Round 1 - Oran Park
posted 23rd Feb 2007 Roll on the AKA 2007 Enduro Series!!
Not what we had planned! That was at least relevant to some teams; others came and did exactly what they should have done. Oran Park held Round 1 of the 2007 series, and with the level of competition this year it was important to have a solid round.
New teams, new chassis’ and some wild new looks, how bloody exciting this year was going to be!
King of Parts arrive with a second team of Steve Cameron and last years fastest part time hire karter David Ambrose to compete for the A grade prize. Old faces in Tim and Chris JBM #77 with a brand new Birel arrive wearing their race faces, also for the outright competition. Buildline after moving to A grade had joined forces with Kinetic Motorsport feeling two was better than one! Kartsport were regular two strokers and would shake up the competition no doubt, hope they stick around. BRM 55 would take it to the rest of the field again with a new look team called themselves Four Play, mmm. A new look Streamline arrived, after moving up from B Grade along with Horsepower, who after achieving B Honors arrived looking just the same, strong! Part time Full Noise gun driver Todd Maiden arrived with his own team, Mariners sure to be on the pace early.
Kelly’s Transport bring a slightly new line up drafting young gun Mitchell Bourke. Grahame Muddle and Peter Holland previously with Streamline had engaged the support of Kinetic’s Darrell Mitchell and formed GP Racing in a near new Benson with a goal to take out B Grade! Great to see Horse Power Racing Too join to take it to the B2 category. They will have to fend off pretty well equipped new comers though in Sideways (should the name worry us) Racing. A huge number of other regulars also showed up looking keen as ever to get the year started.
We were not going to know just how far teams had come in the off season through qualifying results, as it was to be a random draw for the first time. Tricky Dicky (EKA) on pole followed by XLR8, the new look Streamline and GP Racing. On the other hand Able Door Services, Centor King of Parts and Intrepid wouldn’t have been happy drawing a lowly 24th, 25th and 26th positions respectively!
The start of the race was clean with most teams thinking about the season, or at least the 5hrs ahead. Road Runners #77 weren’t mucking around. Four Play were getting straight into it, as were Stones, Enforcer and EKA. Intrepid were also making a move from the back. In B Grade Toynton were flying along with TDF and GP Racing who took an early fuel stop, but had stuck with the leaders till then. Havacrac were on the lead pace also.
Full Noise, Dynamite and Intrepid were already having a race they rather forget, with Kinetic Buildline also slowly going back through the field with mechanical issues. As the hours went by the racing remained clean and tight. Toward the end of the race Enforcer were showing a usual turn of speed with Road Runner still hanging on and having a brilliant first round in their new chassis. Mariners were fighting it out with EKA, and Horsepower were off to a perfect start in A grade battling with XLR8. Buildline also up from B were pushing hard just behind. Havacrac were dominating a very competitive B Grade with Allied 2, GP Racing and TDF pushing on behind them.
Repsol Omega were having a good round running in the top ten, with Toynton and King of Parts also having a solid run a little further behind.
After an incident free 5 hours of close racing the race was won by Enforcer holding out Road Runner by 46seconds. EKA in 3rd what a great start to the season which I don’t think Tricky is used to! Havacrac put in an amazing performance to win B Grade and finish in the top four outright, something I don’t think they’ve ever achieved. Well done to Todd’s new team finishing 5th, followed by Horsepower who had a great start to their maiden A Grade Year. Able Door Services and XLR8 also had a great start to their season ahead of many other formidable teams. GP Racing finished second in B grade in their first hit out together showing a great turn of speed in their new chassis.
Well done to Horsepower Racing Too finishing 1st in B2, followed by some very competent hire karters (Wood Ducks kart #40) who experience a broken chain. Well done Sideways Racing who also looked consistent while they were circulating.
With a huge field and all keen to compete for the year a capacity field will be seen at most tracks I’m sure. With the level of competition, consistency and fun that doesn’t surprise!
Justin Sydenham
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