After four long years, the engines are roaring once again at Bogolong Circuit. A total of 143 drivers made the journey to the small town of Grenfell in Central West NSW to test out the brand-new layout—making it the biggest round of the Dunlop Kart Stars series to date.
It’s fair to say the town was a bit shocked by the influx, with the local pubs working overtime on Friday and Saturday nights. Shoutout to The Cri for delivering excellent meals and service despite being overrun by karters.
If the word in the pits is anything to go by, Grenfell left its mark.
“The atmosphere here at Grenfell is electric. It’s a true testament to the combined efforts that made this event a success, and the support from the Karting NSW community is second to none,” said Karting NSW Director of Competition, Greg McLandsborough.
A huge shoutout must go to the small but mighty group of volunteers who’ve worked tirelessly over the last six months to get the circuit race-ready. Their effort showed - the track looked picture perfect (even through the Friday morning fog.
Grenfell Kart Club's Ross Hunter said it was a brilliant event, with everyone enjoying the new track.
Despite a little bit of rain, Mr Hunter said it didn't affect anything and everyone was happy.
Mr Hunter said the event brought a lot of people in to the community over the weekend, with some arriving on Thursday before the practise day on Friday.
The next race meeting at the Grenfell Kart Club will be the first weekend in September, which is when the Grenfell Kart Club will host an official opening of the track.
There were eight separate catergories that karters competed in.
Racing Recap – Class by Class
Rookies kicked off the weekend, with series leader Hudson Petta holding strong out front. Aidan McCabe kept the pressure on, while a fierce battle unfolded behind them between Raffi Davis, Kody Jenkins, Max Goodman and Stanley Drooger. Unfortunately, Stanley had to retire after Heat 3 due to damage that couldn’t be repaired in time for the final. The podium ended with Petta, McCabe and Davis - well deserved after a hard-fought weekend.
4SS, a favourite in the country, drew an impressive 23 entries. Veteran Michael Russell claimed victory in the final after a tense scrap with Sebastian Woodstone, who had Shi-Hung (Tom) Lee close behind. Tom’s third-place finish is even more impressive given he’s been racing for just over a year - he’s shaping up to be a serious contender in the series.
TaG Restricted may have had a smaller field than usual, but the racing didn’t disappoint. Cameron Kendall and Riley Rouse were locked in a battle all weekend, with times separated by just tenths. Kendall ultimately took the win, followed by Rouse and Craig Wright.
Wright also had his hands full with Aaron Sloan and Nicolas Becker all weekend.
In Junior Light, Hayden Mules was untouchable, cruising out front all weekend. Behind him, Bobby Burns, Chase Milton, and Tyler Jenkins scrapped for the podium, with strong runs also from Joel Gahan, Ben Stabile, and Xavier Pridham. It was a reminder that in karting, anything can happen.
Senior Performance delivered the first-class racing as always, with a mid-race rain storm in Heat 3 shaking things up.
Orange veteran Brett Robinson surged from 12th to 3rd in the wet - finishing just a tenth off the lead. In the final, Hunter Hague pulled a commanding lead, with Levi Gibson chasing hard and Robinson fighting hard to secure third - a huge effort after nine months out of the seat.
The Novices proved that big talent comes in small packages. Sapphire Coast’s Hagan Moon dominated the weekend, but Dean Bitmead and Lennox Fielding were never far behind.
The final saw great racing for the remaining spots, with Veyron Yuen and Fielding battling for third, while Eric Seshie and Jordan House fought it out for fourth.
In TaG 125, familiar names led the charge. Chris Bregonje, Connor Hey, and Joshua Hunter delivered non-stop action up front, with Bregonje ultimately taking the top step. Further back, there were some impressive moves from James Adams and James Ford.
Junior Heavy, one of the biggest classes of the weekend, was packed with intensity. Jordan Robinson made a strong return to the seat, battling it out with ACT State Champion Riley Prior and Central West local George Miles.
Special mention goes to Jack Morgan, who suffered a mechanical DQ in qualifying after losing a chain guard. He clawed his way from 22nd to 5th in the final - a standout comeback of the event!
With the Dunlop Kart Stars series now over halfway complete, the pressure is on as we head into Round 5 at Orange Kart Club on August 16 and17.
Entries are now open on the KNSW Portal, don’t miss it!