Warner Waltzes to Maiden Win

Warner Waltzes to Maiden Win

The opening Round of the 2012 Ellough Park Kart Club kicked off with many new drivers joining the ranks alongside established names. Reigning Honda Cadet champion Archie Albone had made the move up to Junior TKM while Harry Holdbrook and Benjamin Bee were both back to defend their respective Minimax and Junior Rotax titles. The Senior Rotax class appeared to wide open with reigning champion Vince Mallett taking a sabbatical and vice-champion Craig Pollard now racing cars.

The days action began with the Honda Cadets being the first class to sample the new timed qualifying. Last years vice-champion Sam Fitzpatrick drew first blood with a stunning time on the slippery track to take pole position ahead of Jason Hutton and Perry Cooke. Fitzpatrick converted pole into a win in the Heat, winning by eleven seconds ahead of Hutton and newcomer Jenson Newbury. The points from qualifying and the heat set the grid for the Pre-Final placing Fitzpatrick on pole again. The conditions had now dried considerably and Cooke took full advantage, blasting through to the lead early on. He eventually won by nine seconds ahead of Fitzpatrick and Hutton to earn himself pole for the Final. At the start of the Final Cooke got a poor start dropping behind Fitzpatrick but on lap 5 he pulled off a brave manoeuvre around the outside of turn 5 to take the lead.By now Fitzpatrick was struggling badly with heavily worn tyres but he bravely battled on for the final podium positions. By the end of race Cooke had pulled out a four second advantage to take the opening victory ahead of impressive newcomer Newbury with Hutton just fighting of Fitzpatrick for third. The Libra Cadet honours went the way of Bradley Kent.

In Junior TKM James Clarke took pole ahead of Louis Back and Connor Smith with Albone on the pace in fourth. Clarke also took the win in the Heat with Smith and Back swapping places in second and third. The Pre-Final saw Clarke come unstuck, dropping out of the race in the latter stages leaving Back clear to take the win and pole for the Final. The Final got underway on a nearly dry track but on lap four the heavens opened and Smith took full advantage to pull out a big lead. Clarkes day got even worse when he crashed out of the race on lap 10. At the flag it was Smith who took the win ahead of Back and Albone.

In the Minimax class William Bennett took pole position ahead of Holdbrook and Tye Mason. The Heat saw the same result with Ronnie Hirst and Lewis Kent in touch in fourth and fifth. Bennett stormed to another win in the Pre-Final ahead of a resurgent Kent and Hirst. The Final saw Bennett pull away at the start on the drying track but when the rain came again Hirst surged ahead as the only driver who had gambled on wet tyres. By the end he had lapped the entire field to claim his maiden Minimax victory ahead of Bennett and Holdbrook.

In Junior Rotax it was newcomer Samuel Wilson who took pole in qualifying, a feat he repeated in the Heat. In the Pre-Final it was Bee who took the win with Luke Collins second after Wilson had gambled on slicks. Wilson bounced back in the Final however and after a race long battle with Bee he took the win with Collins in third. Zack Nickson took the Junior Easykart honours.

Nineteen drivers took the circuit for the Senior Rotax qualifying session which was dominated from the outset by Henry Riley. Jake Warner, Ben Kidd and Lloyd Bell filled the remaining spots on the first two rows. Riley converted pole in the Heat win by nine seconds ahead of Warner with former champion Matt Hunting in third. Kidd had gambled on slicks but it didn’t pay off leaving him a lap down in sixteenth. The Pre-Final saw Riley, Warner and Bell take the slick gamble and despite dropping back at the start they were soon the fastest on the circuit. Kidd had pulled out a massive early advantage but when his tyres went off he was early prey for Bell who went on to win by ten seconds. Kidd managed to fight off Riley and Warner to hold on to second. Just before the Final the heavens opened and having destroyed their tyres earlier in the day seven drivers were ruled out of the Final including Bell and Riley. At the start Kidd took the lead but mechanical failure left him a disappointed bystander on lap 3. This left Warner clear at the front and he duly picked up his maiden Senior Rotax victory. Hunting came through to second with Steven Knowles in third. Shaun Reeve claimed the top novice award in eighth.

