sec), Jaedon Burnett, Daniel Sullivan and Lincoln Majkut.
Quayle got the better of Parry in the second outing, with a final margin of 0.572sec, with Herbison rounding out the podium, while Parry set the quickest race lap with a 52.611sec.
Shields was lonesome in fourth, ahead of Burnett, Trevillien, Sullivan, Majkut and Toirkens.
Overall, the level of competition in the Cadets continued to impress, with many of the drivers improving their skills at the Slideways Junior Karting Academy.
The weekly classes on Tuesday and Thursday see young racers learn the tips and tricks of going fast, with tuition delivered by our highly-experienced staff, who have decades worth of on-track racing experience.
Photos
PHOTOS! #Slideways Cadet Racing Series Round 4 >> https://t.co/DWtm7QjSWK #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/5S0abIkZwu
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 2, 2017
Video
Cadets Racing underway! #Slideways #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/UQyuUA557q
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 2, 2017
Cadet qualifying is GO! #Slideways #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/24V4iwQySF
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 1, 2017
Senior Heavies
For the first time, the Seniors Heavies filled out two grids of karts, but the result at the front was a similar story, with Pete Brown claiming two race wins from pole position.
Brown’s qualifying time of 43.003sec was quickest of the day in all classes, and 0.2sec ahead of the field.
In the opening A division race, Brown cleared out from the pack to score a 5.113sec win over Christian Bishop, who did well to hold off the advances of Joel Dimmack.
Ben Talbot was once again in fourth, just ahead of Josh Williams and James Barton, with Stef Russell next from Aaron Giuntini, James Shields and Leighton Cook.
At the chequered flag for the second race, Brown extended the margin to Bishop out to 7.373sec, with Talbot earning his first Slideways Sprint podium finish.
Close behind in fourth was Dimmack, then a big gap back to Shields, Russell, Cook, Williams and Barton.
Brown was the quickest on track in both heats, with respective times of 43.376sec and 43.170sec.
Kyle Lawrence proved to be unbeatable in the B division races, winning the first encounter from Chris Boggan (quickest race lap 43.845sec), and Clayton Hydes.
Jason Toirkens was fourth from Fraser Ward, Richard Trevillen, Jason Chapple, Ben Avery, Gareth Shephard and Ryan Shephard.
In the later race, Lawrence walked away from the field, registering an 11.833sec win over Hydes, and Ward, with the pursuing pack featuring Boggan, Chapple, Avery, Toirkens, Gareth Shephard, Richard Trevillien and Ryan Shephard.
The next outing for the seniors at a Slideways Race Day is the sixth round of our Enduro Series on July 16, with Brown set to once again anchor the Global Action Photography squad, who have won the two most recent races.
Photos
PHOTOS! #Slideways Senior Heavies Racing Series Round 4 >> https://t.co/nrzLUU4mtT #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/t8J5ndD79H
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 2, 2017
Video
Senior Heavies Race action! #Slideways #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/QaXFueYWNM
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 2, 2017
Juniors off and racing! #Slideways #GoKarting #GoldCoast #Brisbane pic.twitter.com/HVpkdOC96K
— Go Karting World (@SlidewaysWorld) July 2, 2017
