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10th August 2012

NATIONAL HONOURS ON THE LINE IN DUBBO NEXT MONTH

Tyler Greenbury (#20) and Pierce Lehane (#11) will line up in Rotax Light next month (Pic: Fltecher Photography/Bryant)

Top line karting action will return to the Lincoln County Raceway in Dubbo, New South Wales next month when kart racers from various parts of the country converge on the venue for the 12th Annual Rotax Nationals event on September 1/2.

With all drivers using the 125cc Rotax engine, the karts will reach speeds in excess of 110 km/h on the 1037-metre circuit that many drivers describe as one of the best in the country.

It’s the first time that the prestigious event has been hosted by the Dubbo Kart Club and more than 120 drivers are expected to be competing across six categories.

With six-time, and current, champion David Sera unlikely to line-up on the grid for the event due to other commitments the door is open for a new era of champions in the highly competitive Rotax Light category.

After sharing the honours in the junior ranks for the past few years, Sydneysiders Pierce Lehane and Joseph Mawson will start as two of the favourites.

Both Lehane and Mawson have tasted victory in the Rotax Pro Tour throughout their maiden year in the senior ranks but are also conscious of the high level of competition that comes with the territory.

“Moving into the senior ranks has been a challenging experience but also one that has been very rewarding at the same time,” said Lehane.

“You learn very quickly that you have to show respect to get respect back in the senior ranks.

“When I first moved up to seniors my aim was to try and run near the front, and I’ve been able to achieve that while also learning from the experience of racing with the older guys like Daniel (Rochford) and Dave (Sera).”

Drivers such as Victorians Daniel Rochford, Josh DeMaio and Bradley Jenner along with Queenslanders James Macken and Tyler Greenbury are expected to join the pair in the fight for the Rotax Light title.

Adam Hunter (#24) and Troy Woolston (#1) will start as two of the favourites in the Rotax Heavy category (Pic: Real Deal Media)

Given his form over the past 12 months, reigning Rotax Heavy Champion Troy Woolston will start as one of the favourites for the 2012 title. However, the Victorian will face tough opposition from the likes of 11-time Australian Champion Matthew Wall and fellow Victorian Lee Mitchener. Also expected to figure prominently will be Brendan Nelson, Daniel Richert, Adam Hunter and William Yarwood, who won four straight Rotax Heavy titles from 2003 – 2006.

With 2011 Champion Joseph Mawson moving into the senior ranks there will be a first time champion in the Junior Rotax ranks next month. The trio that have been consistently battling at the front of the field of late are Victorian Thomas Randle and New South Wales drivers Joseph Burton-Harris and Andrew Kahl.

The Junior Rotax category will be hotly contested in Dubbo (Pic: Fltecher Photography/Bryant)

This trio are again expected to figure prominently but will face tough opposition from the likes of Liam McLellan, Jaxon Evans and Cameron Hill.

While not battling for a National Championship, the three support categories – DD2, DD2 Maters and Rotax Over 40s – will also provide some great action across the weekend.

Practice for the event will be contested on Thursday August 30 and Friday August 31 ahead of racing on Saturday September 1 and Sunday September 2.

The Lincoln County Raceway is located on the Newell Highway, just north of Dubbo.

Rotax Nationals Honour Roll

Rotax Light
2001 – Matthew Wall (Vic) – Arrow
2002 – Josh Arandt (Vic) – Arrow
2003 – Bart Price (Vic) – Arrow
2004 – Scott Auld (Qld) – Arrow
2005 – David Sera (Vic) – Arrow
2006 – Hayden McBride (NSW) – Gillard
2007 – David Sera (Vic) – Arrow
2008 – David Sera (Vic) – Arrow
2009 – David Sera (Vic) – Arrow
2010 – David Sera (Vic) – Arrow
2011 – David Sera (Vic) – Arrow

Rotax Heavy
2001 – Damien Meyer (NSW) – CRG
2002 – Brett Davidson (Vic) – Arrow
2003 – William Yarwood (Qld) – Arrow
2004 – William Yarwood (Qld) – Arrow
2005 – William Yarwood (Qld) – Arrow
2006 – William Yarwood (Qld) – Arrow
2007 – Kel Treseder (Qld) – Top Kart
2008 – Kel Treseder (Qld) – Kosmic
2009 – Matthew Wall (Vic) – Arrow
2010 – Simon Meyer (NSW) – CRG
2011 – Troy Woolston (Vic) – Intrepid

Junior Max
2009 – Ben Jurczak (Qld) – Redspeed
2010 – Jonathan Venter (NSW) – Kosmic
2011 – Joseph Mawson (NSW) – Arrow

Previous Venues
2001 – Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway, Sydney, NSW
2002 – Todd Road Karting Complex, Melbourne, Vic
2003 – Mt Sugarloaf Raceway, Newcastle, NSW
2004 – Ipswich Raceway, Ipswich, QLD
2005 – Beckley Park Raceway, Geelong, Vic
2006 – Mt Sugarloaf Raceway, Newcastle, NSW
2007 – Ipswich Raceway, Ipswich, QLD
2008 – Todd Road Karting Complex, Melbourne, Vic
2009 – Eastern Creek International Karting Raceway, Sydney, NSW
2010 – Ipswich Raceway, Ipswich, QLD
2011 – Beckley Park Raceway, Geelong, Vic