MELBOURNITES COME TO THE FORE IN COOL ROTAX PRO TOUR HEATS
June 5, 2010: It was a case of déjà vu for the Rotax Pro Tour competitors today at Melbourne’s Todd Road circuit, with the changeable weather conditions they left in Canberra resurfacing for this weekend’s event. The weather didn’t hamper Melbourne drivers, Anton dePasquale and Paul Mapperson who have dominated Junior Max Light and Rotax Over 35s proceedings respectively.
After qualifying on the front row alongside leading light, Joseph Mawson, dePasquale has shown the field a clean pair of heels in today’s three races. The differing conditions have provided mixed results, which sets up for a jumbled pre-final starting grid tomorrow.
Others to impress in the class include CRG’s Pierce Lehane and Top Gun Racing’s Jonathan Venter, meantime Michael Stewart, Mawson, Liam Morey and Renee Gracie have shown flashes of brilliance. Simon Hodge in the PD Kartsport machine qualified in 18th, but has shown amazing race pace, finishing toward the front in all races.
Mapperson has been outstanding on his home circuit, picking up where he left off at last year’s Melbourne Rotax Pro Tour event, taking all three heats. His closest competition could come from either Steven Johnson or Hamish Leighton, which will be weather dependent. Frank Falla was impressive, however a decision to roll the dice on slicks in heat two didn’t pay off.
The star-packed Rotax Light has been difficult to get a read on, with differing conditions for the two heats this afternoon. Their third heat (along with Rotax Heavy) has been held over until tomorrow morning after light conditions deteriorated. Josh DeMaio and David Sera shared heat victories, whilst Troy Woolston, Luke Rochford and Tyler Greenbury are looking menacing. The cagey Bart Price could well spring a surprise tomorrow when it comes down to Final time. Dean Monik and David Whitmore were also strong.
If it’s wet tomorrow, put your money on Kyle Ensbey to take the gold in Rotax DD2. Backing up his heat two win, in torrential conditions this afternoon, the Queensland based Kaos Karting driver smashed the field, finishing over 20 seconds in front of his nearest competitor. He was absolutely supreme, consistently over a second faster than his nearest competitor.
Damian Ward in the Pacific Kartsport machine was the pole-sitter and duly won the first heat. The battle for minors between Travis Millar, Jim Beam Racing’s Daniel Baker, Brinley Gread and David Whitmore will be well worth watching, whilst Christopher Hays has plenty of work to do after retiring from heat three.
Sydney-sider, Michael Saller took the biggest heat win of his career in Junior Max Heavy, dominating after the heavens opened on lap one of the first heat. He drove the best on slick tyres to take the win. The second heat saw him finish fourth after a blistering start. Rotax Pro Tour standout, lady racer, Jaymee Frampton took a dominant win from Dale Corbett (the only driver on slick tyres) and Ben Cooper. Lachlan Marshall put in a superb performance to win the final heat from Frampton, Corbett and Alex Griffiths.
Today’s Rotax Heavy heats – taken out by Aaron Rintoul and Jason Pringle give little indication to form. Simon Meyer finished heat two (conducted on slicks on a wet racetrack) in fifth after starting 21st, Dan Stein came home in that heat second. Reece Broady, Ash Pollard and Luke Andalord looked quick on occasion. Jason Pringle was playing strategy by backing off in heat one to save his wets should it be damp tomorrow. His brother, Rick was also quick after qualifying third.
Tomorrow will kick off with the final 14 lap heat for Rotax Light and Heavy, then Pre-Finals and Finals for all classes will take place.
Competitors are hoping for more consistent weather, after the dry to damp to torrential conditions today, where the mercury barely rose above 12 degrees.

GREENBURY/SERA RIVALRY STEPS UP A GEAR AT ROTAX PRO TOUR III
JUNE 6, 2010: The rivalry between David Sera and Tyler Greenbury has gone up another notch at the Rotax Pro Tour event at Melbourne’s Todd Road, with the two colliding on the final lap, Greenbury emerging the victor on the Melbournite’s home turf – after Sera crossed the line first.
Sera led the Rotax Light final from the beginning, his Arrow kart shadowed by the Subway Restaurants Tony Kart. Despite the lead being out to eight kart lengths at one stage, Greenbury closed the gap, bumping the rear crash bar of the Australian Champion with five laps to go.