The Marshals ‘Driver of the Day’ award was given to Jenson Newbury for his excellent second place in Honda Cadets in his first meeting at the circuit.

Round 2 of the championship takes place on Saturday 25^th February. All entries must be in 7 days prior to the meeting otherwise a late entry fee of £10 will be charged. Memberships for 2012 are also still available along with pit bay pre-booking. If you register for your membership you will automatically be entered in for the year and will not have to fill any more forms out for 2012!!

N.B The engines from Honda Cadet drivers #33 and #54 were taken away by the organisers after the Final for technical checks. Both engines were scrutineered back-to-back and were both found to be to the regulations. Further checks may be made at any point throughout the course of the season.

Ready Roars to Debut Win

Ready Roars to Debut Win

The 2012 Junior League Winter Series opener saw a bumper field of 15 drivers take to the track. With reigning champion Harry Holdbrook no longer in the series it looked like being a fight between Matt Baisley, Alex Ready and Charles McGregor. Cameron Rutledge also made his return to the series along with rookie drivers Jack Tritton and Ross McWalter.

Heat 1 saw a devastating display by Ready as he won by over five seconds. Baisley pulled of another one of his legendary back-to-front drives to come through to second ahead of Arnold Lincoln. Tom Moore was also showing the same form he had at the tail end of last year to finish fourth.

Heat 2 again was led from the beginning by McGregor but he soon had Ready on his tail. Baisley had made a poor getaway so once again would have to fight through the field. Ready took the lead at the half way stage and pulled out a big advantage to claim another heat win. Baisley caught McGregor on the final lap but couldn’t quite make his way through.

Aiden Durrant led away from pole position in Heat 3 while Ready and Baisley collided on the opening lap dropping back down through the order. Ollie Carberry chased down Durrant in the early stages but when Ready and Baisley caught up the three started battling allowing Durrant to scamper away. The second place battle raged on until the final corner when Baisley and Carberry made contact allowing Ready to sore around the outside to take the place. Baisley just crossed the line in third ahead of Carberry.

The Final saw Ready on pole position with Baisley alongside and the duo flew away from the field in the opening laps. Behind them Durrant and McGregor ferociously fought over third while Rutledge, Luke Collins and Lincoln were having a similar battle for fifth. On lap 3 Baisley stormed past Ready and pulled out a two second advantage but after a small mistake he lost the lead again. By lap 9 the backmarkers were coming into play and Baisley took full advantage pulling off a staggering move at turn 6. Ready wasn’t finished though and with two laps to go he made his move and put the hammer down to take his maiden Junior League victory. Baisley followed home in second with McGregor winning the fight for third ahead of Durrant and Andrew Curtis.

Round 2 of the Winter Series takes place on Thursday 23^rd February. If you wish to book in or would like more information please contact the circuit on 01502 717718.

Ten Up for Champion Fitzpatrick

Ten Up for Champion Fitzpatrick

The opening round of the 2012 Cadet League Winter Series saw reigning champion Sam Fitzpatrick return to attempt to break Aiden Durrants record of 9 career wins in the league. He would have his work cut out though with Jason Hutton on strong form.

Heat 1 proved this with Hutton taking a fairly dominant win ahead of Fitzpatrick, who had to battle through from the back of the grid, with Oliver Patrick a strong third.

Heat 2 saw Fitzpatrick back on top with a dominant win of his own ahead of a thrilling battle between Tom Bayley and Mitchell Fenn which was eventually won out by Bayley.

Bayley continued this fine form in Heat 3 taking a clear win ahead of Liam Ditcham, who was continuing to impress in only his third meeting at the circuit. Hutton fought his way through to third but could have featured higher had it not been for an early spin.

