SuperChamps - Round Four

Daytona Sandown Park

SODI drivers were the first onto the track for Round Four of the Daytona Sandown Park SuperChamps series GP layout. The Heats format meant that while Practice is always important it wouldn’t determine the grid positions for the Heats. Practice allowed drivers to find the grip alongside other drivers without limiting the opportunity to get a clear Qualifying lap. Harry Banks set the pace with Sarah Telford and Frederic Navarro at the start of the session. Daniel Harman and Indy Welch setting the second and third quickest times in the final moments of the session. With Practice complete the SODI class lined up for their first Heat. A random grid order saw Isaac Burton on pole alongside Sid Stubbings. Third place, Harry Banks received a five second penalty for jumping the start putting a small dampener on what was otherwise a brilliant start by the young driver. Sarah Telford also picked her way through the early race traffic with Frederic Navarro and Morgan Palmer completing the top four. As the race developed Banks was able to stretch his on-track lead from Navarro and Palmer, eventually finishing in third place after his penalty was applied. In the Heavies James Jeram pushed hard to take the win from Michael Herm. In SODI Heat Two the reverse grid set the Lights off down towards the first corner with the Heavy grid following after a short pause. Caesar Chen led the Lights, but it was Dexter Roest who worked his way up the field most impressively over the opening laps. Harry Banks and Indy Welch were absolutely flying once again and thoroughly deserved their top five finishes. Navarro took the win from Welch with Chen and Banks behind. The Heavy grid was equally hard fought, with less than two seconds covering fourth to second. Fabio Sousa won, a relatively substantial six seconds ahead of Michael Herm and James Jeram. For the Final it was Navarro and Banks on the front row of the Lights with Jeram and Herm leading the Heavies away from their grid. Dexter Roest again got away well and was in third position by the end of lap two, being chased hard by Banks behind. Caesar Chen had taken advantage of the first lap squabbles to take the lead and was being put under pressure from Welch in second. As the race progressed Navarro moved forwards, having passed Roest after laps of applied pressure. Roest showed no sign of giving up lightly though and stuck with the group ahead, taking his chance to gain the advantage of the slipstream the others had benefited from. Navarro and Welch darted past Chen with the two swapping places over the following laps, but it was Navarro who managed to keep ahead of Welch, Chen completing the podium.

The pace in the DMAX Practice was strong straight out of the gate, James Lockhart and James Callan the initial fastest. However, it was within the last few laps that it became astonishingly close at the front. Thomas Williams was quickest, by just one thousandth of a second ahead of Callan, himself only a thousandth ahead of third quickest Ellis McKenzie. Less than four tenths separated the top ten drivers, a clear indicator of the high level of driver ability and kart parity of this championship. DMAX Heat One was set to be a high pressure affair as the tiny margins between drivers ensured every inch of track was going to be important. Fastest from Practice, Williams had been randomly assigned to pole position, Ellis McKenzie directly behind him in third. Jeremy Gong and Johnny Frankham worked hard to try and keep up with the WPR duo ahead which resulted in racing that at times got a little too close. McKenzie kept ahead of Williams to take the win, James Callan delivering a consistent performance for third. Mikhail Sitnikov delivered a commanding drive in the Heavies, passing Sam Roy and Jay Peters in the opening laps to win the class from Louie Paterson and Sam Roy. Heat Two had the race winners starting at the back of the grid and it was the third WPR driver, Adam Palmer, who was unfortunate to get tangled up in someone else’s mistake. He dropped to last place on Lap One and began the comeback drive of the season, eventually working his way back up to fifth position. George Blackmore and Cavern Taylor utilised their front row starts well and worked together to build a comfortable gap to the pack behind. It was only in the last third of the race that George Lawlor was able to reel them in, eventually passing the now second place Blackmore. Taylor won the Lights with the train of Lawlor and Blackmore sat on his tail. Louie Paterson and Alfie Shrubb traded places throughout in the Heavies with Paterson taking the lead in the last few laps to secure the win by less than a second. Mikhail Sitnikov holding off Ryan Hailey and Sam Roy for third. As the Final grid leapt away from the start line George Lawlor kept held a defensive position through the opening corners which allowed him to secure a lead over Williams which he continued to build on throughout the race distance. As the race pressed on James Callan and Adam Palmer moved forwards and began to apply pressure to Thomas, the former passing him with five laps to spare. Sienna Greene and Cavern Taylor both mounted strong attacks throughout the race, halving their starting positions. Alfie Shrubb mirrored Lawlor’s performance in the Lights, leading a dominant romp to the chequered flag of the Heavies. It was a far closer affair for second place, less than a second between Sitnikov and Paterson throughout the entire race distance, both of them just up the road from Hailey and Prakesh.

