3rd August 2011

Fothergill in striking distance - from the Gladstone Observer

A SPARK plug mishap cost Cian Fothergill the CIK Stars of Karting Pro Light championship lead at the weekend.

He had to settle for second in the major final held at Newcastle’s Mount Sugarloaf circuit and is just six points away from the leader, poised to strike for back-to-back titles.

The penultimate round of the country’s premier karting series couldn’t have gone much better for the reigning champ until the final. Fothergill won three heats, qualified fastest, took out the first final and looked certain to get maximum points on offer.

“I had plenty of pace and was able to put a gap between me and the field during the heats,” he said.

Even though the spark plug failure saw him fouled on the line in the final, he was thankful the kart kept going, as the problem generally puts karts out of the race.

Heading to the rear of the grid because of the indiscretion, Fothergill then proceeded to claw his way back through the field with speed and aplomb, typifying why he’s at the top of the class.

“If I’d had another lap I might have finished first,” he said.

A first place would have snatched back the championship lead from Jake Spencer.

Fothergill’s feat at the weekend, with a first and second, meant he secured the NSW Pro Light title, which made up for last year when he snapped a chain and was put out of contention.

With the final round set down for next month, possibly not at Eastern Creek as was scheduled, the reigning national Clubman Light and Leopard Light champion is confident he can bridge the slender gap on his rival Spencer.

“I know I’ve got the pace, so we’ll see what happens and where it is,” he said.

Other Gladstone karters John Grother and Jason Faint battled away in the gearbox category, which is being headed by Bundaberg’s Kel Treseder.

Grother’s seventh was a fine result considering his hurdles. It was déjà vu all over again for Grother who had to contend with minor issues and irritants with the kart as he has done all season. Getting caught in traffic on a track not conducive to passing also didn’t help Grother’s cause.

“We were up and down and not that solid,” he said.

But he recovered from a blown engine and a non-start in the first final thanks to fellow karter Faint loaning Grother an engine. The TrackSa driver was off and racing in the second final from the back of the grid and did well to crack the top 10.

Faint’s 15th place in the same class showed he’s progressing in the sport and it won’t be long before he cracks the top ten.