Heat 4 and once again it was Fitzpatrick who led the field home ahead of a titanic scrap for second which would finally go the way of Fenn ahead of Hutton and Bayley,

For the Final the front row was made up of Fitzpatrick and Bayley with Hutton and Fenn lining up on row two. Fitzpatrick made a customary flying start to head the chasing pack but soon would have Hutton snapping at his heals. The two fought for lead in the opening stages before a costly spin dropped Hutton down to fourth behind Bayley and Fenn. Behind those drivers Lydia Walmsley had quietly moved up to fifth and was embroiled in a battle with Oliver Patrick. Hutton now had the bit between his teeth and surged past Fenn and Bayley and off in pursuit of Fitzpatrick who was now five seconds down the road. Fitzpatrick kept his composure though and crossed the line first taking his tenth career win, breaking Durrants two year old record. Hutton finished second with Tom Bayley in third.

Fitzpatricks win record is all the more impressive as he has started just 17 races making him statistically the most successful Cadet League driver of all-time.

Round 2 takes places on Wednesday 29^th February. If you wish to book in or would like more information please contact the circuit on 01502 717718.

2011 Presentation evening 6th january 2012

Ellough Park Raceway would like to thank everyone who attended the end of season awards evening at  The Oasis Leisure and Sports Club in Norwich.

Every Championship run at the circuit was represented on the night with the trophies being presented by former Lotus Formula One star MARTIN DONNELLY and one of the top kart drivers in the World, CHRIS LOCK.

The Biggest winner from the evening was Cadet Driver Sam Fitzpatrick who collected the Runner-Up spot in the Cadet League Winter Series and EPKC Honda Cadet Championships along with the winners trophy for the Cadet League Summer Series.  He was also picked by the officials as the winner of the ‘Martyn Dobson Young Driver of the year’ Award for his outstanding achievements in only his first full year of racing.

The evening also saw the auction of a front wing signed by Mark Webber and David Couthard kindly donated by Ian Bedson and Melly Cooke to raise money for the Henry Surtees Foundation.  The wing made a staggering £500.00 thanks to the generous bid from Jason Thompson from UK Parachuting based at Ellough.  This bid along with a donation from Pat Palmer of £50.00 has made the grand total raised from Ellough Park £2050.00!!  Thanks to all those who have donated and participated in our charity events to raise this money for the Foundation.

As well as the championship awards there were other special trophies awarded on the night.  The Endeavour Award, a trophy reconising effort with achievement, was won by Senior Rotax Driver Ben Kidd following his steady rise throughout the year in his catagory.

The Marshal of the Year Award was won by Beau Mullett, the first marshal to win the award twice, in recognition of his hard work and commitment throughout the year.

Finally, the much anticipated Rear Of The Year Award saw Steve Algar (Open Team Endurance – Pulham Pigs), Glenn Bee (Junior Rotax Driver Dad) and Mel Cooke (Honda Cadet Driver Dad) stand up and shake their stuff after being voted for on the night.  After receiving the biggest cheer the award was given to Melly Cooke…..

Richard, Sian, Steve and the whole Ellough Park Team would like to thank everyone for making the Presentation evening one of the best yet and to wish everyone a safe and successful season.

Ferguson Wins on Senior Debut

The penultimate round of the 2011 EPKC series took place with another bumper entry field of drivers with some notable returnees in the Senior Rotax class. Multiple BDKC Junior champion Clark Randal was back in action after eight years out of the seat. With only a short test session under his belt before the meeting it would be an uphill struggle but would surprise many with his pace throughout the day. Also back at Ellough after a three year layoff was former Senior Max champion Tom Morfoot racing under the Flash Racing banner. With the kart still in pieces in the back of his dads car and no prior experience of a Gillard chassis it would be a tough return for Tom.

The Libra Cadets saw Bradley Kent and Tommy Weyer battling for supremacy during the day with Kent coming out on top in the three heats but each time by only a kart length from Weyer. In the Final Kent again led early on but when they came up upon the Honda backmarkers Weyer saw his chance and dived through to the lead which he would never relinquish to score his maiden victory at the circuit.

