RAFMSA brings top flight action to Llandow Kart Club

With the Bambino field away contesting their MSA Finals elsewhere, and IAME runners on hand this month, it was left to the Honda Cadet class to get things off the ground. Despite a strong Llandow contingent, it was DKRC visitor Charlie Knight who stole the show, winning each of the four races despite the close attentions of recent pacesetter Axel Laflamme.

The pair finished 1-2 on three occasions, including the final, with only a Laflamme DNF in heat three allowing Austin Maddocks to alter the order at the front. Maddocks also completed the final podium, while two graduates of the Llandow Race Academy – William Gill and Max Meir – acquitted themselves well, with the latter picking up best novice honours at the end of the day.

Junior Honda frontrunners Alex Wilkins and Ben Cutler continued their recent battle, but this time there was only one winner, as Wilkins aced each of the four races by narrow margins to complete a first clean sweep. Novice Finley Green completed the top three at a respectable distance in each race.

By contrast, Junior TKM produced three different winners for each of its heats, with Lucas Sullivan, Louis Beaven and Ryan Edwards each coming out on top by less than 1.5 seconds. The final also proved to be a close-fought affair, with Edwards eventually triumphing over Beaven by just 0.211 seconds to repeat his August success. Yousuf Ashraf completed the podium when it mattered most, with Sullivan – who had been hampered by a DSQ in heat two - slipping to fifth overall, behind Sam Johns.

Kristian Prosser started his day in familiar fashion, claiming victory in the opening Senior Honda heats, but found Patrick Hill unwilling to let him have things his own way. Hill duly claimed top spot in the remaining heats to set up an intriguing finale and the pair did not disappoint, coming home just 0.4 seconds apart in the main event, but with Prosser back in front to take another step towards the title. Monty Gorringe, who had been in the top three all day, continued that form to complete the podium, while rookie Shaun Drysdale walked off with driver of the day honours after taking P6 in the main event.

Morgan Rose made an uncharacteristically slow start to Senior Rotax competition, finishing only third in the opening heat but, from that point on, proved unbeatable as he took three-hard fought victories, including the final. The margin between Rose and his pursuers was never more than a second – notably when winning by just 0.017 seconds in heat two – but heat one winner Rob Ellis, Sam Morgan and Zach Jones had to be content with second spot each time. Ellis completed the podium in the final, with Morgan beating Dilip Singh to fourth on the road.

In RAF Premier, Callum Drew’s day started - and ended - after just a couple of laps in heat one but, after that he was unbeatable, claimed each of the remaining races by an increasingly big margin. Troy Cole and Simon Hilton proved his closest challenge in heats two and three, before Oliver Waind came through to claim runners-up honours in the final. Heat one winner Matthew Daniel finished fourth, just ahead of Cole and Matthew Hildred who completed the top five.

Round nine of the Llandow Kart Club championship will take place at South Wales Karting Centre on Sunday, October 18.

Results:

CADET HONDA

1. Charlie Knight (Zip)

2. Axel Laflamme (Zip)

3. Austin Maddocks (Project One)

JUNIOR HONDA

1. Alex Wilkins (7Kart)

2. Ben Cutler (7Kart)

3. Finley Green (Biz)

JUNIOR TKM

1. Ryan Edwards (Tonykart)

1. Louis Beaven (Tonykart)

2. Yousuf Ashraf (Tonykart)

SENIOR HONDA

1. Kristian Prosser (7Kart)

2. Patrick Hill (Wright)

3. Monty Gorringe (7Kart)

SENIOR ROTAX

1. Morgan Rose (Tonykart)

2. Zach Jones (Tonykart)

3. Rob Ellis (Kosmic)

RAF PREMIER

1. Callum Drew (Tonykart)

2. Oliver Waind (Exprit)

3. Matthew Daniel (Kosmic)

BEST NOVICE:

Max Meir (Cadet Honda)

DRIVER OF THE DAY:

Shaun Drysdale (Senior Honda)