Greenbury had superior pace in a straight line and Sera opened the door on the final lap, making an uncharacteristic mistake exiting turn one.  Greenbury got past, only to have Sera push him wide at turn three and re-take the lead. Whilst Sera crossed the line first, officials reversed the result post-race declaring Greenbury the winner.
Equally as enthralling was the battle for third. Whilst it was occupied by a fast Luke Rochford, he lost a wheel with a handful of laps remaining, leaving Josh DeMaio to take the final podium place. His fellow CC Racing pilot, Troy Woolston was looking good for a big result, however spun when he got into third – but recovered for fourth in front of Sydney-sider, David Whitmore.
Although the cold, changeable conditions carried over from yesterday, by and large, finals were conducted in dry conditions. Jonathan Venter was the other big winner in Junior Max Light. The NOVA FM/Top Gun Racing Arrow kicked away at the beginning only to have a charging Pierce Lehane in the Rockstar Energy Drinks CRG and Michael Stewart in the Berco Engineering Tony Kart provide some nervous moments for Troy Hunt and the Top Gun team.
Lehane had to do it the hard way after a disappointing Pre-Final where he dropped back through the field in the wet after starting on the front row. He charged past his opposition to slot himself into second. He shut the gap down to Venter, but wasn’t able to get past. Stewart was the impressive one though, setting the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap, the top three crossing the line nose to tail.
Interestingly, Lehane has stood on the podium in every single Junior Max Rotax Pro Tour event since its inception in 2009.
In the first final of the day, Paul Mapperson had to come from the rear to take out Rotax Over 35s after he didn’t complete the Pre-Final due to not fitting his transponder prior to the race. He found himself in a three way battle with Hamish Leighton and Steven Johnson and on a drying track, eventually got clear and went on to victory. Frank Falla took pole after winning the Pre-Final, but was the only one in the field that elected to run on wet weather tyres, a decision he would later rue.
The Junior Max Heavy final fell the way of Dale Corbett once again. Lachlan Marshall led early in his Arrow, but drifted backwards as the race wore on. Jaymee Frampton looked as though she was going to keep Corbett honest early, but had no answer for the Grafton based youngster. Frampton had issues of her own battling with Ben Cooper from Canberra. Cooper came from the back after a litany of problems in the Pre-Final and it went right to the wire with Cooper securing second placing over Frampton, followed by Alex Griffiths, American Nils Musaeus and Michael Saller.
Damian Ward finally got a handle on the Pacific Kartsport Arrow DD2 machine and blitzed the Rotax DD2 field obtaining his first win in the category. Pole-sitter, Kyle Ensbey had a coming together with Ward at turn one, both dropping to the back of the field. Ward picked his way through to take the win, but it wasn’t easy with early leader, David Whitmore and Chris Hays providing some tough competition.
The triumvirate swapped the lead on numerous occasions during the 24 lap distance, ultimately Ward proving superior. Fourth place went to a charging Travis Millar, who had a fair bit of work to do in traffic to make his way forward. Ensbey recovered for fifth in his Ensbey Earthmoving/Kaos Karting machine, with Jim Beam Racing’s Daniel Baker sixth after missing the Pre-Final due to a battery that had no charge.
In Rotax Heavy, it was a Pringle brother’s benefit, Jason Pringle stamping his authority on the meeting in the Pre-Final. He took the Pre-Final victory over brother, Rick, by over 30 seconds.
In the Final, it was a similar scenario, kicking away at the beginning and he never looked like being headed. Rick, on the other hand, had Paul Rodgers in the CC Racing/Prodgersracing.com Intrepid keeping him honest. Rodgers was unable to get on racing terms with the vastly experienced CRG pilot, in the end settling for third. Brad Wyatt and Daniel Stein completed the top five, with James Reynolds coming home sixth putting yesterday’s misfortune behind him. The Kart Equip team elected to be one of the few on slicks for the Rotax Heavy Pre-Final – with the gamble paying off, finishing third.
The Rotax Pro Tour now takes a break until October 29-31 when it re-visits Newcastle in New South Wales. The focus for Rotax competitors is now on various State Titles and major open meetings around Australia, then of course the big one – The Rotax Nationals – at Ipswich across the weekend of September 3-5, 2010.
For more information on the Rotax Pro Tour and Rotax Racing in Australia, see www.rotax.com.au, check out the Rotax Pro Tour 2010 fanpage on Facebook or follow the twitter feed – www.twitter.com/RotaxProTour.