
Dirt Karters
Sunraysia
Motivatin' Mildura!
Liam Aunger set for USA karting debut
LIAM AUNGER SET FOR USA KARTING DEBUT
Official release: Aunger Boys Racing
August 2, 2016
16 year old Mildura Speedway kart racer Liam Aunger will make his USA racing debut in Knoxville Iowa in just under one week’s time.
Aunger will race in the 2016 ECS Outlaw Dirt Kart Nationals event at English Creek Raceway in Knoxville on Monday and Tuesday nights August 8 & 9.
With the deal brokered by AJ Jackson (son of Skip) and Daniel Ebright the chance to race for Liam came up without any real advance notice for the 2015 Junior Standard Australian champion.
“Dad told me this morning that I’d be racing in the ECS Outlaw Nationals and I honestly had no idea it was even a possibility. He’d been talking with AJ (Jackson) I guess and they put a deal together for me. I’m so grateful to AJ, Dan Ebright and the English Creek Speedway for helping make this happen,” Liam explained.
Aunger will drive an “Adult winged 390 clone” kart in the Nationals that is held over two nights and features AJ Jackson in the announcer’s booth.
The radical looking karts feature bodywork and overhead main wings.
“It’ll be a challenge to race a kart with a wing like this but I’m hoping I can adapt pretty quickly,” says Liam.
Liam has been racing dirt karts now for coming up on four seasons since starting as a 13-year old at his home club Sunraysia Dirt Karters in Mildura where he’s also raced at Waikerie SA, Renmark SA, Avalon VIC, Broadford VIC, Bacchus March VIC, Tamworth NSW and his home track Olympic Park Mildura to name a few.
Wade Aunger will also join AJ Jackson in the commentary booth for the ECS Nationals for some fun.
“AJ has been working hard on becoming an announcer at Knoxville Raceway this season so I’m really excited to commentate with him at ECS,” explains Wade, “I’m really grateful for him helping to get Liam this ride. It’s such a great opportunity for him and something we’d joked about a few weeks ago but not really expected.”
The 2016 ECS Outlaw Dirt Kart Nationals is held at English Creek Speedway Knoxville on Monday night August 8 and Tuesday night August 9.
English Creek Speedway is a 1/6th mile high bank clay oval located 8 miles south of Knoxville on Highway 14, then 3 miles West on G76.
For more information visit www.englishcreekspeedway.com or visit https://www.facebook.com/English-Creek-Speedway
You can view Liam’s results and photo updates on https://www.facebook.com/ABR
Ends release
Karters race One Last Time
The Sunraysia Dirt Karters rounded out their racing season with
last weekends, ‘One Last Time’ meeting.
Good fields for all classes greeted the starter’s flag, with the regulars welcoming several visiting drivers, who made the trip from the southern parts of the state.
The Standards provide some of the most heavily contested racing on the day with heat wins going to Mitch Gladman, Tyson Martin and Melbourne’s Corey Clifford. Clifford showed no signs of his roll over at last month’s All Power Nationals as he pushed the locals hard all day. Darryn Loughnan, also from Melbourne, made good showing in the heats with consistent placings. Local Wingless Sprintcar racer, Travis Beasley, had a taste of racing with the ‘little’ boys of speedway, enjoying his day, although he suffered from repeated mechanical gremlins.
As is a regular feature at the end of season meeting, the senior’s finals take the form of a ‘Black Flag’ race, where the drivers start in reverse order – lowest points on the day from the front, then battle it out to avoid being in the last position on track as the driver brining up the rear is eliminated each lap until the only driver remaining is declared the winner. Needless to say, there is much interest in NOT bringing up the rear. After an indifferent showing in the heats, Liam Aunger made his way from mid field to take a handy lead early in the final, but was to surrender this to a fast finishing Tyson Martin with a lap to go.
In the All Powers, Graham ‘Gumby’ Thomas made a welcome return to racing after a couple of seasons out of the seat and proceeded to show all that he had not lost anything with consistently good placings in the heats in a Bob Latta supplied drive. The heats went to Latta and Gladman. Lone lady in the field, Kelsey Allen was relegated to spectator after she had both of her available motors fail on her. All Powers finished the day with their ‘Black Flag’ race and this was taken out by a jubilant Jamie Nichols, who managed to find some late form after a lack lustre run in the heats, holding off Bob Allen.
The Junior heats were the scene of some of the more heavily contested races on the day with the heat wins going to Todd Martin and Melbourne Kart Club’s, Tyler Scott. Brodie Adams ran consistently in the heats and was rewarded with an outside front row start alongside Martin in the Junior final. The final was to produce the drive of the day as Jake Adams, starting from the rear, doggedly picked off all of his fellow competitors one by one, taking the lead with a couple of laps remaining to take out his first final win since moving up from Sub Juniors at the start of the season. Todd Martin was forced to fend off a late run by Lachlan Barbary to take second place.
Sub Juniors witnessed the debut of two new drivers from established racing families as Drew Latta and Darcy Aunger took to the track. Both showed good speed for first timers and drove well, but the day was taken out by Hopetoun’s, Dane Hakopa.
New to Junior Standards, Brodie Adams had a good day leading home fellow new comer, Jack Sylvia.
The club would like to congratulate all drivers and thank all Officials, Sponsors and families on another successful season and looks forward to welcoming all back in October to start the 2016/17 season with a bang.
Wenske double s up at the All Powers - Twice!
