SA TEENAGER MAKES IT THREE GENERATIONS OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

David Sera claims title number 14

2013 Australian National Sprint Kart Champions
Junior National Light – Bryce Fullwood (Darwin, NT)
Junior National Heavy – Jordan Boys (Lavington, NSW)
Junior Clubman – Joshua Denton (Cockatoo Valley, SA)
Senior National – Jason Newman (Bathurst, NSW)
Clubman Light – Jake Coleman (Glenmore Park, NSW)
Clubman Heavy – David Sera (Narre Warren, VIC)
Clubman Super Heavy – Paul Pittam (One Tree Hill, SA)
Leopard Light – David Sera (Narre Warren, VIC)
Leopard Heavy – Kris Walton (Clontarf, QLD)

Joshua Denton became the third generation of Dentons to win at the event (Pic: AF Images/Budd)

South Australian teenager Joshua Denton re-wrote the Australian karting record books with victory at the 51st Australian National Sprint Kart Championships at the Monarto Karting Complex on Sunday.

The 13 year-old joined his Father and Grandfather as winners at Australia’s most prestigious stand-alone karting event to ensure the Denton family became the first to have three generations win a national title. His Grandfather, Trevor, was victorious in the 1964 event while his Father, Craig, won in 1992.

Denton won the Junior Clubman category ahead of Karratha’s Nicholas Rowe and Victorian Damon Strongman. In doing so, he became the first South Australian driver to win the prestigious junior category since it became a national championship category in 1998.

“It’s just an amazing feeling,” said Denton, who was overcome by emotion at the post-race presentation.

“To win this is just a dream, I knew I had some good speed but when I went in very deep under brakes at the start I dropped back a few spots and had to work really hard to come back to the front.

“On the last lap I had a look behind me and saw that I had a kart length or two over Rowe. From then on, I just put my head down and pushed as hard as I could until the end. It is just an amazing feeling.”

David Sera leading Josh Tynan in Leopard Light (Pic: AF Images/Budd)

Joining Denton in the winner’s circle was Victorian David Sera who claimed the 13th and 14th National Championships of his illustrious career on the one day. He now sits only one victory behind Australia’s most capped kart racer of all-time, John Pizarro.

Sera enjoyed victory in the Leopard Light category to claim his 13th crown before getting the better of a spirited battle with Queenslander Kris Walton in the Clubman Heavy final to win his 14th career title. Behind them, Western Australian Kip Foster fended off outgoing champion Matthew Wall for third place.

After many years of trying, Walton finally broke through for his maiden Australian Championship in the Leopard Heavy category. Walton moved his way to the front on lap five of the 16-lap championship final ahead of Wall. He then held a four-kart buffer over Wall for the ensuing laps before showing superior speed to clear away from the quartet behind him. Third place went to defending champion Brendan Nelson ahead of local driver Paul Pittam.

Paul Pittam was victorious in Clubman Super Heavy (Pic: AF Images/Budd)

Pittam ensured there were two local drivers who enjoyed victory at the event by steering his Adelaide-made Omega kart to success in the Clubman Super Heavy category. The local driver held out five-time champion Scott Simpson for the win.

The victory is a career first at the national level for the 11-time State Champion and the first time in seven years that an Omega chassis has enjoyed success at the event.

In another first, Darwin’s Bryce Fullwood became the first driver from the Northern Territory to claim a National Karting Championship when he crossed the line first in Junior National Light. After finishing second last year, the 14 year-old proved too good for his opposition on Sunday to claim a comprehensive victory. Victorian Dylan Hollis finished second, narrowly ahead of Sydney’s Jayden Ojeda and Adelaide’s Tyler Morrison.

Jake Coleman crossing the line for victory in Clubman Light (Pic: AF Images/Budd)

Sydney’s Jake Coleman upstaged his more experienced rivals in the Clubman Light category with a superb victory at Monarto. In only his second race in the category after moving up from juniors at the end of 2012, Coleman moved into the lead midway through the final. From there, he wasn’t challenged on his way to victory. Former Junior Clubman Champion Jesse Elliott finished second ahead of early race leader Aidan Wright.

The top five raced nose-to-tail for the majority of the Junior National Heavy final with Albury/Wodonga’s Jordan Boys and Western Australian Nicholas Rowe swapping the front running. As William Hawkes and Rowe battled for second on the last lap it allowed Boys to distance himself and claim the win.

The Senior National race was somewhat of a war of attrition with only five of the original 14 entries crossing the line in the final.

Arrow Karts driver Brock Plumb led Sean Butcher and Jason Newman in the early laps. The top five were separated mid-race when Trent Rogers and Sean Butcher came together while squabbling over the second position. After crashing out, the pair had a heated discussion that resulted in some physical contact between them. On the track Plumb was shadowed by Matthew Waters for the remainder of the race. After an intense battle Plumb and Waters came together allowing Newman to sneak through for the win.

The 2014 Australian National Sprint Kart Championships will be hosted by the Newcastle Kart Racing Club on April 18-20.

To view the Class by Class Race Notes from the finals please click here.

The 2013 Champions at the Australian Karting Championships (Pic: AF Images/Budd)

51st Australian National Sprint Kart Championships
Monarto Karting Complex, South Australia

RESULTS: Championship Final

Junior National Light
1. Bryce Fullwood
2. Dylan Hollis
3. Jayden Ojeda
4. Tyler Morrison
5. Reece Sidebottom

Junior National Heavy
1. Jordan Boys
2. William Hawkes
3. Nicholas Rowe
4. Zac Phillips
5. Bryce Fullwood

Junior Clubman
1. Joshua Denton
2. Nicholas Rowe
3. Damon Strongman
4. Jake Klein
5. Braydon North

Senior National
1. Jason Newman
2. Jay Schrodter
3. James French
4. Oliver Etter

Clubman Light
1. Jake Coleman
2. Jesse Elliott
3. Aidan Wright
4. James Sera
5. Luke Marquis

Clubman Heavy
1. David Sera
2. Kris Walton
3. Kip Foster
4. Matthew Wall
5. Leigh Nicolaou

Clubman Super Heavy
1. Paul Pittam
2. Scott Simpson
3. Ben McKinlay
4. Andrew Cash
5. Mason Barbera

Leopard Light
1. David Sera
2. Josh Tynan
3. Ben Stewart
4. James Sera
5. Jesse Elliott

Leopard Heavy
1. Kris Walton
2. Matthew Wall
3. Brendan Nelson
4. Paul Pittam
5. Lee Mitchener