UK Karting - Hoddesdon KC - Club Championship Report

Hoddesdon KC - Club Championship
Race Report

Hoddesdon KC - Club Championship
Summer Series Round 4 - Hoddesdon - 06/10/02

The country was experiencing a mild Indian summer so we expected a fine day for the 4th round of the Summer Series. We were not disappointed and the early cloud gave way to sunshine, although the wind was fresher than of late, but we had ideal conditions for kart racing. We were pleased to welcome old friends of the club, Yvonne and Les Needham, Les of course acting as MSA Steward. Both looked very fit and informed us they were enjoying their retirement but still very active in the Motorsport world. Les now mainly covers the Super Bike Championships, so we were honoured with his presence.

Cadets - As has been customary over the past few rounds, the Club Championship leader, Gary Henderson-Keirle, won all 3 heats and from pole in the final stormed away from the start to lead for all 12 laps and win comfortably. Mario Labetsos challenged early on, but he was in turn challenged by, much improved driver, Matthew Hibberd. Behind Hibberd, Thomas Daniel, Nick Draper and Jack Kemp were having their own private scrap for 4th place. Hibberd wrested 2nd from Labetsos, but the battle raged on when Labetsos re-passed Hibberd to hold station for 5 laps. Meanwhile Draper had squeezed past Daniel and Rhys Malyon overtook Tom Widdowson and challenged Kemp. This little tussle ended with Daniel's outfit expiring on lap 6. As said earlier, Henderson-Keirle took Guy Kilbey's chequered flag for 1st trophy and a last lap sharp move saw Hibberd and Malyon overtake Labetsos for 2nd & 3rd trophies respectively. Jack Kemp led the novices home from Draper, Widdowson and Bobby Griffin. A fine display given by our youngest competitors.

Junior Rotax & Junior VIP - An encouragingly bigger grid this month for Junior Rotax. Heat wins were shared by Ryan Musk (2) and Jason Lees. In the final, Lees got the jump on Musk at the start lights and led him, Matt Lewis, Jack Layton, and Jason Charles around Stadium bend. Coming through the field at this time was our Junior VIP Club Champion and current series leader, Martin Perkins. Lap 4 saw Musk smartly outbrake Lees for the lead, while further down the order, Charles had slipped into 4th place ahead of Layton. Lap 6 saw Perkins (VIP) finally overtake the rest to win his class. At the finishing line, Musk beat Lees and Lewis won the 1st novice prize. A fast and exciting race.

Junior TKM & Yamaha - Heats were won by Patrick Pearce (2) and Tom Hawkins. Oliver Charalampous (Junior Yamaha), enjoyed himself by overtaking the entire field and ran out 1st on the road each time, he managed a repeat performance in the final to easily win his class. Junior TKM, Daniel Whiteside, although only 2nd in all three heats, had done enough to earn pole position and he led round Stadium Bend with Patrick Pearce, Tom Hawkins and Tyron Stephens-Smith, all over him like a dose of measles. Lap three Hawkins smartly outbraked Pearce for 2nd. At the same time further back, Nick Muggleton slipped past Darren Thacker for 6th spot. The scrap at the front continued for several laps, no quarter being asked or given. Whiteside grimly hung on to the lead to run out a fine winner. Pearce's determination saw him pass Hawkins for 2nd trophy, with Stephens-Smith annexing 4th place. Another good demonstration by our Junior drivers.

Formula Libre - Heats won by Angelos Christides (2) and Neil Rodgie. Rodgie took the lead from pole, with Christides seemingly sharing the same kart. These two drew away from Gary Macandrew, Aggie Theo, Mike King, Derrick Straun and William Dyett. Lap 4 Rodgie disappeared into the countryside, not to finish, leaving Christides to take the lead which he never relinquished. A lap later, on the out-field hairpin, Macandrew tried to shut the door on a late overtaking move by Theo, whereupon Macandrew's offside rear tyre pulled the valve out of Theo's nearside front wheel. The resulting flat tyre caused Theo's kart to veer to the left, thereby causing Macandrew to spin out, and his chain to come off so he was unable to continue. The only other events were Dyett's engine expiring on lap 11 (with only 1 lap to go!) and Derrick Straun passing Mike King for 2nd trophy.

Formula Rotax 125 Max & 125 Sport - Heat winners Mike Almond, Chris Eaton and Jason Baker. Gary Freeman had done enough in the heats to be on pole in the final. Alongside him on the front row was Chris Eaton, these two hold the same positions in the Club Championship, so an exciting final was in prospect. Sure enough, away from the lights, Freeman just had the edge from Eaton, closely pursued by Steve Atkins, Jason Baker and Alan Bishop. In the 2nd lap, Mike Almond appeared on the scene leapfrogging Gordon Chenery and Alan Bishop. Two laps later he tangled with Jason Baker and unfortunately neither of them was able to finish. Back at the front, so to speak, Freeman and Eaton had drawn away and Bishop had passed Atkins with a smart move, for 3rd spot.

With three to go, Eaton's pressure paid off and he screamed past Freeman to take the lead and win the premier trophy. Freeman finished inches behind for 2nd, with the final trophies being taken by Bishop and Chenery. In the 125 Sport, Angelos Christides, competing in Libre and the water-cooled class, had to sprint to get into his kart for the final. He worked his way through the field to finish 8th on the road and take 1st prize.

Thus ended a good day's racing yet again at Rye House. Our next meeting on the 3rd November will be the 7th London Cup, followed by the season finale on 1st December. Please phone 020 8281 1141 or 07944 874 123 for an entry form, or visit www.hoddesdonkc.org.uk for details.

Alan G Kilbey

[ Race Results ]

| Results & Reports |
| UK Karting Main Index |


News	Karts & Karting	Notice Board	Market Place	Companies Directory	Tracks Directory	Events Calendar	Race Results	Photo Gallery	Links