In what, to most people, would be considered very unusual circumstances, it appeared that in order to win any of the major events at this year’s Mildura & District Pest Management Mildura All Power Nationals, to carry the race number 1 or 21 was an advantage.
South Australia’s Daniel Wenske did, and in a way stranger than most, to take out a unique double. He took #21 to the top of the podium in Friday night’s Standard Stampede, then took #1 to the top step again in the prestigious All Powers National itself, and in doing so, completed a unique ‘double’.
He became the first to successfully defend his All Powers crown and with the Standards victory, added that ‘double’ to his weekend. In achieving his wins in Standards and All Powers, Wenske emulated the efforts of Graham Keats in 2011 of taking out 2 wins over the meeting.
The All Powers class is unique to the Sunraysia (Vic) club and is a combination of SKAA’s Modified, 100cc Outlaw and 125cc Pro classes.
The inclusion of the 3 classes into one ‘super’ grouping is not as strange as it may seem. The layout of the Olympic Park motorcycle speedway evens out the performance and lap times of the individual classes, making each competitive against the others. The introduction of minimum weight rules for this year’s running of the All Powers has made it even more competitive.
Wenske stamped his authority on the All Powers final, leading from the start, but he did not have it all his own way. At all times through the race, he was hounded by a determined pack of adversaries, all intent on preventing him from gaining the win, should the opportunity arise.
The new weight rules for this year’s running of the All Powers class levelled out the field and produced some very exciting racing. Second over the line was SA’s Mark Burford, followed by Rhys Hackett and Damien Lewis. The close racing in this class was one of the highlights of the meeting.
Wenske had an easier task in his win on Friday night, dominating the Standard Stampede for the majority of the race. Several contenders had made their intentions known during the heats, but Wenske held sway when it counted most. A late stoppage brought him back to the field, but he held on in the dash to the chequered to lead Kyle Lambe, Mitch Gladman and Bob Latta over the line.
After regaining the Australia 1 number at April’s titles at Tamworth, New South Welshman, Brad Cunneen took his #1 to the winners circle on Friday night in the Modified All Stars 50 Lap feature. Cunneen was jubilant to finally add the win at Mildura to his Australian crown.
Tasmanian Cody Dransfield managed to overcome relegation to the rear of the 16 kart field early in the final, powering his way back up the order to challenge Cunneen in the final laps and taking a well deserved second.
Brett Manuel was delighted with a third at his first visit to Mildura. Fourth was taken by an overjoyed, Steph Van Ginneken from Melbourne, in her return to serious competition after sitting things out following a heavy tumble at the Australian titles at Katherine in 2014.
The Mark Varacalli Memorial for 200cc Twins went to fast finishing Sunraysia speedster, Sam Mayes after he managed to slot his machine inside leader, Ben Brown (SA), exiting the last turn to take out a thrilling win. Mayes, also running #21, had made his way to the podium from the rear of the starting grid, setting and resetting lap records along the way. Ben Stone followed Brown, with Mildura’s Kelsey Allen taking the last of the podium places.
After good showing in his heats, Jason Varacalli was hit by mechanicals woes when looking to being a contender mid-way through the final and being forced to withdraw. Following the race, he proudly joined his mother, Kerri, in presenting awards to the place getters in the race dedicated to his father.
The number 21 was, once more, to take pride of place in the Junior All Stars as Cameron McDonough took a comfortable win to prevent second placed Luke Geering from achieving a fourth win on the trot in the Juniors.
Mildura local, Todd Martin, finished just behind 3rd placed Aaron Tranter, to continue a good run of form of late. The Juniors, once more, displayed their competitiveness and all around good sportsmanship, with all drivers congratulating the winners.
In his debut meeting in Junior Standards, Brodie Adams, from Mildura, took to the class like the proverbial ‘duck to water’, revelling in conditions to display his talent in a kart. Adelaide’s Ben Morris showed his experience all night, but was challenged at every opportunity by Adams. Morris was to take the win from Adams in the final, with Victorian’s Riley Amato and Jade Vogele in tow.
Sub Juniors were again the darlings of the meeting as cousins, Jameson and Austin Best, showed that they will be have to be watched when they are able join their friends in the Juniors at their home meetings near Melbourne.
“The club was very pleased with the results from the weekend and overwhelmed by the sentiments expressed by the competitors" President of the Sunraysia Dirt Karters, David Collins, said.
"The club thanks the sponsors, officials, drivers and families, all of whom make this meeting what it has become. Many times, I received congratulations from visiting drivers on how the club organizes and runs, what the drivers consider, the best kart meeting each year”.
Whilst reviewing everything All Powers, here are a few facts!
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Including late nominations, the event totalled 110 nominations for the weekend, from 75 different drivers!
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10 of these nominations were from females – taking it to the blokes . . . and doing it well.
The individual states represented were;
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Victoria - 45
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South Australia - 17
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New South Wales - 10
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Tasmania - 2
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Northern Territory - 1
From the huge amount of Victorian drivers;
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Sunraysia Dirt Karters - 20
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Melbourne Speedway Kart Club - 16
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Yarra Valley Speedway Kart Club - 7
12 entrants were solely AIDKA drivers; they came to find out what the All Powers buzz is about!
Several drivers who also took the opportunity to race the All Powers, normally compete in other Motorsport categories; KA, F500, Wingless Sprintcars, Sprintcars, Bitumen Sedans, Speedway Sedans, AMCA, Motocross . . . And surely there are more!
The numbers speak for themselves . . . . . Mildura All Power Nationals . . . Add it to your list!