The Honda Cadets, as ever, provided some of the closest racing of the day with 23 drivers chasing down runaway championship leader Archie Albone. Heat 1 however would go the way of the in-form Sam Fitzpatrick who just snatched victory from Formula 6 champion Christopher Lulham with Jean Sammut right in the mix in third. Matt Round and Oliver Grantham rounded out the top 5 but it was a bad race for reigning champion Ben Kasperczak whose run of bad luck continued with mechanical failure. Heat 2 saw the same three drivers battling at the front but this time it was Lulham who took the win ahead of Fitzpatrick with Sammut in third. Albone picked up more important points in fourth with Kasperczak making up for his Heat 1 disaster in fifth. Heat 3 started badly with a multiple pile-up eliminating Perry Cooke, Cameron Maskell and Jason Hutton. Cooke and Maskell were able to make repairs for the restart but Hutton would have to sit out Heat 3. At the restart it was Albone who got down to business taking a hard fought win ahead of Fitzpatrick and Grantham. The consistent Sammut crossed the line fourth ahead of Round. The Final got underway with Fitzpatrick converting his pole into the lead and he soon raced away from the pack headed up by Albone. Albone was under massive pressure from Grantham and when the backmarkers came into play Grantham took the initiative and soared through to second. Behind them a big incident between Sammut and Lulham took the former out of contention, a bitter result for Jean as he had looked good for another top five finish. The incident allowed Cooke through to fourth with Round snapping at his heels. At the front Fitzpatrick had pulled out a ten second lead and duly took his maiden, and long overdue, victory in the series. Grantham held of Albone for second with Cooke and Round making up the top five finishers. Behind them Hutton put on a stunning display on his debut in the class to come through to thirteenth and with it taking the top novice award. Fitzpatricks win now puts him well in contention for the runner-up spot in the championship with only appalling luck at the final round likely to oust Albone from the top spot. Grantham’s drive in the final also earned him the coveted ‘Driver of the Day’ award given out by the marshals.

The Junior classes saw a mix of Junior Rotax, Minimax, Junior TKM and the lone KF3 of British GP WTP champion Gaby Weyer making her debut in the category.
The Junior Max class was dominated from start-to-finish by Chad Shiner who took the honours ahead of Charlie Starsmoore and champion-elect Benjamin Bee.
The story was the same in the Junior TKM class with reigning BDKC Libra Cadet champion James Clarke stepping up to the category for the first time with devastating effect by claiming a clean sweep of wins for the day ahead of rookie driver Jack Rutter.
The Minimax races were more closely fought with newly crowned champion Harry Holdbrook being pushed hard by Ellough returnee William Bennett. The opening exchange went to Bennett by half a second from Holdbrook with Adam Hatfield in third. Heat 2 didn’t go as well for Bennett after an early clash left him without a nose cone forcing him into retirement. Holdbrook took full advantage to take the win ahead of Hatfield and Lee Edwards. Heat 3 saw Bennett back to form but he couldn’t quite overhaul Holdbrook who took the win with Hatfield again in third. The Final got underway without Hatfield who was out with mechanical trouble. It was again Holdbrook and Bennett who stole the show at the head of the field with the two drivers locked together for the whole race. At the flag it was Bennett who held on to win ahead of Holdbrook with Edwards an impressive third. Behind them Ronnie Hirst, in his first Minimax outing, took fourth ahead of rookie Tye Mason.

The Seniors provided the last action of the day with a strong field of 17 drivers. The opening heat of the day went the way of Craig Pollard, who surely would have been in the hunt for the title had he not missed the opening rounds of the series. He was chased all the way by Simon Steady with Liam Ferguson, making his Senior debut, a brilliant third. Heat 2 got underway without Pollard and Teddie Harvey who were late to the grid, missing the warm up laps which ruled them out of the race. Morfoot also was left on the grid with mechanical trouble but he would make it onto the track, although from the back of the grid. At the head of the field Ferguson blasted away from the field to pick up the win ahead of Steady with championship leader Vince Mallett rounding out the top 3. Jak Warner continued to impress in only his second race meeting in sixth sandwiched between the returnees of Randal and Morfoot, both proving they had lost none of their touch despite their long layoffs. Heat 3 saw Steady and Ferguson at the front again and this time it was Steady who took the win with Pollard making the grid this time and finishing third. Ben Kidd continued his strong run of form with fourth. The Final got underway with Steady converting his pole position into the lead ahead of Ferguson. Morfoot got out of the traps brilliantly running up with the race leaders. On lap 7 Ferguson fought his way into the lead but Steady came straight back at him resulting in the extremely rare sight of him spinning. He gathered it back up losing just one place to Morfoot but Ferguson was now away and clear. At the flag Ferguson picked up his maiden Senior win with Steady fighting back to second ahead of the highly impressive Morfoot, taking a podium after a long time out of the sport and no prior knowledge of the kart. Pollard crossed the line fourth ahead of the equally impressive Randal. It was another bad day for championship leader Mallett who was taken out of the final in an early crash. Despite this Mallett is still odds-on favourite to take the title with Steven Knowles currently his closest challenger.

