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Brad Jenner finished the fourth round of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship at Coffs Harbour today as Champion elect in the X30 category – his fifth career title – and made the shock announcement that this will be his last season racing karts.
Ending the Coffs Harbour event with a 105 point advantage with the final event to be conducted September 1-2 at Melbourne’s Oakleigh circuit, Jenner has enough points to not be beaten this year.
In his remarkable career, Jenner – an electrician by trade – has three Australian karting titles in the X30 category and two further Australian Championships in Rotax competition – a similar, 125cc water-cooled engine powered category.
In a huge shock to the karting industry, in celebrating his Championship on social media he announced that it was ‘a truly incredible way to end my karting career.’
It was a landmark weekend with it being the first SP Tools Australian Kart Championship for the JND Racing team formed at the end of last year by Nick Percat in association with renowned karters, Jake Spencer and Daniel Rochford.
Percat couldn’t be at Coffs Harbour, as he was in Sydney participating his 150th Supercars event as a driver and in turn, his team, Matt Stone Racing , its 200th race. His fiance, Bayley acted in her role as “CEO” (Percat’s words) in running the team as she has done through three of the four rounds this year. He celebrated the win on the Supercars top 10 shootout telecast, giving Jenner a shoutout and declaring the JND win gave him a ‘very good Sunday already.’
The only race Jenner won all weekend was the final. His closest rival – reigning Australian Champion, Jace Matthews took pole position and every heat race and when Jenner got to second after being pushed back to fifth off the start, Queenslander Matthews held a 2.2 second lead. Matthews was hell bent on doing everything to taking the title challenge to a decider, however was unable to hang on in the end.
The Australian KZ2 gearbox title is alive with a round to go with season long leader, Joshua Fife having his title lead sliced to just four points. Fife ran off track on the first lap while trying to get past his rival, Sam Dicker at turn two. The move saw him spear off the circuit, returning down the order. Dicker ended up on the podium with Fife fighting back to finish in fourth position.
Sydneysider, Leon Cordato became a first up AKC and KZ2 winner, chasing down West Aussie Nik Mitic and getting by him late in the race. With severe tyre wear afflicting Cordato, Mitic got in front as they approached the final lap, only to outbrake himself, which gave Cordato what he needed to take an emotional win.
Cordato’s brother, Lewis had a tough weekend in the top junior category, KA2, losing his title lead in the final to Queenslander, Isaac McNeill. The duo were locked on points heading into the final, McNeill won, but Cordato was impressive charging from ninth to finish second.
Harrison Hoey’s great weekend continued in TaG 125, extending the title lead he established yesterday from 15 to 20 points winning the final over his now closest rival in Jacob Dowson.
The KA3 Senior title sees Mika Lemasurier leave Coffs Harbour with a 46 point advantage over William Thompson. Thompson took advantage of an on-track crash that eliminated two contenders – Christian Estasy and Dominic Penman – through finished third behind Max Walton, who was on a KA3 cameo.
KA3 Junior will be a tense affair in Melbourne. Queenslander – Jack Szewczuk – who left the Percat-led JND team for Empire Kartsport between rounds – won in comfortable fashion and has a 48 point lead in the Championship – but what he doesn’t have is time.
He will turn 16 before the final event and therefore too old to compete as a junior, meaning he cannot take part in the category. He’ll have to nervously watch from the sidelines.
Isaac McNeill (who competes in two categories) had the opportunity to close into a more comfortable position to chase down the KA3J category, however a last lap move on Ayce Buckley (son of Collingwood AFL legend, Nathan) saw him drop down to sixth place at the finish, costing Buckley his first ever AKC podium and McNeill many points.
Victorian Archie Bristow has established a stranglehold on the Cadet 12 category, heading to the final round with a 61 point lead, while Oliver Williamson opened his Cadet 9 series lead to 29 points.
Coffs Harbour provided plenty of commotion by the ocean for the second to last round for the 2024 SP Tools Australian Kart Championship.
The final round of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship, presented by Castrol will be held at the Oakleigh Kart Club outside Melbourne over the weekend of August 31-September 2.
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Commotion by the Ocean in Coffs Harbour – SP Tools Australian Kart Championship Round 4:
