Jenner grabs 2nd in the championship for Melbourne Kart Centre

PHOTO CREDIT: PACE IMAGES

Melbourne Kart Centre made the trip interstate for the 5th and final round of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship. Melbourne Kart Centre, once again was led by former multiple time national champion James Sera, with 12 drivers across 4 classes competing at the Newcastle Kart Club. With leading stable driver Bradley Jenner in with a shot at the X30 championship, it was a massive weekend for the team.

Jenner and Samuel Gibson took on the X30 class for the Melbourne Kart Centre team. Jenner was able to put himself in position 5 for qualifying, with Gibson inside the top 20. Jenner never left the top 5 on Saturday with 3 brilliant heats while Gibson raced around the top 20. Gibson moved forward into the top 15 in heat 4 on Sunday morning finishing in position 14. Unfortunately from there neither Jenner nor Gibson finished a race, resulting in a DNF for both drivers in the final. Jenner was able to clinch 2nd place in the Australian Kart Championship!

Cadet 12 had young guns Blake Purvis and Aiden Schweikert taking to the track for Melbourne Kart Centre. Purvis led the way in qualifying in position 26, with Schweikert just outside the top 35 in position 39 overall. Both drivers moved forward across the heats, with Purvis inside the top 20 in his 4th heat and Schweikert inside the top 25 in his 1st and 3rd heats. Purvis was able to come through for his best result of the weekend in the final in position 17. Schweikert charged forward to finish in position 22 overall, 17 positions up from his qualifying spot!

Hunter Salvatore was the sole Melbourne Kart Centre driver in the KA4 Junior category. Salvatore qualified down the order in position 26 but was able to move forward 4 spots in heat 1 and 9 spots in heat 2. Hunter pushed on the edge of the top 10 in his remaining 2 heats before taking a brilliant 7th position in the final, just outside the top 5 drivers!

Melbourne Kart Centre had a 7 driver spread in the KA3 Senior class with James Sera, Taine Venables, Jake Santalucia, Jenson Teleskivi, Joshua Lackas, Imran Aly and Jack Johnson all taking the starter. Sera and Venables led the charge in qualifying both coming home in the top 15. Santalucia, Teleskivi, Lackas, Aly and Johnson set a time in position 19, 23, 24, 25 and 28. Sera and Venables raced in and around the top 10 in the heats, with the other five team members racing around the top 20 and 30. Santalucia charged through the field after 2 DNF’s to take home a brilliant position 11 in the final. Venables and Sera was able to come home inside the top 15 in position 14 and 15 respectfully. Aly, Lackas and Johnson came home in position 24, 26 and 29 respectively, with Teleskivi having an unfortunate DNF after being as high as the edge of the top 15.

Team owner and manager James Sera spoke post weekend. “It wasn’t quite the weekend we were after in Newcastle. A big congratulations to Brad on finishing second in the championship after a tough Sunday. All the team gave it their all and Hunter did a great job to charge up to 7th spot. We now turn our focus to the 2023 championship and the remainder of the Karting Victoria 2022 season”. Melbourne Kart Centre will have a busy finish to the 2022 season.