The final meeting of the season takes place on Saturday 10th December with double points up for grabs. To book in for the meeting or for more information on the 2012 season please call 01502 717718.

December Offers!

Book an Iron Man Challenge, Grand Prix, Team endurance or Urban Combat Game and get a FREE PIZZA* for every two participants.

Offer available from 1st December 2011 until 31st December 2011 only! Minimum of 10 people are required*

Iron Man Challenge – 30/50/75 or the ultimate 100 lap race! 10 to 20 drivers will race for a 10 minute qualifying session to determine your grid position.  Then you will race for the length of the chosen event distance! No pit stops!! Trophies will be awarded to the top three drivers with a bottle of bubbly to spray on the podium. From £45pp

Team Endurance – 8—20 teams with 2—5 drivers in each team. You can race for 1 1/2,  2 or 3 hours all with a 15 minute timed qualifying session. Teams will have to work out their race strategy with driver changes and fuel stops to outwit the other teams.  The top three teams receive individual trophies and the winning team champagne. From £140.00 per team

Grand Prix – 10—20 drivers all on track at once (If numbers go over this then a series of heats and an A & B Final will be run). 5 minute practice, 3 x 10 lap heats and a 15 lap final. Trophies for the top three driver will be awarded with a bottle of bubble to spray on the podium. £67.00pp (Discounts are available for 21+ drivers)

Urban Laser Combat – 10 to 28 players, start from 8yrs+. The site has a theme similar to that of modern warfare games such as a post battle run down urban town.  Once here you and friends or colleagues can take part in multiple game scenarios. Perfect for corporate events. £20per child and £25per adult.

The Pizzas are Italian style based with four different delicious toppings.  All of our pizzas are oven baked to order.

Please contact us to book you event in and please quote ‘PIZZA EVENT’ when booking

27th November – Charity Team 2 hour endurance event!!

Charity Day – 27th November 2011 at 9:30am.  Wacky Racers event, 2 hour team endurance with 2 – 6 drivers in each team.  Up to 20 teams racing on track!!

£180.00 per team and during the race there will be a few suprises thrown in…true wacky racer style!!

Raising money for the Henry Surtees Foundation.

Points awarded for team fancy dress, trophies for the the top three wacky racers teams and booby prizes too!!

Call us to book your team in for the 27th November ASAP!!

Sam Fitzpatrick – 2011 Cadet League Champion

Ellough Park Race Circuit would like to congratulate Sam Fitzpatrick on winning the 2011 Cadet League Championship after a masterful display of wet-weather driving at the penultimate Round of the championship. In torrential rain Sam took his seventh win from seven meetings to claim his first title with a round to spare.

In only his first full season of racing Sam has shot up the ranks to become one of the most successful drivers in the championships history. He is the first driver to have won 7 consecutive races and has finished the last 11 meetings on the podium. Sam has also featured strongly in the EPKC Honda Cadet series and is looking good for a top 3 finish in the championship amongst some very experienced competition. For 2012 Sam plans to enter more MSA race meetings as well as having another shot at the EPKC title.

Ellough Parks Steve English commented on Sam by saying ‘Sam has had an unbelievable 2011 season with dominance that has never before been seen in any championship at the circuit. I’ve been involved in running the leagues for 10 years now and Sam is not only one of the most naturally talented drivers to compete but also the most down to earth drivers I have met. He’s a lad of few words but he certainly lets his driving do the talking! I would also like to thank Sam’s dad Mark for the help and guidance he has given to the new drivers in the League this year.’

