Woodthorpe Karting Club championships attracts best grid of 2016

Disaster struck early in Saturday practice when Louth’s Dave Darnborough clipped a track marker and flipped, breaking his collarbone, an injury which will probably put him out for the rest of the year.

First out were the five to seven-year-old Bambino’s and series leader Adam Boocock, from Leeds, won all his heats, but was pipped in the final by Devon Nolan, with Lincoln Douglas in third.

A bumper entry of Cadets and the Libra class saw a large group fighting for honours. Jay-Jay Cook took first ahead of Joe Harrison, with James McLaren in third.

In IAME, Harvey Riby showed his class to win from Grimsby’s Chloe Buckley, with Liam Hartley taking third in his first outing with the two strokes.

In Honda Cadets, national drivers dominated with Cook winning from McLaren who managed to reverse earlier positions with Harrison.

Mini-Max newcomer Jake Boydell surprised a few as he took the battle to current champion Alfie Draper, from Scunthorpe, and squeezed the narrowest of wins in the final. The ever-improving Daniel Drury, from Louth, took third.

Brocklesby’s Ben Arden was the only finisher in Junior-max and hopes more will be back at the next meeting.

Strubby’s William Ashe was taking a break from driving to mechanic for his dad James who took wins in all of the Watercooled F100 races, with Grimsby’s Ray MacFarlane second and Gavin Lawson in third.

In the F100 Air cooled, Chris Balderson dominated, while schoolteacher Helen Mawer survived some roughing up from the guys to finish second ahead of Ryan Garrett.

Rotax Max-Lights saw Alford’s Jack Jones and Kurt Davies from Ingoldmells swap the lead several times a lap before Jack took the chequered flag. June’s winner Reece Cridland finished in third.

The crowd-pleasing Max-Heavies class saw the front four pull away in every heat with a different winner each time.

In the final, Skellingthorpe’s Damo Mott took an early lead only for Scunthorpe’s Jamie Draper to sneak past on the brakes into the hairpin on lap three.

As Jamie gained an advantage, Louth’s Daniel Ireland moved up to second and immediately found Mott and Louth’s Wayne Hutson snapping at his heels. Despite many breathtaking manoeuvres, Ireland clung on from Mott with series leader Hutson settling for fourth.

In the Open class, Grimsby’s Josh Pennell was in a league of his own, while debutant Paul Moorehouse showed consistency in second, and Graham Moorley in third.

Commiserations to Dale Foster who suffered a DNF in the finals for KZ125 after winning all three heats.

That left the door open for Ben Parkinson to take the win from young Chris Lake, of Spilsby, who finished a stirring second ahead of last year’s champion Charlie Fox.

A reduced turnout of 250 Gearbox saw Chris Lawson dominate from runner-up John Beeson who edged his sibling Chris Beeson into third.

* A bumper entry of 150 drivers is expected this weekend when the club host a charity meeting in memory of David Hoyle who passed away earlier this year. All spectators are welcome with racing starting at 10am on Sunday.