Super One Rotax Series Round 3: Whilton Mill May 9 2010

Nearly at the half way stage and George Russell holds a narrow seven point lead in MiniMax over Sam Ward, aided by his double victory at Northamptonshire’s Whilton Mill. Andy King kept his Junior Max lead - four points over Jack Marshall – with a brace of thirds, Matt Parry and Harry Crawley the victors. Tom Fawcett’s recent run of success in senior Max has given him a massive 45 point lead over Billy Albone, sharing the wins with Jake Ball. Lucas Orrock has now won five out of the six finals this year in Max 177, and leads David Griffiths by 24 points. The circuit features a long uphill run to the top ‘Christmas Corner’ before plunging down hill to a tight right-hander – another prime overtaking point – a short straight, then another downhill zig-zag before coming onto the back straight and negotiating a Boot-shaped series of turns before the last Pits corner.

MiniMax
Jack Aitken just pipped George Russell in the time trials, Aitken converting this to two heat wins whilst Sam Ward and Bobby Thompson took the others. Ward’s lead in the first final was short-lived, as Russell asserted himself over the first couple of laps, only to be relegated by Aitken. Russell wisely settled into helping the pair draw clear of the chasers, now headed by Joe Byrne. As the end of the twenty-lapper drew near, Russell sliced up the inside to Christmas Corner, Aitken admitting his rival was a trifle faster and settling for second. Byrne and Ben Hingeley were both unchallenged in the next places, Ward had slipped to fifth, and Oliver Myers only kept his sixth place after successfully appealing an exclusion alleging involvement in an earlier incident. Russell fell to fourth at the start of the second final, Aitken initially running away with the lead until reeled in by the recovering Russell. But the previous winner was hung out to dry after an abortive move, falling to fifth and having to do the work all over again. Meanwhile Myers and Ward traded the lead. Once back in front, Russell was successfully challenged by both Myers and Ward, but managed to get in front again and backed up the back enough to make a run for the flag. From second Myers was put on the grass at the end, regaining sixth, with Adam MacKay the beneficiary as runner-up over Ward and Aitken.

Results
MiniMax Final One: 1 George Russell (Tonykart); 2 Jack Aitken (Gillard); 3 Joe Byrne (Tonykart); 4 Ben Hingeley (Tonykart); 5 Sam Ward (Tonykart); 6 Oliver Myers (Tonykart).
Final Two: 1 Russell; 2 Adam Mackay (Tonykart); 3 Ward; 4 Aitken; 5 Kieran Gifford (Gillard); 6 Myers.

Junior Max
Although Matt Parry was quickest in the wet timed qualifying session, and won the first heat, Sean Babington took the next two and Oliver Hodgson the last, leaving Parry on the second row for the first final. However it only took a lap for Parry to vault into the lead, passing Nathan Harrison and Babington. But he couldn’t sustain a gap, as Ash Hand stormed up from grid nine to challenge on the run down to Ashby corner. Parry had to battle back past Hodgson, who’d been trading the lead with Hand, before slicing up the inside at Christmas Corner to once again take command. But Hand and Hodgson clashed, putting the former out with a broken radiator, and allowing Harry Crawley into second, with Andy King just holding off Jack Marshall for third. In the second final, Parry escaped at the start, until Aitken caught and passed at the downhill Ashby right-hander. That allowed Marshall to tag on to the lead duo, and before long Parry re-took the lead, only to put a wheel on the grass and drift wide enough at the next corner for Aitken to storm through for the win. Marshall had an abortive try at second, which dropped him behind King.

Results
Junior Max Final One: 1 Matthew Parry (Kosmic); 2 Harry Crawley (Alonso); 3 Andy King (Gillard); 4 Jack Marshall (Tonykart); 5 Nathan Harrison (Tonykart); 6 Sean Babington (Alonso).
Final Two: 1 Crawley; 2 Parry; 3 King; 4 Marshall; 5 Oliver Hodgson (Tonykart); 6 Harrison.

Senior Max
Shaun Slavin converted his timed qualifying pole into the first heat win, Ed Brand, Jake Ball and then Brand again taking the others. Defending champion Michael Simpson had to come through the repechage after breaking a chain in a heat, and he then spun on the opening lap of the first final, retiring after a few more laps. Brand went out ahead in the first half of the first final, but Tom Fawcett had great pace recovering from a bad heat, punching his way past Slavin, Jake Ball and Dan Holland for second. Then a move at the downhill right hander put Brand on the outside, and Fawcett into the lead. Brand tried to recover places, but went off at the Chapman turn, and could only finish thirteenth. Fawcett then made a small mistake at the top corner, allowing Ball through for the win, Slavin challenging for second, and Michael Taylor pipping Holland for fourth. Ball took charge of the lead train in the second final whilst Holland and Brand clashed, requiring a pit stop for Holland to fit a new front fairing. With a couple of minutes to run, Fawcett stuffed his kart inside Ball’s at the Boot apex, two wheels over the kerbs, and snatched the win. With dirt on his tyres, Ball fell to Slavin, then in a last lap flurry of changes, Simpson leapt into fifth behind Michael Taylor. Unbelievably he had come all the way from near last.

Results
Rotax Max Final One: 1 Jake Ball (Tonykart); 2 Tom Fawcett (Tonykart); 3 Shaun Slavin (CRG); 4 Michael Taylor (Birel); 5 Dan Holland (Gillard); 6 Will Hunter (Tonykart).
Rotax Max Final Two: 1 Fawcett; 2 Slavin; 3 Ball; 4 Taylor; 5 Michael Simpson (Birel); 6 John Stewart (Tonykart).

Max 177
Justin Edgar came out of retirement after his interest was piqued at the previous round, and deciding to give Max a go after many years in 100cc and then KF classes. He topped the wet timed qualifying and first wet heat, but admitted dry conditions would be much harder. Tim Penton took the second heat on Sunday morning but Luke Woodland earned pole and proceed to ease into a massive lead. In second, Edgar started to fade building up a big queue behind, the dam eventually bursting with Edgar falling to sixth before a mechanical problem forced retirement. Freed up, Lucas Orrock ate into Woodland’s lead, and finally sliced up the inside at Christmas Corner, with David Griffiths following through later in the lap. Orrock dominated the second final, finishing with a three second gap over Griffiths who’d relegated Luke Woodland mid-race. When Woodland tried to retrieve the place but lost time, Tom Holland took the opportunity to grab third.

Results
Max 177 Final One: 1 Lucas Orrock (Kosmic); 2 David Griffiths (X30); 3 Luke Woodland (Gillard); 4 Tim Penton (Kosmic); 5 Tom Holland (Alonso); 6 Collin Davis (Tonykart).
Final Two: 1 Orrock; 2 Griffiths; 3 Holland; 4 Woodland; 5 Stephen Cobb (Birel); 6 Penton.