Sam Dicker has hauled himself to a second consecutive SP Tools Australian Kart Championship, presented by Castrol at Oakleigh outside Melbourne after entering the grand final weekend in second position, while Isaac McNeill became the first driver in the 10-year AKC era to be Champion in both Junior categories.
In the KZ2 Gearbox category, Dicker was four points behind double Australian Champion, Josh Fife and then systematically went on a pointscoring spree to enter the 25 point final with a 14 point lead.
Fife quickly got to the lead in the point-per-lap finale with Dicker in behind. The West Australian would have no answer for the charging Fife who had to rely on Dicker falling down the order.
The Australian Champion waved through fellow West Aussie, Nik Mitic late in the race to secure third in the Championship for Mitic.
For Isaac McNeill, the worst position he finished all weekend was second across 10 races. The remarkable form from the Queenslander saw him secure both the premier KA2 and the KA3 Junior titles – the first time such a feat had been completed.
KA3 Junior saw him beat home Ayce Buckley – the son of AFL legend Nathan – who took his first AKC podium.
In KA2, Ky Burke earned third in the Championship by finishing second, while Sam March doubled up from his earlier KA3 Junior podium to claim the bronze in KA2 as well.
After a torrid weekend, Mika Lemasurier won his first Australian Title in the KA3 Senior category. Lemasurier – who next week heads to Europe for the World Titles in England – was able to secure the Australia #1 through a sixth placed finish in the final.
That 20-lap race was won by Max Walton over Amos Orr and relative veteran, Jace Matthews.
Last year’s KA2 Champion, Walton, would also win X30, which bookended his season with finals victories in that category after beating home a charging Pip Casabene – who won KA3 Junior last year – and Central Coast, NSW racer, Harrison Mitchell – who drove down Brad Jenner, who will be awarded his fifth and final Australian Championship tonight.
Harrison Hoey doubled up in TaG 125, but that wasn’t without a fright. Entering the final he had a 23 point advantage over Jacob Dowson. The South Australian had to win the final and rely on Hoey falling out or scoring no more than one point.
The duo almost collided early coming through the super-fast second to last corner side by side – with Hoey putting a scare through the Parolin camp going for a high-speed excursion off the track. He re-joined having lost many spots, however had enough in the bank to secure the title with a third placed finish.
Dowson won from Jackson Souslin-Harlow who did enough to earn third in the title race.
Both Cadet Australian Champion-elects went on to place a marker on their title wins through winning their respective finals.
Archie Bristow won Cadet 12 from Cooper Folley and Oscar Singh; while Oliver Williamson won Cadet 9 from Jarvis Hindle and Lucas Loeskow – after he started the weekend with a last placed heat race finish following a string of penalties – the podium earning him a top three Championship finish.
Tonight, the Champions will be crowned at the Australian Kart Championship Gala. The Gala will be livestreamed free from 7pm on the Australian Kart Championship Facebook page.
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