Pittam's Podium Hat Trick at SA Karting Championships

29 November 2009

Paul Pittam was the standout performer at the Dunlop South Australian Karting Championship hosted by the Barossa Go-Kart Club at the Bolivar Raceway over the weekend.

Competing in three senior categories - Clubman Heavy, Leopard Heavy and Rotax Heavy - Pittam was one of the busiest of the 300 entrants at the event but his hard work paid dividends in the way of three podium results.

Paul Pittam scored three podium results across the weekend.
(Pic: photowagon.com.au)

In the Rotax Heavy final Pittam proved too strong for the highly talented interstate contingent, claiming the eighth state championship of his career, but more importantly the first in his home state.

Simon Gwilliam from WA took second just ahead of Melbourne driver Rick Pringle, who won his Australian title in this class at the Bolivar track in 2006.

In the final of Clubman Heavy a chain of seven karts fought for the podium positions, with Pittam right in the thick of the action.

In the final half of the race Sydney driver Jason Hryniuk, Pittam and Daniel Baker forged a small gap over the rest setting up an exciting finish.

Hryniuk led entering the final lap, defending from a fast finishing Baker. As the trio entered the final corner Baker clipped the back of Hryniuk's CRG, forcing him to run wide and drop down the order, allowing Hryniuk to take the win from Pittam and Lee Mitchener to step up to third.

Pringle was simply too strong and took a comfortable victory over fellow Victorian Paul Rodgers, Pittam and Top Kart driver Craig Stauner in the Rotax Heavy class.

"This is my first state championship that I've actually won in my home state, it's great to not only get the win but also a podium in every class I raced over the weekend," said Pittam.

"I've gone racing cars and raced Formula Ford, so stuff like that was a big learning curve for me but all those extra challenges that you do seem to prepare you for big meetings like this.

"For the first two days on Wednesday and Thursday in practice, it was pretty hard coming in from one kart and just hoping straight back into another kart, but once racing got underway things seemed to smooth out a bit.

"It was a challenge to get the set-up sorted but we got there in the end, a lot of thanks must got to my Dad and Kym (Pearce) from Omega Racing Karts.

"Racing three classes may have taken the edge of each of them, it might have taken it back to say 95 percent in each kart but at the end of the day we got them all pretty close to where we wanted them and came away with three podium finishes."

Canberra's Mathew Hart secured a pair of championships in the Junior Clubman and Formula JMA categories.

New South Wales CRG driver Jason Hryniuk proved too good
in Clubman Heavy(Pic: photowagon.com.au)

The Junior Clubman final was one of the races of the day with Hart, National Champion Chris Hays and Joseph Mawson all took turns of leading the way.

Hart always seemed to have the edge, able to claw back the lead when both Hays and Mawson grabbed the ascendancy.

Queenslander Lucas Ward was also looking very fast in fourth spot and was catching the lead trio when he suffered a mechanical failure with 12 laps to go.

James Macken led the first half of the Formula JMA final before Hart made his move at the end of the back straight with seven laps remaining.

New South Wales driver Trent Grubel came home like a steam-train aboard his Kosmic kart, passing Macken on the final lap at the end of the back straight for Macken to jump back into second at the very next corner.

Hart was well ahead by this stage and took a comfortable win abo