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Thursday Night League, Round Six
Daytona Milton Keynes
Round Six of the Thursday Night League got underway with the SODI karts taking to a relatively dry but cool circuit. Adam Pughe stamped his authority early, topping the Lightweight qualifying times. Just behind him was Jacob Csepreghi, with Noah Willis showing strong pace to round out the top three. Over in the Heavyweights, David Rollins laid down a commanding lap to take pole, sitting three-tenths clear of Ben Swabey in second. Michael Bowles slotted into third, though he was a further five-tenths off Rollins’ pace.
The SODI final got off to a clean start, but it wasn’t plain sailing for everyone. David Rollins had a poor opening lap, dropping positions and finding himself working hard to recover. Meanwhile, Pughe took full advantage of his pole position and immediately began to stretch his legs out front. Barry Morris also got a strong start, latching onto the back of Pughe as the two quickly gapped the rest of the field.
As the race settled into a rhythm, Pughe maintained a solid pace and kept the gap steady to Morris behind. The pair worked together to build a sizeable cushion to third-placed Charlie Csepreghi, who was left battling with Noah Willis, the two of them nearly four seconds off the leaders. Rollins, meanwhile, was mounting his recovery in the Heavyweight class, picking off drivers steadily as he tried to claw his way back to the podium positions.
At the chequered flag, Pughe took a well-earned victory in the SODI Lights, finishing 1.7 seconds ahead of Morris, with Csepreghi completing the podium. In the Heavyweights, despite his early setback, Rollins’ pace wasn’t enough to reclaim the top step, but he did limit the damage. Final standings saw Rollins classified fourth place, with Ash Chivers taking the top step from fourth on the grid. Swabey and Bowles rounding out the Heavyweight podium.
In DMAX qualifying, the headlines belonged to Heavyweight driver Ashley Mayston-King, who shocked the grid by topping the overall times, outpacing not only his class rivals but also the entire field. Robert Bannister and James Peace locked out the rest of the Heavy top three but were over a second behind the rapid Mayston-King.
The Lightweight battle in DMAX was incredibly tight, with Adam Hawtin just pipping James King by a single hundredth of a second. Dawid Sniezko claimed third in class by the narrowest of margins, just seven-thousandths ahead of Mark Wiley-Mackay in fourth.
But the race was a different story entirely. From the moment the lights went out, Stankowiak was on the charge, setting the fastest lap of the race and immediately slicing through the midfield. At the front, Hawtin and King were locked in a race-long duel, breaking away from the rest of the pack in the opening stages. But by the halfway mark, Stankowiak had already closed the gap and joined the lead battle.
With five laps to go, it became a three-way shootout for the win. Stankowiak dispatched Hawtin with a clinical move before locking into a wheel-to-wheel battle with King. The two traded places in the final laps, but it was Stankowiak who emerged victorious, beating King to the line by just three-tenths of a second. Hawtin crossing in third after a hard-fought race.
In the DMAX Heavyweight class, it was a dominant lights-to-flag performance from Mayston-King, who finished a colossal 12.5 seconds clear of Bannister in second. Peace rounded out the podium in third, unable to close the gap to the front but holding his position under pressure from behind.
Daytona Sandown Park
Thursday Night League returned to Daytona Sandown Park for Round Six, the drivers ready to tackle our Grand Prix layout. After an exciting set of opening rounds, anticipation was high for yet another morning full of excitement.
Pole Position in the DMAX went the way of Archie Bullard with a 46.740. Antonio Sholin lined up alongside him in second place, just a tenth behind. Row two was made up of Ashton Woolger and Frederick Burden, the pair separated by only 0.001.
The DMAX race delivered it's usual share of excitement and unpredictability. Bullard started well, pulling a gap out front with the rest fighting behind. Adam Palmer hit trouble on the opening lap, shaking up the early running order and dropping right to the back. Out front, the Sholin train began to form, with Ellis Mckenzie and Callum Bendelow right in the mix as they made their way through the pack. Another fight which caught the crowds attention in the closing stages was between Max Sheldon-Heywood and Jack Redfern, the pair fighting it out over 6th. Archie Bullard took a dominant win by over six seconds, leading every lap from Pole. Antonio Sholin held off the competition to take P2 ahead of Ellis Mckenzie in P3. The Heavyweight class win went the way of Ike Wilson, who had Warren Gomm and Marcus Moore for company on the podium.
In the SODI class, Felix Heywood-Taylor took pole position with a 51.366 ahead of Tim Love in 2nd. Row Two lay siege to Charlie Bradstock and Haidyn Janicke, both eager to move forward early on.