SODI Lights Standings

SODI Heavies Standings

DMAX Lights Standings

DMAX Heavies Standings

Daytona Milton Keynes

Heat One set the tone early in the SODI Lights class, where the margins were razor thin. Just two and a half tenths covered the top three, with Lewis Bowey emerging on top after a perfectly judged run. Dominic Fleming pushed him all the way but had to settle for second, while Aston Tempany-McColm was right in the mix, only a tenth further back in third. It was a fierce opening battle that hinted at more to come. In the Heavies, Charlie Fenton wasted no time asserting control. Pulling clear of the pack, he secured victory by a commanding three-second margin. Behind him, Harry Fenton drove a solid race to claim second, while Chris Whyles completed the podium in third. SODI Heat Two saw a shift in momentum in the Lights category. Jacob Heaver-Newton delivered a dominant performance, crossing the line 1.8 seconds ahead of Bowey, who added another strong result to his tally in second. Ethan Steng rounded out the top three with a composed drive. Meanwhile, in the Heavies, it was once again Charlie Fenton who led the way, doubling up with another win. Lee Robson stepped up to take second place, while Chris Whyles remained consistent, securing his second third-place finish of the day. The SODI Final belonged to Aston Tempany-McColm. After battling his way into the lead, he turned the race into a masterclass, stretching out an impressive seven-second gap to the rest of the field. Zachary Smith took a well-earned second place, while Benjamin Barath claimed third to round out the podium. In the Heavies Final, the fight for victory was one of the highlights of the day. Harry Fenton and Charlie Fenton went head-to-head throughout, with the former eventually edging ahead to take the win. Charlie Fenton held on for second, while Floyd Gay secured third place after a strong showing.

In the DMAX category, the Lights class Heat One saw Adam Hawtin dominate proceedings, finishing three seconds clear of the field. Harrison Line followed in second, while Maxwell Khudyakov claimed third in a tight finish, just nine-hundredths separating him from fourth. In the Heavies, Peter Stockwin delivered an equally commanding performance, finishing four seconds ahead of the pack. Harry Thrower took second place, with David Line completing the podium in third. DMAX Heat Two brought some of the closest racing of the day in the Lights. Jacob Csepreghi edged out the win by just three-tenths, while Dawid Sniezko and Rocco Wain battled intensely for second. Sniezko ultimately came out on top, leaving Wain to take third. In the Heavies, Harry Thrower turned the tables on Stockwin, taking victory by just four-tenths in a closely fought contest. David Line once again showed consistency to finish third. The DMAX Final capped off the event in style. Dawid Sniezko claimed the win after a controlled and confident drive, finishing seven-tenths ahead of Csepreghi. Adam Hawtin added another podium to his day in third, just four-tenths further back. In the Heavies Final, the battle between Stockwin and Thrower resumed, delivering another thrilling contest. This time, Stockwin came out on top, securing the victory, while Thrower had to settle for second after pushing hard throughout.

SODI Lights Standings

SODI Heavies Standings

DMAX Lights Standings

DMAX Heavies Standings

Daytona Tamworth

As we approached the halfway mark in the season, thirty-two drivers across four classes set to battle it out through the morning at Daytona Tamworth SuperChamps Round Four. On the International layout, the Heats format was the format of the day and there were some superb matchups throughout the field.

Familiar faces dominated the first two Heats of the day in the N35-ST, but it was Noah Johnson who seemed to have the number of the rest of the field by the end of the two Heats. Three other drivers joined him at the front of the field in these races; Theo Laverty, Harry Fitch, and Leonidas Platanopoulos all showed imperious pace and set themselves up to have a strong chance in the Final.  As for the Heavyweights, there were also three main protagonists. Mckenzie Senior and James Stevenson, the two primary championship contenders, found themselves winning respective Heats, but knew they would have some competition from the likes of Lucas Karcol and Anthony French. A chaotic Final followed, with a number of penalties effecting the race order. In the Lightweights, Harry Fitch had a competitive battle with Theo Laverty, eventually winning by just a second. However, neither driver was the fastest of the field, that honour went to Leonidas Platanopoulos, who should be delighted with third place after an overall impressive round display. The Heavyweight class was won by Lucas Karcol, who managed a two second gap to Anthony French in second, the two of them picking up good points for their mounting championship challenge. They were joined on the podium by Dylan Morrall, who was only a second back from the leading pair at the line.

