SPARCO ROTAX PRO TOUR SET TO HEAT UP WARWICK WINTER CUP

Pro Tour set to heat up the Warwick Winter Cup in two weeks-time. The Sparco Rotax Pro Tour is fast approaching the end of season with just two rounds to contest before we crown Series Champions & Team Australia Members. It was Round 2 of the 2016 Season that the Tour last visited Warwick and both IKD (Promoters) and Warwick Kart Club are excited for the event which will take place from August 9 – 11.

It was a class that was almost non-existent no less than twelve months ago but the Rotax Heavy field has gone from strength to strength, an impressive eighteen drivers will form up for Round 5 in what is the second biggest class of the event. Lane Moore enters the weekend series points leader aboard his St George Kart Centre CRG kart but will have Ipswich Winner Regan Payne looking to top the class in both QLD rounds for the 2019 Season.

Fresh faces add to the excitement with Brendon Hart, Shay Mayes, Ashley Seward and Rudy Farkas all joining in on the action. Rotax Heavy is still the only class that offers heavier drivers a class at National Level. The competition in this class is second to none and you will want to be track-side to watch all the action unfold.

The race for series points is far from over and the racing going into our last two rounds will be nail-biting. In Micro Max it is Twin Brothers Jaxson and Jenson who have maintained the top two spots in the championship since round 2. Both brothers are determined to hold up the coveted “Big Ticket” at the 2019 Jason Richards Gala Dinner but only one will have the chance to represent Australia and be crowned Micro Max Series Champion. They won’t have it easy though with team mate Isaac McNeill and Marco Manson also in with a chance.

Just 642 points separate our two Victorian front runners in Mini Max. Pro Karting Pilot Kristian Janev took the lead from Tom Williamson Motorsport Driver Aiva Anagnostiadis at the conclusion of Round 4 in Puckapunyal. The pair will no doubt race wheel to wheel and will both be looking for maximum points at the Warwick Winter Cup.

Our first Team Australia Member has been decided. Costa Toparis travelled to Canada where he secured a ticket to compete at the RMCGF in Sarno, Italy in October. Toparis makes his return to Pro Tour and will be looking to re-claim the top spot on the podium. Jake Rutkowski, Kamal Mrad and Max Walton will also enter as probable front runners.

“I just really want to go to the Worlds” – says series front runner of Junior Max, Luke Pink. The Praga Kart driver has led the points for the majority of the season and has no intentions on giving up the lead now. His next closest competitor is DR Kart Racing Driver William Seal followed by CC Racing backed Hugh Barter. There are three tickets on offer in Junior Max this year and with William Seal out of the running due to age restrictions that puts TWM Driver Beau Pronesti in the box seat for the third and final ticket with two rounds to go.

It is arguably the premier class of Rotax Racing and Rotax Light not only features a European Champion but a World Champion as well.  Lehane and Gillis currently lead the standings going into the fifth of six rounds.

It has an impressive season for Troy Farley Race Engines driver, Tyler Howard who is fresh from an Australian Kart Championship WIN at Emerald. Howard will be aiming to stand on the top step of the podium at Warwick and move up in the point standings. Harrison Hoey has swapped spanners for a helmet and will join action aboard his CompKark in what is a semi local round for the seventeen year old. Another new addition to the category is DPE Kart Superstore employee Adam Mercer. Mercer, a previous Australian Champion will use some local track knowledge in attempt to mix it with the front-runners. 

Double-duties is not a commonly proposed idea in karting but Cody Brewczynski has shown it is more than possible. Competing in both Rotax Light and DD2 the Sydney-Sider has his work cut out for him as we approach the end of the season. Currently sitting in sixth in Rotax Light and third in DD2 the Velocity Kart Shop / TopGun Driver Academy driver has his eyes set on a World Final Ticket.

Queensland based Ryan Kennedy has the narrowest of margins over Jonathon Marcusson in the points where just 153 points separate the pair. Next in line is Racehaus Driver Troy Morrissey who this round has a team mate in Marcello Surace who is making his debut in the gearbox class for 2019.

Having maintained the top spot in the points since Round 1 DD2 Masters driver Kris Walton has just two more rounds to try and hold out Troy Bretherton, his next closest competitor. Walton aboard his CompKart will be looking to secure a nice haul of points at the conclusion of the Warwick Winter Cup. Currently sitting in third place in New South Welshman Terry Hanly but it will be Scott Howard putting it all the line in hopes to secure the third and final ticket in Masters to form part of Team Australia and head to Sarno, Italy in October. Howard will have his work cut out for him with the likes of Fraser Hart and Paul Rodgers also proving very competitive.

The Fifth Round of the Sparco Rotax Pro Tour is set to go down to the wire – in what is a new track for most competitors on the National circuit there is sure to be a steep learning curve for many when unofficial practice kicks off on Friday 9th August.

Entry to the event is free to spectators and if you cannot make it track-side we have live timing through the Speedhive App on both Saturday and Sunday as well as LIVE STREAMING thanks to our generous sponsors on Sunday through the Rotax Pro Tour YouTube Channel and Facebook Page.

SPONSORS:
Sparco
DPE Kart Superstores
AWC Motorsport Academy
Electro Industries
Mansons TCLM
CRG Australia
Tillett Racing Seats
Lucky Design