Another driver to wrap up a title at the meeting was Harry Weaver who clinched the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title. Harry has been progressively improving including a couple of strong A-Final performances during the season. He has also been taking part in the EPKC Honda Cadet Series and has been steadily moving up the field.

The Final Round of the Cadet League takes place on Wednesday 23rd November with double points up for grabs. The runner-up spot in the series is still undecided with Oliver Grantham currently heading Mitchell Fenn and Callum Goldsmith, who took his maiden finish at the last meeting. For more information on the championship or for details for 2012 please phone 01502 717718.

Steady Seals Senior Win

With the end of the season fast approaching a full field of drivers took to the track for Round 10 of the Non-MSA Championships all hoping to keep themselves in contention for their respective titles.

The Libra cadet class was boosted by the return of championship leader Bradley Kent along with reigning champion Herbie Grout. In the Honda Cadet class most of the top drivers were in action with the exception of Michael Hughes who would miss his first race of the season due to other commitments. In the Minimax class championship leader Harry Holdbrook came into the meeting with a strong chance of clinching the title but would be pushed hard by his main rival Adam Hatfield. In Senior Rotax, Vince Mallett still held a healthy championship lead ahead of the titanic scrap for second headed up by Steven Knowles and James Canham.

The Libra Cadets began the days action with Heat 1 setting the tone for the day with a ferocious battle for the lead between Grout, Kent and Easykart driver Matt Round. The first heat would eventually go to Kent ahead of Grout and Round but in Heat 2 a lap 3 incident put Kent out of the running and earned Round a black flag leaving Grout clear to take the win ahead of novice driver Max Fenlon. Heat 3 saw Kent back on top earning him pole position for the Final. Kent took the early lead of the final but had Grout and Round right on his tail. On lap 4 contact from Grout sent Kent off at turn 1 demoting him down to third. At the flag it was Round who had got the better of Grout to take the win and with Grout receiving a one place penalty it was Kent in second ahead of Grout and Fenlon.

The Junior classes got underway a little too quickly for Holdbrook in Heat 1 as a jump start saw him demoted from first to third leaving Hatfield as the winner ahead of Lee Edwards. Heat 2 this time saw Holdbrook judge the start perfectly as he shot into the lead which he held to the flag ahead of Hatfield and Tye Mason. Heat 3 again saw Holdbrook take the win ahead of Hatfield and Mason placing him on pole for the Final. The final saw Holdbrook initially take a commanding lead but Hatfield closed the gap to within a second before dropping back towards the end. Holdbrooks win clinched the Minimax title, a great achievement in his first full season of racing. In the Junior Rotax class Benjamin Bee took all three Heat wins and the Final win to extend his championship lead while in the Junior TKM class Oliver Graham also picked up a maximum points haul in the absence of championship leader Mark Phelps with Tom Rushforth following home in second.

The Honda Cadet class saw 18 drivers gunning for victory and the first heat of the day went the way of the in-form Jean Sammut take a hard fought win by just 0.13 from series leader Archie Albone. Sam Fitzpatrick came home half a second away from the leaders with Oliver Grantham ever improving in fourth place. Heat 2 had to be stopped on the opening lap following a four kart pile up which Ben Kasperczak took the brunt of ruling him out of the restart. Also missing the restart was Perry Cooke after sustaining damage in the incident. The restart saw a repeat of Heat 1 with Sammut again leading home Albone by just 0.19 with Grantham this time in third place. Kal Miller was also looking strong in fourth but further back disaster struck for Fitzpatrick after a crash left him on the sidelines. Heat 3 saw Fitzpatrick strike back in the best possible way with a win after a stunning last lap pass on Sammut. Grantham continued to impress in third with Albone fourth after a spin just after half distance. Kasperczak also had a strong drive to fight through to fifth. With tensions running high and with his first pole position in his pocket Sammut got away quickly at the start leaving the pursuing pack trailing into turn 1. However Albone and Fitzpatrick were soon back on his tail and three swapped places countless times leaving the enthralled spectators wondering who would take the win. Behind the leaders Kasperczak again had driven through the field from thirteenth on the grid to fifth. At the flag it was Sammut who captured victory but had been deemed to have jumped the start earning a five place penalty. This took nothing away from the stunning drive he had put in as he had fought back from third to take the win. The penalty handed the win to Albone who also thoroughly deserved the applauds ahead of Fitzpatrick with Kal Miller an outstanding third, his best result to date by far. Kals drive was also noticed by the marshals who awarded him with the coveted ‘Driver of the Day’ trophy.

