Friday Night Challenge Round 9 – 22.03.2019

NEW LAP RECORD SET ON THE NEW TRACK SURFACE…

Welcome back to Kingston Park Raceway for another exciting Friday night of racing here at Kingston Park’s famous Friday Night Challenge. Being the first Friday night challenge on the new Le Mans circuit since it has been re-surfaced there was one thing for sure and that was we were always in for “One Hell Of A Night Out” and almost certainly some fast lap times. We had 49 drivers come down for this week’s Friday Night Challenge meaning we would have 2 grids run for the night and right from the first practice they were all displaying their skills and desires to be on the Coca Cola Podium come the end of the night.

After the practice and the 3 heat races for both grids race control took the top 10 from each grid to the semi-final. Both grids got their own semi-final and from there race Control took the top 4 from each group and combined them to make an 8 driver super final for the top spot on our Coca Cola Podium.

In the semi-final from grid number 1 we saw the fastest lap of the day, week, month and year set by the one and only Craig Thorp with an absolutely smashing 59.905 proving this new surface was definitely worth the wait. But believe it or not a lap time like that still wasn’t enough to win the Semi-Final race with Josh McLeod proving you’ve got to be fast as well as consistent, Josh McLeod just scraped though the beat Craig “Thorpy” Thorp in Semi-Final # 1. In Semi-Final # 2 we saw the best race of the evening with a 3-way battle for the win. Dylan Menz managed to hold off Braydon Bateman and Tayo Anderson for the win right to the finish line.

Both Semi-Finals are run and now it’s the Super Final time, previous races and positions our out the window the only thing that matters is points for the starting grid and once those lights turn green even that is yesterday’s news. The Starting order for the Super Final was.

1.       Brad Pascoe 222 points

2.       Dylan Menz 220 points

3.       Braydon Bateman 220 points

4.       Craig Thorp 220 points

5.       Josh Mcleod 216 points

6.       Leslie Thiess 212 points

7.       Mike Healey 202 points

8.       Tayo Anderson 198 points

The 8 drivers were down in their briefing area, seated and ready to go. They all jump in their karts, the engines are fired up and the pace kart leads them out for their formation lap. As the pace kart peeled into pit lane they formed up ready to go, the race controller had been turning the green lights on at different times throughout to keep them on their toes so they were all left staring intensely & very closely at the lights to try and get the best start possible.

The green lights are on and they are off! Leslie Thiess tries to be optimistic around the outside of turn 1 but it doesn’t quite work, we see Craig Thorp go from 4^th to 2^nd by turn 3 of lap 1, looks like this is going to be a  great drive by the one known as “Thorpy.”

We see Dylan Menz quickly drop from 2^nd to 6^th so he now has a lot of work to do to make his way back up to within podium contention but he’s not a previous Friday Night Challenge Winner for nothing. We start lap 2 and Craig Thorp makes the move at turn 1 for 1^st on Brad Pascoe but he doesn’t quite have it completed, he then gets the run into turn 2 and finishes off the move. Dylan Menz goes outside than back to the inside on Leslie Thiess at turn 3 and gets the job done, what a move there by the sprint car driver, some of these dirt drivers aren’t too bad on tarmac.

Tayo Anderson than makes a move on Leslie Thiess and Dylan Menz at turn 5 but he drives it in a little too hot and they both slip right back past him, back to the drawing board for Tayo. Josh McLeod finds himself in 4^th. Lap 3 and Craig Thorp has put 1.4 seconds over the rest of the field already, Josh McLeod makes the move on Braydon Bateman at turn 5 and makes it stick he then sets his sights on Brad Pascoe for 2^nd place.

We are at the half way mark and Craig Thorp continues to check out, heading into turn 5 Josh McLeod goes to make the move for 2^nd and Braydon Bateman pushes him through, they both make the move stick & Braydon Bateman now finds himself in 3^rd with Brad Pascoe now finding himself back in 4^th, not the way the young man wanted his Super Final to go after starting off Pole Position.

3 laps to go Craig Thorp almost has it in the bag, only a mechanical failure or a big mistake could deny him with a 3 second lead over Josh McLeod who also looks like he has 2^nd wrapped up. Braydon Bateman and Brad Pascoe are hip and shoulder for 3^rd & 4^th spots, this is an intense fight for the final step on the Poduim.

2 laps out and Craig Thorp is your leader over Josh McLeod with Braydon Bateman in 3^rd just ahead of Brad Pascoe who has a nice buffer over Dylan Menz, there is then about a 3 second lead over Leslie Thiess who is just holding off Tayo Anderson, Mike Healey is still in the game to make up a spot but so far has had a relatively lonely race in 8^th place.

Last lap and Craig Thorp has now pulled 2.5 seconds over Josh McLeod but these 2 are in a class of their own both consistently pulling very low 60 second lap times which is absolutely incredible, the fight is still on for 3^rd between Braydon Bateman and Brad Pascoe, the other minor placings have settled down though with everyone almost settling into their respective positions.

Last Lap and the checked flag waves and Craig “Thorpy” Thorp is tonight’s Friday Night Challenge Winner setting the fastest lap time of the Super Final set on that last lap with a 60.332, he won by 2.792 seconds over Josh McLeod in 2^nd and Braydon Bateman Narrowly edges out Brad Pascoe for 3^rd place, Dylan Menz brings in home in 5^th Leslie Thiess in 6^th Tayo Anderson in 7^th with Mike Healey in 8^th.

All drivers displayed great driving skills on the night and all commented about the amazing new surface we have on our Le Mans track. If you think you’ve got what it takes to be our Friday Night Challenge Champion make sure you come on down to Kingston Park Raceway every Friday night for real racing on our 1100 metre new and improved Le Mans track.

Feel free to contact our friendly Sales Team on 07 3826 2255 to secure your spots on the grid, until than keep the right pedal down!

1st          Craig Thorpe (fastest lap in the final 60.332)

2^nd          Josh McLeod

3^rd           Braydon Bateman

NEW LAP RECORD

Craig Thorpe with an absolutely smashing 59.905