Luke Mallard and James Estrop both mounted a fierce challenge in the DMAX Heavyweight Heats. The two star drivers tied on points in the two races, setting up a fascinating final. There was relative dominance in the Lightweights, where a first and second placed finish helped Jake Garret take pole position, locking horns throughout the morning with championship contender Harry Thomas. Heading into the Final, Garret and Thomas battled once again, the pair virtually inseparable in a thoroughly enthralling display of racing over the fifteen minutes. Just five-tenths of a second separated the two as the chequered flag flew, Thomas taking a particularly narrow victory. The battle for third was as impressive, as Will Kenny and Reuben Potter found themselves separated by just three-tenths of a second at the line. Between the two of them, we saw a beautiful display of clean racing where Potter managed to just edge in front at the line. Mallard who won in the Heavyweight class, despite James Estrop in second taking the fastest lap, albeit by a single tenth of a second. The gap between the drivers was two seconds, which in a race like this was a decisive margin. Keelan Arnold held on to third ahead of Stuart Corr.

N35-ST Lights Standings

N35-ST Heavies Standings

DMAX Lights Standings

DMAX Heavies Standings

Masters League - Round Five

Daytona Sandown Park

Masters League Round Five at Daytona Sandown Park delivered another close and competitive night of racing across both SODI and DMAX classes. Tight Qualifying sessions set the tone, with small margins separating drivers across the grids. That intensity carried into the races, producing strong battles and consistent performances throughout. SODI Qualifying in the Inters saw Reece Harris set the pace with a strong lap to secure pole position, just edging out Diogo Leal and Arun Sharma in a very close top three. In the Heavies, Henry Moore came out on top with a narrow advantage over Andy Clarke and Junior Bruno, with the top drivers closely matched on pace heading into the main event. The Inters Sprint Race delivered a tight fight at the front, with Reece Harris converting pole into victory after a controlled drive under pressure. He was pushed all the way by Arun Sharma, who finished less than half a second behind in a very close finish. Jordan Forbes completed the podium with a solid drive, keeping himself within reach of the front two while maintaining consistency across the race distance. Diogo Leal, despite starting near the front, dropped to fourth but remained competitive throughout. Meanwhile, Jack French and Huw McIntosh battled closely further down the order. In the Heavies, Piers Bate took victory with a strong and consistent performance, managing the race well to stay clear at the front. Henry Moore secured second place after starting from pole, while Junior Bruno completed the podium with another solid drive. Andy Clarke, despite showing strong pace, including one of the quickest laps in class, had to settle for fourth. Further down the field, Martin Strutt and Jordan Reid completed the finishers.

Qualifying in the DMAX Inters saw William Jonkler take pole position, edging out Liam Duffett by just three-tenths of a second in a closely fought skirmish at the front. In the Heavies, Adam Nakar secured pole, with Warren Gomm close behind. The battle for the top spots was extremely tight, with Gomm narrowly ahead of Benny Reid and James Roberts by just a couple of tenths, highlighting how competitive the class was heading into the following session. The Inters Sprint Race produced a dramatic and close fight for victory. Ultimately, Liam Duffett came out on top after an intense battle, taking the win by just four-tenths of a second ahead of William Jonkler in one of the closest finishes of the day. Tom Brown secured third place with a solid and consistent drive, keeping himself on the podium, despite a ten second penalty from an incident early on. John Reeves and Oleg Todua rounded out the top five, both delivering steady performances in a tightly contested midfield. Further back, the field remained competitive with close lap times throughout, showing strong consistency across the grid. In the Heavies, Adam Nakar converted pole into victory with a controlled drive, managing the gap to those behind across the race distance. Warren Gomm followed in second, maintaining close proximity but unable to mount a decisive challenge for the lead. James Roberts completed the podium with a consistent performance, while Jay Peters and Benny Reid rounded out the top five after solid drives. Overall, the round showcased the depth and competitiveness of the Masters League field, with drivers utilising both pace and consistency to succeed. Close racing across all classes made for an exciting event from start to finish. The next round takes place on May 5th, where the championship battles will continue.

SODI Inters Standings

SODI Heavies Standings

DMAX Inters Standings

DMAX Heavies Standings

Results:

Daytona Tamworth

Daytona Milton Keynes

Daytona Sandown Park

Jamie Chadwick Series

Photos:

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