By ROSS ROCHE
An exciting round of karting action was battled out at the East London Grand Prix track over the past weekend.
With it being the fourth round and middle of the season a few notable surprise performances blew open various title races, setting up what should be a very exciting second half of the season.
The 50cc Cadet class threw up the first surprise of the weekend as Dylan Steven emerged out of left field to dominate the day.
Stevens came into the round third on the overall log and with current leader Kaylim Padayachee and, second-placed Jordan van der Merwe expected to resume their duel, it was Stevens who won each round, with Van der Merwe in second and Padayachee third overall on the day.
This means the division has become very competitive with just 14 points separating Padayachee in first place, with Van der Merwe and Stevens both tied for second, with 90 points still up for grabs.
This championship is looking like it will go down to the wire and the last two rounds of the championship look to be a mouthwatering prospect.
In the 60cc class Jordan Dorning was on form to take the honours and to also close the lead on current division leader Sebastian Smith.
The Clubman’s divisions put on some great shows.
Class A was dominated by Shannon Jackson, who claimed all three victories, but her success was tempered by current division leader Jared de Kock, who managed to finish second overall to keep hold of a healthy lead at the top.
Class B saw a new leader as David Burberry moved to the top of the log after a good win ahead of Matthew Rowe, who finished second and moved into third overall on the championship standings.
Class C also saw a change at the top as 2015 champion Cuan Flusk retook the championship lead after a top day of racing saw him claim the overall honours.
Cherne Marais, who led before the round, had a tough day at the office, finishing fourth on the day and slipping to second overall on the log.
Her sister Melandre Marais took second place overall on the day to consolidate her third place in the championship, but points deficit between the top and third place is now smaller, meaning she is within striking distance.
Shaun Gradwell was one of the few drivers on the day to actually extend his lead as he took victory in th premier DD2 class after a tight victory on the day.
This allowed him to move further ahead of 2015 champion Geoff Stephen, who came home second, while Craig Borges, who is currently third in the standings, finished third.
The NSF 100 bikes returned to the track this round and it saw the top three on the standings move positions.
Connor Breakspear claimed the win on the day, moving him to the top of the standings, while Jordan Breakspear finished second on the day, allowing him to move up to second on the log.
Ashton Heidemann’s third place finish on the day saw him drop from first to third, and he will want to make amends in the next round.
The championship resumes with its next round at the end of next month, scheduled for July 30.
For more information contact the karting club chairman Joe Borges at joe@bigjoeracing.com.
No backing down as race for honours picks up pace
An exciting round of karting action was battled out at the East London Grand Prix track over the past weekend.
With it being the fourth round and middle of the season a few notable surprise performances blew open various title races, setting up what should be a very exciting second half of the season.
The 50cc Cadet class threw up the first surprise of the weekend as Dylan Steven emerged out of left field to dominate the day.
Stevens came into the round third on the overall log and with current leader Kaylim Padayachee and, second-placed Jordan van der Merwe expected to resume their duel, it was Stevens who won each round, with Van der Merwe in second and Padayachee third overall on the day.
This means the division has become very competitive with just 14 points separating Padayachee in first place, with Van der Merwe and Stevens both tied for second, with 90 points still up for grabs.
This championship is looking like it will go down to the wire and the last two rounds of the championship look to be a mouthwatering prospect.
In the 60cc class Jordan Dorning was on form to take the honours and to also close the lead on current division leader Sebastian Smith.
The Clubman’s divisions put on some great shows.
Class A was dominated by Shannon Jackson, who claimed all three victories, but her success was tempered by current division leader Jared de Kock, who managed to finish second overall to keep hold of a healthy lead at the top.
Class B saw a new leader as David Burberry moved to the top of the log after a good win ahead of Matthew Rowe, who finished second and moved into third overall on the championship standings.
Class C also saw a change at the top as 2015 champion Cuan Flusk retook the championship lead after a top day of racing saw him claim the overall honours.
Cherne Marais, who led before the round, had a tough day at the office, finishing fourth on the day and slipping to second overall on the log.
Her sister Melandre Marais took second place overall on the day to consolidate her third place in the championship, but points deficit between the top and third place is now smaller, meaning she is within striking distance.
Shaun Gradwell was one of the few drivers on the day to actually extend his lead as he took victory in th premier DD2 class after a tight victory on the day.
This allowed him to move further ahead of 2015 champion Geoff Stephen, who came home second, while Craig Borges, who is currently third in the standings, finished third.
The NSF 100 bikes returned to the track this round and it saw the top three on the standings move positions.
Connor Breakspear claimed the win on the day, moving him to the top of the standings, while Jordan Breakspear finished second on the day, allowing him to move up to second on the log.
Ashton Heidemann’s third place finish on the day saw him drop from first to third, and he will want to make amends in the next round.
The championship resumes with its next round at the end of next month, scheduled for July 30.
For more information contact the karting club chairman Joe Borges at joe@bigjoeracing.com.
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