DOUBLE BARREL TOP GUN FOR STRONGMAN

Damon Strongman continued his good from from 2011 into the 2012 season. Pic: AF Images/Budd

Victorian youngster Damon Strongman started his 2012 karting season with a double victory in the Oakleigh Go-Kart Racing Club’s eighth annual Junior Top Guns event on the weekend.

Following on from last year’s successful format, where both rounds were held on consecutive nights rather than consecutive weekends, 160 competitors lined up on the grid across the eight categories.

Competing in three categories – Junior National Light, Junior National Heavy and Junior Clubman – Strongman was the star of the event by taking two wins and a third placing overall.

Despite only having one day of testing aboard a Junior Clubman kart fitted with an air-cooled Yamaha engine, the Karcher-backed driver took it to some of the best young drivers in the country.

In a field that included reigning National Champion Jesse Elliott, Queensland Champion Luke Marquis and Western Australian Champion Nicholas Rowe, Strongman crossed the line first in three of the four races held across the two-night series.

Randle, who was the only driver to inflict a race defeat on Strongman in the category, claimed second overall ahead of Marquis.

Strongman also qualified fastest in both the Junior National Light and Junior National Heavy categories before going on to win both rounds of Junior National Heavy. The Fujitsu Cool driver also finished third overall behind Northern Territorian Bryce Fullwood and Liam McLellan in Junior National Light.

Benito Montalbano and Jai Sparey had an intriguing battle at the front of the Cadets category across the weekend, however, a mechanical issue ended Sparey’s run in the final race allowing Montalbano to take the overall win.

Victory in both the Friday and Saturday night finals was enough to secure Reece Bloomfield the Junior Max Top Gun Title. Despite a DNF in Friday night’s final, Thomas Randle had done enough in the other three races to claim the runner-up spot. Third went to Blaine Densley.

Jordan Caruso made his transition into the Rookies class a successful one with a consistent showing earning him the victory. Troy Alger took the overall honours in the Junior National Light C&P class, as did Edward Brown in the Junior National Heavy C&P ranks.

2012 JUNIOR TOP GUNS
Oakleigh Go-Kart Racing Club
Overall Results – Top 3

CADETS
1          Benito Montalbano
2          Jordyn Sinni
3          Jai Sparey

ROOKIES
1          Jordan Caruso
2          Liam Ford
3          Reece Sidebottom

JUNIOR NATIONAL HEAVY
1          Damon Strongman
2          Matthew Lane
3          Robert Titherington

JUNIOR NATIONAL HEAVY C&P
1          Edward Broqn
2          Ryan Blakis
3          Adam Capek

JUNIOR NATIONAL LIGHT
1          Bryce Fullwood
2          Liam McLellan
3          Damon Strongman

JUNIOR NATIONAL LIGHT C&P
1          Troy Alger
2          Daniel Zandt
3          Luke Guillou

JUNIOR CLUBMAN
1          Damon Strongman
2          Thomas Randle
3          Luke Marquis

JUNIOR MAX
1          Reece Bloomfield
2          Thomas Randle
3          Blaine Densley