The Senior Rotax class saw a bumper field of 24 drivers take to the circuit and in Heat 1 they were led home by Harry Smith, who was last seen in action at Ellough Park in a Minimax. Following Smith home was the returning Simon Steady ahead of Jake Baker, his best finish since his return to racing. Championship leader Mallett had a torrid start to the day, throwing a chain while running fifth. Heat 2 saw the winner of the last two meetings Craig Pollard back on top, taking a new lap record along the way. He was followed home by Steady with Teddie Harvey third ahead of Canham and Smith. Mallett was again out of luck after crash damage again left him on the sidelines. After two second places Steady picked up the Heat 3 win ahead of Smith and Pollard, who again broke the lap record. Henry Riley came across the line fourth ahead of Harvey while Malletts day went from bad to worse with mechanical failure robbing him of a finish and ruling him out of the final. The Final got underway with Steady heading the pack but further back Jason Baker was tagged into a spin and was collected first by Stewart Hunting and then much more heavily by Aland Hunting. With Hunting injured at the side of the circuit the race was red flagged but after initial concern Huntings injuries were only slight. At the restart it was Steady who again shot into the lead ahead of Pollard. Behind the leaders Ben Kidd was putting in a great performance in third holding of Smith. Also impressing was novice driver Jak Warner who from the back of the grid had sliced through the field into ninth. At the flag it was Steady who just held off the charging Pollard, who had broking his own lap record again, with Smith just pipping Kidd for third and Riley crossing the line in fifth. Jake Baker continued his strong day with a seasons best sixth.

The penultimate Round of the championship takes place on Saturday 19^th November with practice running from 9am-11am with racing beginning at 12pm. To book a place you can either email the circuit or phone 01502 717718. Details for the 2012 championship are also now available from the circuit.

Sammut Snatches Honda Victory

Round 9 of the Ellough Park Non-MSA Championships took place under initially threatening skies but to everyone’s relief the weather stayed dry throughout the days proceedings.

Once again a bumper grid of Honda Cadets were set to do battle with championship hopeful Archie Albone returning after two meetings away. Also back in action was reigning champion Ben Kasperzcak who missed last months meeting while competing at the London Cup. In the Comer class the cicuit greeted drivers from the Formula Kart Stars national series who were taking in vital track time ahead of their final round in a fortnights time. The Junior classes were also boosted with FKS drivers as the RL Racing Dept. competed on home soil for the first time in Non-MSA this season. The Seniors again had a strong grid but unfortunately John Vincent was forced to withdraw after practice to due aggravating a non-karting related injury.

The Comer Heats saw an epic three-way battle between Ross Martin, Daniel McAuley and Lewis Taylor with the three drivers never separated by more than half a second throughout the three races. In heat one a well timed last lap pass gave Martin the win, a feat he repeated in Heat 2. Heat 3 almost went his way as well but this time it was McAuley who snatched the win by a mere bumper width. Behind them novice driver Max Fenlon was gaining experience and his lap times tumbled substantially during the day on his first visit to Ellough Park. In the final it was Taylor who stole the early advantage and managed to fend off his pursuers for twelve laps. On the penultimate lap Martin dived through at turn one and was followed by McAuley. This order remained the same until two corners to go when a small mistake by Martin bunched all three drivers up resulting in contact sending Martin and McAuley wide allowing Taylor to snatch the win. However, Taylor was deemed at fault by the Clerk of the Course and was duely docked two positions giving Martin the win ahead of McAuley.