The SODI group kicked off with drama from the outset, as a Lap One crash at Turn Three shook up the order. Felix Sheldon-Taylor quickly established himself as the driver to beat, steadily pulling away from the pack. Matthew Turner was the only one able to stay within striking distance, the two setting a fierce pace out front. Meanwhile, the midfield action was relentless, with multiple contact warnings being handed out as the intensity ramped up. The fight for the final podium spot became one of the standout battles of the race, featuring Louie Paterson, Tim Love, and Charlie Bradstock locked in a thrilling three-way contest for third. After 23 laps completed, it was Felix Heywood-Taylor who took the flag in 1st. Matthew Turner came across the line in 2nd ahead of Louie Patterson 3rd. This however, would change around post-race, with Heywood-Taylor coming in underweight. This promoted Turner to the win, along with Paterson 2nd and Charlie Bradstock being promoted up onto the podium in 3rd. Reece Harris took victory in the Heavyweight class, after a dominate race, with James Krestovnikoff finishing in 2nd.
Round Six lived up to the usual expectations that Thursday Night League at Sandown Park brings. Drama and battles across the field in both SODI and DMAX classes providing some epic racing. The grid returns to Daytona Sandown Park on the 23rd of October for Round Seven.
Daytona Tamworth
InKart, Round Three
Daytona Milton Keynes
Round Three of Inkart Season Two got underway at Daytona Milton Keynes on a cold October morning, with the threat of rain lingering in the air, adding an extra edge of unpredictability to the day’s action.
Group One were the first to hit the circuit for their 15-minute practice session, and it was Rayaan Malik who led the way in the Junior category, but only just. Malik was under half a tenth clear of Jacob Noble, while Reuben Crudgington sat a further tenth back in third. In the Cadet class, Charlie Marden edged out Jack Dowding by an almost imperceptible 0.005 seconds, the pair setting an early tone for an extremely close fight. Joshua Pink rounded out the top three, albeit half a second down on the leading duo by the end of the practice.
As the green light signalled the start of qualifying, it was Jacob Noble who struck first in the Juniors, finding over two and a half tenths on his rivals to top the session. Dominik Gulbis secured second place with a solid lap, just ahead of Zachary Wright in third. Meanwhile, Marden was back on top in the Cadets, continuing his form from practice. He held a tenth over Dowding, who again slotted into second, with Ryan Cafferkey completing the top three.
The second group soon took to the track, and the Junior field saw a dominant display from Nathaniel Garai, who was over half a second clear of the rest in practice and extended that margin in qualifying. Garai topped the times again, this time by more than seven-tenths, with Charlie Wiltshire taking second and Arel Kesimgil just behind in third. In the Cadet category, Oliver Catchpole looked untouchable, finishing nearly four-tenths clear in practice and comfortably quickest in qualifying too, with Teddy Mullan his closest challenger. Leo Sibthorpe took third, two-tenths adrift of Mullan.
With the grid now fully set, the B-Final got underway, with Eduard Mihal Dorofte on Junior pole and Amelia Alice-Barreau heading the Cadets. Mihal Dorofte made the most of his starting position, building a comfortable gap early on, but as the laps ticked down, Dominic Flemming began closing in after a storming drive from further back. Despite the pressure, Dorofte held on to take the win, securing him a place in the A-Final. In the Cadet field, Alice-Barreau was pushed all the way by a relentless Joshua Pink but kept her composure to claim victory and a well-earned promotion.
The A-Final was where the drama truly kicked off. As the rain started to fall, Garai and Noble both got lightning starts in the Junior field, instantly locking into a tight scrap for the top step of the podium. In Cadets, Catchpole’s hopes took a hit as he was swamped at the start, losing out first to Marden and then to Mullan, dropping him out of the podium positions in the opening corners.
A mid-race incident involving the B-Final Cadet promotion and Jed Koza brought out the yellow flags and briefly paused the action, but once racing resumed, it was all about the front three in Juniors. Garai, Noble, and Kesimgil pulled clear of the chasing pack, carving out a 15-second lead to P4 and delivering a masterclass in close but clean racing.
In the Cadets, Leo Sibthorpe mounted an impressive charge from the midfield, eventually emerging in the lead battle with Marden, Dowding, and Townshend. As Catchpole slipped down the order, Sibthorpe seized his chance, making decisive moves to take control of the race.
At the flag, it was a deserved win for Sibthorpe in the Cadets and a commanding performance from Garai to secure the Junior victory. However, with several post-race penalties under review for yellow flag infringements, the final standings were under discussion following the chequered flag.
