PHOTO CREDIT: IPSWICH KART CLUB
Project X Racing took a mammoth team of 24 drivers across 13 classes to the September Ipswich Kart Club championship round over the weekend. William Yarwood has led the team with multiple chances of victory. With a big presence and plenty of star power under the tent, Project X Racing was looking for a big weekend of results.
Isaac Mcneill, Jordi Slater and Hannah King all took the starter in the premier KA3 Junior class for the weekend. Mcneill led the way in dominate fashion, taking all 3 heat wins and putting himself off pole position for the final. Slater wasn’t far with 2 top 5 finishes in heat 2 and 3, with King running inside the top 2 for her final 2 heats showing good pace. Mcneill was able to make it a perfect day, taking out the final and the round for Project X Racing! Slater was able to come through to finish just outside the top 5 in position 6 with King just outside the top 10 in position 11.
One of Project X Racing’s drivers of the future Mia Yarwood took on the Cadet 9 & 12 Provisional class. Yarwood was able to put in strong heats with a brilliant win in heat 1. Mia backed this up with 2nd position in heat 2 and 3 and was in with a shot for victory. Yarwood showed excellent pace in the final and crossed the line on the podium in 3rd spot!
Newly crowned SP Tools Australian Kart Champion Patrick Buckley and Charlotte Page hit the track in KA4 Junior Light. Buckley showed why he had the number 1 green plate on his Project X Racing entry by taking out all 3 heat wins. Page finished in position 15 in heat 1 with the reverse grid format but bounced back with a strong 2nd in heat 2 and 8th in heat 3. Buckley, when looking on for certain victory, was put down to position 17 after lap 1 with work to do. Buckley was able to charge back through to position 7 in a great fight back, with Page right behind in position 8 inside the top 10.
Will Marshall and Jumpei Morita was the double act Project X Racing affair in TAG 125 Heavy. Both Marshall and Morita had DNF’s in heat 3 but showed excellent speed in the other 2 heat races. Marshall had a brilliant 5th in heat 1 and 7th in heat 2, while Morita finished inside the top 10 in position 9 and 8 in his 2 opening heats. Marshall was right in the battle inside the top 10 in the final just missing the top 5 in position 6 overall. Morita was on for a top 10 result before an unfortunate DNF ended his weekend charge.
SP Tools Australian Kart Championship round winner Jai Brown and Brieann Moyse took on the KA3 Senior class. Brown was able to continue his stellar 2022 season taking victory in all races across the round. Moyse did a brilliant job to bring home a Project X Racing 1-2.
Lachlan Murphy was the single driver in Open Performance Light for Project X Racing. Murphy qualified inside the top 5 in position 4 overall. Murphy had mixed heats with a 4th in heat 1, an unfortunate DNF in heat 2 but then bounced back for victory in the 3rd and final heat. Murphy was able to put in a strong showing in the final and come home on the podium in 3rd spot.
Seth Huth and Cruz Patroni took on the 30-kart field of Cadet 12 drivers. Huth and Patroni both raced inside the top 20 for the heats, with Huth putting on a brilliant show in heat 3 to move into the top 10 and finish in position 9. Huth was able to continue his progress in the final and move up to a brilliant 7th position in a tough field of drivers. Patroni was able to come home inside the top 20 in position 19 in a consistent day of driving.
Milli Bashi donned the Project X Racing colours in the 4SS Senior Light category. Bashi was right in the battle at the front in the heats with a 5th in heat 1 and 3rd in heat 2. Milli backed this up with another strong showing for 6th in heat 3. Bashi’s weekend finished on an unfortunate low, not making the start for the final.
Antony Murphy was another single driver Project X Racing attack, this time in TAG Restricted Heavy. Murphy was able to qualifying on the front row of the grid and back this up with a brilliant 2nd position in heat 1. Antony unfortunately had a day to forget from there not finishing another race.
Cadet 9 had a triple driver attack in Vincent Ter Horst, Riccardo Johnston and Kenichi Morita for Project X Racing. Ter Horst was the lead driver in the team finishing in the top 10 in all 3 heats with a 3rd in heat 1, 10th in heat 2 and a 7th in heat 3. Johnston raced on the edge of the top 10 but was able to grab a brilliant 6th in heat, while Morita raced around the top 15 with a highlight of 13th in heat 1. Ter Horst was able to grab a top 10 finish in the final in position 9 overall. Morita and Johnston were just outside the top 10 and 15 in position 13 and 19 respectively.
Mark Lees presented his Project X Racing machine to take on the TAG 125 Restricted Light category. Lees qualified in position 12 overall just outside the top 10. Mark finished in position 12 in heat 1 and moved up into the top 10 in heat 2. Lees had an unfortunate DNF in heat 3 which put him down the order for the final. Mark was able to regroup in the final to come home in position 14 overall just outside the top 10.
Project X Racing had a strong presence in TAG 125 Light with Jack Stimson, Talea Kiddle and Cameron Mcleod. Mcleod had a DNF result in heat 1 but showed superb pace to grab a 3rd in heat 2 and 8th in heat 3. Stimson raced on the edge of the top 10 in the opening 2 heats but moved up to position 7 in heat 3, with Kiddle being on the edge of the top 15 in his 3 heat races. Mcleod was able to come home inside the top 10 in a strong result after a DNF in heat 1. Stimson was able to make his way into the top 15 in position 13, with Kiddle having an unfortunate DNF in the final.
Kevin Johnston and Ben Spalding were the two driver Project X Racing pair in TAG 125 Restricted Masters. Johnston was able to qualify on pole position with Spalding also inside the top 5. Johnston never left the top 2 in the heats, with a win in heat 2 and 2nd in heats 1 and 3. Spalding had a position 5 and 6 in heat 1 and 2 with a DNF in heat 3 hurting his starting spot for the final. Johnston was able to come through to take victory in the final and the round win in a strong drive. Spalding was able to rebound and come home inside the top 5 in position 4 in a great showing.
Team principal and owner William Yarwood spoke post weekend on the teams result and the tough weather conditions. “We had a great day considering the conditions. Our team is starting to become accustomed to the inclement weather we have had recently. While that made it tough in the pits with call on setup, the drivers nailed it. Every single member is getting stronger and stronger each outing so it’s great to see”. Yarwood will continue to lead the Project X Racing team in the remainder of the 2022 season.