The Honda Cadet class was as closely fought as ever and the opening heat seemed to set the scene for the day with an in-form Sam Fitzpatrick taking the win ahead Albone with Luke Whitehead in third. Heat 2 saw Michael Hughes convert his pole position into the lead in the early stages and for many laps held off the charging Fitzpatrick before a small mistake dropped him to second. Hughes clung on to the back of the leader and so nearly made his way back to the front but at the flag it was Fitzpatrick first ahead of Hughes with Perry Cooke, building on the form from his maiden win last month, in third. Disaster struck for Fitzpatrick in Heat 3 when his throttle cable snapped at the start eliminating him from the race. This left the way clear for Cooke to blast away at the front with Albone pursuing in second. It was Albones turn for bad luck next as he lost his chain on lap four allowing Louis Back through to second. Back was driving a brilliant race, soaking up the pressure from the pack headed by Oliver Grantham. At the flag it was Cooke who took the win ahead of the impressive Back with Grantham in third. The scene was set then for the Final with Cooke on pole with Fitzpatrick alongside. At the start Cooke held the lead but was under massive pressure from Fitzpatrick. Behind the leading duo Jean Sammut was carving his way through the field and was up to third by lap five. Fitzpatrick took the lead on lap 6 after a mistake from Cooke but the two remained nose-to-tail. On lap nine a heavy collision between the race leaders dropped them back behind new race leader Sammut and Whitehead. Both recovered positions but at the flag it was Sammut who took his second win of the season with Cooke second, Whitehead third and Fitzpatrick a massively disappointed fourth. However, the Clerk of the Course deemed Cooke responsible for the collision between him and Fitzpatrick so a five place penalty was issued demoting Cooke to seventh. This promoted Fitzpatrick to third ahead of Albone, Hughes and Grantham. Top novice driver went to Tom Bayley who came home twelfth overall.

The Junior classes saw a mesmerising display in the Junior Rotax Class from FKS driver Nick Arthur who dominated the three heats and Final, showing that he will be right at the front for the national round. Behind him Charlie Starsmoore and Benjamin Bee battled all day long for second place joined by Mark Phelps in his Junior TKM. Starsmoore eventually took second ahead of Bee, sandwiching the ever quick Phelps. In the Minimax class it was again the FKS drivers who dominated. Heat 1 went the way of Rob Hodkinson ahead of team-mate Josh White, this order being reversed in Heat 2. Heat 3 saw Hodkinson back on top ahead of White while Non-MSA regular Adam Hatfield put in a terrific performance to still be close the leaders at the end of the race. The Final again saw the RL Racing Dept. duo at the front with the order remaining the same to the flag, Hodkinson taking the win ahead of White and Hatfield.

A strong field of Senior Rotax drivers took to the track and the opening spoils of the day went to last months winner Craig Pollard who fought his way to the front just pipping championship leader Vince Mallett with James Canham in third. Heat 2 saw Teddie Harvey take the early lead and he soon pulled away from the field. Pollard again had to fight to the front and once he did he reeled in Harvey and was right on his tail on the final lap. Harvey drove a defensive final lap to just hold on to the win ahead of Pollard and Canham. Heat 3 this time saw Pollard away at the front from the start, a position he would hold to the flag. Behind him there were brilliant performances from Stephen Gluckstein who came home a seasons best second ahead of Ben Kidd, another seasons best. The Final got underway with Pollard and Harvey breaking away at the front with Mallett not far behind in third. Behind them Arron Burnage was putting in an inspired performance to hold on to fourth place. On lap nine though Canham tried to pass Burnage, tangling wheels and sending Canham wildly spinning over the top of Burnage. In the ensuing chaos Steve Jennis was sent into a heavy roll ending upside-down in the middle of the circuit. He quickly clambered out from under his kart and moved it to the side in order to keep the race going. The mayhem left the top three way ahead of the pack and at the flag it was Pollard taking the win ahead of Harvey and Mallett. Steven Knowles came home fourth ahead of the ever improving Gluckstein. The officials also awarded the coveted Driver of the Day trophy to Pollard for his outstanding driving during the meeting.

Round 10 of the championship takes place on Saturday 15^th October with Signing-on beginning at 8am, Practice 9am-11am, Drivers Briefing at 1130am and the Racing beginning at 12pm. Please ensure you get your entries in early either via email or by phoning 01502 717718.