Whitmore Chasing The Elusive Green And Gold

22 September 2009

In 2007 David Whitmore came within half a lap of claiming his maiden Australian Karting Championship.

The disappointment of crashing out of the Junior National Light final is something that still haunts the Windsor racer over two years later.

This weekend’s Rotax Karting Nationals at his home track of the Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway will provide the perfect opportunity for Whitmore to make amends for the disappointment of two years ago and claim the prestigious Green and Gold plate.

“After coming so close to winning the National Championship it certainly makes you hungry for more,” said Whitmore, who will be racing in the Rotax Light category this weekend.

Windsor driver David Whitmore (#57) is ready
to take on the best drivers at this weekend's event.
(Pic: photowagon.com.au)

“It is going to be good taking on the best drivers on my home track, hopefully I’ll have a little bit of an advantage over them but it will be tough against the likes of David Sera, Bart Price and Damien Ward.”

Since graduating from the junior ranks 18 months ago Whitmore has continually developed into a front-runner in the Rotax Light division across Australia and is the reigning New South Wales State Champion.

“We’ve been doing a fair bit of testing over the last few months in an effort to be fully prepared, it is going to be a tough event but I will be giving it everything I’ve got to win,” said Whitmore.

“Everyone that is racing at the event is going to be hard to beat and qualifying will play an important role for the shape of your weekend. I’ll be aiming to be inside the top five at the end of qualifying but as everyone in karting knows it is not over until the end of the last lap in the final.”

Over the past few years Victorian David Sera has cemented himself at the top of Australian karting with numerous victories in the major events across the country, including three of the last four Rotax Light crowns at the Nationals.

All drivers at this weekend’s Rotax Karting Nationals will be competing aboard 125cc Rotax-powered karts reaching speeds in excess of 100 km/h while racing only centimetres apart on the 1024-metre circuit.

Practice will be held on Friday followed by qualifying on Saturday with the Championship Finals scheduled for Sunday.

The Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway is located on Peter Brock Drive at Eastern Creek.

This weekend’s event kickstarts a double-header of action for karting in the Western Sydney region with Oran Park hosting the New South Wales State Championships the following weekend (October 2-4).