Welcome here to Kingston Park Raceway trackside once again for the National Hire Kart Challenge! We had the best of the best come out today to participate and show what they are made of on the track and they did not disappoint. Callum Harty, Ryan O’Sullivan, Dan Greer Chris Adams, Lindsay Hobbs, Josh Mcleod, Stefan Lawrence and Andy Barber put it all on the track to take home the prize. With qualifying done and dusted we head straight into heat number one.

Heat one started off with a bang, literally! After a clean start, the field had a hard charge into turn 7 with Lindsay making a move on Andy for the lead, Ryan, Stefan and Josh in the mix as well it cannot end well sweeping into turn 8. Contact is made with Lindsay, Andy, Ryan and Josh going four wide and the drivers on the outside cop the short end of the stick. Josh and Ryan find themselves to the back of the field with a lot of work ahead of them now to reclaim some points while the three-way battle for the lead between Andy, Lindsay and Stefan continue. Josh with a hard charge managed to fight his way back up into fifth as the chequered flag waived. Lindsay gets the better of Stefan at the front to take the win in heat one. Stefan follows through to claim second and Dan held a consistent and clean race to come away with third.

Heat two starts with a reverse qualifying grid and with Ryan off pole makes a mad dash as the green lights come on obviously looking to make up for the mistakes in the previous race. At the other end Lindsay, the winner of heat one dives out of fifth position with some textbook passes through turns three and five and climbs his way up into second and is now on the hunt for Ryan. Josh and Stefan do not let the battle end between them from start to finish for third as they trade places lap to lap. In the end Josh come out on top with a clean run through seven and eight to take the chequered in third. Lindsay could not make up the ground to challenge Ryan for the lead and comes across the line for a second-place finish. And Ryan with a clean, crisp and consistent race from start to finish takes the top spot in heat two.

Points to the front for heat three puts Lindsay off pole with a solid drive so far in heats one and two. Right out of the gate Lindsay is pressured by Stefan who refuses to relent keeping Lindsay in his sights. Looking to the back of the field we have Andy making big moves from last position. With a perfect drive he carves up the field and finds himself into third position and hunting down the two lead drivers. Stefan and Lindsay have not stopped the fight since the green flag dropped but so far Lindsay still holds the lead into the final laps. Dan, Callum and Ryan have a titanic battle for sixth, back and forth swapping position corner to corner its anyone’s game back there. Taking the chequered flag in heat three with a drag down the main straight was Lindsay. Stefan coming across in a very close second and Andy with a brilliant drive from the back came across in a well-deserved third.

Time for the final and the man to beat, Lindsay is once again off pole. Green lights come alive and Lindsay makes a mad dash into turn one to solidify his lead in the race. Stefan and Josh are hot on his heels but get caught up battling each other almost an identical showing of heat two. Back and forth they go, lap to lap swapping and chopping. Stefan makes a pass stick through turns seven and eight and Josh fights back into turn one. Callum and Ryan are having a good battle as well for sixth after Andy beat out Ryan for fifth. As the laps wind down it seems that no one has an answer for Lindsay today as he takes the chequered flag in the final race of the day. All eyes are on the second and third place battle however with Stefan and Josh still neck and neck out of turn eight and across the line for second this time Stefan gets the better of the battle to take second and Josh comes across the line in a very close and hard fought third.

Top three points standing:

1^st – Lindsay Hobbs – 238pts – First in light division

2^nd – Stefan Lawrence – 228pts – First in medium division

3^rd – Josh Mcleod – 218pts – Second in light division

And that about wraps up another round of the National Hire Kart Challenge here at Kingston Park Raceway. We thank all who came and hope everyone had one hell of a day out! Catch you all next time here on track at Kingston Park Raceway, where everyone loves to race!