Daytona Sandown Park
InKart at Daytona Sandown Park returned for Round Three, the drivers ready to take on yet another unfamiliar layout. Round Three saw the grid take on Double Chicane, a fun layout, providing tight chicanes and plenty of new overtaking opportunities. After an exciting set of opening rounds, anticipation was high for yet another thriller.
The opening session saw the drivers from Group One head out onto circuit. The drivers learning a circuit not a single one of them have driven before. Adam Telford set the fastest lap of the group, scoring a 40.990, putting him on pole position for the A-Final. George Pitch responded, setting a lap that put him 2nd in Group One, just a couple tenths back from Telford. Milan Pilay and Daniel Harman reached be 3rd and 4th in group. Hadi Chaudry was the quickest Cadet in Group One, setting a 42.762. Putting him on pole for the A-Final. Lucio Vaval in turn was second quickest just a tenth back.
Group Two then ventured out onto circuit for their practice/qualifying session. Daniel Mcnally topped Group Two in the Juniors with a 41.248 - enough to see him start the A-Final from pole position. He was joined by Daniel Marutyak, who set the second quickest time in Group Two. Desmond Bryan set the fastest lap of Group Two in the Cadets, scoring a 42.811. Ethan Davis was the second quickest Cadet in group, just a couple of tenths back and narrowly ahead of Frank Mehlberg.
The B-Final was full of tension and unpredictability from the very start. Early on, Noah Furdean found himself stuck at the first chicane on lap two, bringing in yellows and tightening up the field. Plenty of warnings and penalties went out early on, with Troy Edwards picking up one for contact early on. At the sharp end, the lead battle in the Juniors was fierce, with Oliver Whitaker, Kiran Lemacon and Harvey Standfeild swapping positions and pushing the limits in every corner. Just as the fight was reaching its peak, the race was red flagged, forcing a brief stoppage and reshuffle. When racing resumed, the Junior lead battle continued to the flag. Oliver Whitiker took the win ahead of Kiran Lemacon and Harvey Standfeild in 2nd and 3rd. Ejay Barrs-James took the win in the Cadet class, joined by Teddy Cogbill and Thomas Gulliver on the podium.
The A-Final kept the excitement rolling with a dramatic start as Adam Telford was flagged for a jump start, immediately putting him on the back foot. The early laps were packed with incidents; Sully Khan suffered a spin that shuffled the midfield, allowing others to seize valuable ground. Despite his early setback, Telford charged back through the pack, showing impressive pace and determination to reclaim his spot at the front. Daniel Harman had a standout performance to make his way to the front in the closing stages. Harman and Telford, along with Daniel Mcnally, would fight it out for the win. The trio taking the flag just over a second apart. But after penalties it was Daniel Harman who took 1st ahead of Daniel Mcnally 2nd and Adam Telford in 3rd after his penalty. Lucio Vaval took the win in the Cadets by over 2 seconds. Ethan Davis brought it home in 2nd ahead of Hadi Chaudry who rounded out the podium.
It was an epic round of InKart once again here at Daytona Sandown Park. Drivers across both classes put on an epic show. We look forward to having the drivers back for Round Four on November 2nd, as we move onto our Alternate Layout.
Daytona Tamworth
We returned to the Grand Prix layout for Inkart at Daytona Tamworth, where our drivers took on the Heats format over the course of the morning.
In the Cadet Heats, Hugo Macmilan was the most consistent driver, taking pole for the final with two top-three finishes from his two Heats. Logan Staunton and Freya Lally had poorer finishes, falling short of P1 in their respective Heats battles, in turn allowing Macmilan to take top spot.
In the Junior Heats, the lap record was broken on two separate occasions - one time by final pole sitter Zachary Smith, and the other by Reuben Potter. It was Smith who took pole after a stunning drive in a wet second Heat while Jayden Steatham and Tyler Shanks followed to make up the remainder of podium positions.
In the Final, just nine-tenths of a second separated the top two in the Cadet class after a very rainy final. It was almost an exact repeat of Jamie Chadwick Series just seven days ago, though this time Jess Kirby took victory ahead of long time rival Freya Lally - just nine-tenths between them. They were by far the class of the field, as other drivers struggled to adapt to the conditions, but Hugo Macmilan's consistency still shone through as it had done in the Heats - taking the final podium spot.
Dominance was the story of the day in an attritional Junior race, as the rain started to pour even heavier than before. Zachary Smith was the victor, with the fastest lap of the race on his way to a fifty-three second victory ahead of Harry Kennedy. They were joined on the podium by Jayden Steatham, who spent much of the race in a battle with Rhys Kings.
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For all Daytona Championship photos and more, please click here.