Top End Titles On The Line This Weekend

24 June 2010

Aspiring kart racers from various parts of the country have arrived in Darwin ahead of the Northern Territory Championships to be held at the Hidden Valley Karting complex this weekend.

In excess of 120 entries have been received for the event, split across a variety of categories with the youngest drivers competing in the Midgets class. It is in this category, along with the Rookies and Junior classes, where the lessons these boys and girls learn about car control and driving techniques well before they are old enough to obtain their road licence are just as important as winning.

The Rookies class, where drivers are aged between 10 and 12 years of age, will be the largest field to assemble for the championships. Youngsters Thomas Maxell, Bryce Fullwood, Kyle Onn, Jordan Smith and Matthew Sealy will be flying the local flag against the interstate invasion.

Rockhampton's Elle Brydon. Pic: photowagon.com.au

For a number of the travelling competitors this weekend’s championship marks the middle stint of an 8000km round trip after competing in round three of the CIK Stars of Karting Series in Sydney last weekend, the Northern Territory Championships this weekend and the Queensland State Championships in Mackay next weekend.

Rockhampton’s Elle Brydon along with Chris Corbett from Grafton are two such drivers who are completing the triple race weekend.

“Karting is a sport that provides you with a lot of opportunities and travelling to a variety of parts of the country is just one of those opportunities,” said Brydon.

“I’ll be racing in three different states across three weekends, on three very different tracks – it’s all pretty exciting.

“This will be my first time racing in Darwin, everyone has been telling me how good the event is – both on and off the track. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Practice for the championships began today and will continue tomorrow ahead of qualifying on Saturday with the championship finals to be held on Sunday.

NORTHERN TERRITORY STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26/27 - Darwin, NT

Entry List

MIDGETS

Samuel Boley
Kasey Fullwood
Brock Kenny
Alison Lamb
Brandon Elliott
Kale Quinlan
Josh Wood
Thomas Lamb
Dillon Hovey
Jake Kostecki
Alec Morse
Zane Morse

ROOKIES

Jake Downs
Thomas Maxwell
Jordan McGregor
Chad Pittard
Stefan Stankovic
Brock Boley
Bryce Fullwood
Joshua Buggy
Kyle Onn
Jordan Smith
Jayden Meckenstock
Kurt Kostecki
Matthew Sealy
Christopher Sandrone
Will Hawkes
Jake Smith
Liam McLellan

JUNIOR NATIONAL LIGHT

Justin Francis
Damon Strongman
Jake Klein
Jesse Elliott
Aidan Wright
Nicholas Rowe
Erin Barker
Michael Potter
Joseph Burton-Harris
Troy Morrissey
James Allen
Matthew Grant
Brodie Green
Nathan Norman
Chris Corbett

JUNIOR NATIONAL HEAVY

Ryan Johnstone
Sarah Driscoll
Todd Hazelwood
Nicholas Rowe
Michael Moore
Adam Hughes
Simon Hodge
Jack Dalton
James Allen
Brody Noonan
Matthew McLellan
Dale Corbett

JUNIOR CLUBMAN

Lucas Ward
Jesse Elliott
Aidan Wright
Todd Hazelwood
Simon Hodge
Jack Dalton

CLUBMAN LIGHT

Nicholas Ellen
Nicholas Holmes-Karavas
Michelle Attard
Ashley Quiddington
Royce Nott
Sebastian Tolson
Nathan Davis
Ben Stewart
Brodie Morris
Magdelaine Breed
Stevie-Rae Green
Kevin Norman
Abbey Kellie

CLUBMAN HEAVY

Mitchell Cuzens
William Mackenzie
Rhett Noonan
Boe Beauglehole
Kip Foster
Kevin Fenton
Daniel Leather
Nathan Burgess
Elle Brydon
Dylan Jupe
Craig Willis
Julian Laws
Craig Stauner
Paul Pittam

CLUBMAN SUPER HEAVY

Phillip Straughen
Brett Jenkin
Ashley Pittard
Thomas Janusz
Joshua Herne
Ashley Hounsfield
Jake Meyer
Eric Smith

LEOPARD LIGHT

Rhett Noonan
Lachlan Gear
Royce Nott
John Grother
Tim Driscoll
Filipe Lino
Christopher Smith
David O'Dowd
Paul Pittam

ROTAX LIGHT

Nicholas Ellen
Damian Ward
David O'Dowd
Nathan Davis
David Whitmore
Jason Hounsfield
Shannah Robinson
Joshua De Maio
Wendy O'Dowd