Pro Karting at Golden Power Series

Pro Karting started their assault on the Victorian Golden Power Series over the weekend at the Goulburn Valley Kart Club. A team of twelve drivers represented one of Victoria’s strongest teams from Cadet 9 all the way through to the senior ranks.

After a busy start to season 2022, Pro Karting was looking to start the Golden Power Series season with some strong results.

Ashton Cattach kicked things off for the team in the ultra-competitive KA3 Senior Light field. Cattach had a great start to the weekend qualifying in the top ten in seventh, only two tenths of the pole position time. Ashton moved up to position six in the opening heat and also position six in the third heat gaining a spot in each race from his starting spot. Cattach had his best race of the weekend in heat three moving into the top five and then up to as high as second through out the race. Ashton dropped back one spot to position three to cross the line. In a super competitive and tough final Cattach was able to come home inside the top five in fifth overall, gaining great points for his championship and an excellent top five finish for the Pro Karting team.

The Pro Karting team’s youngest driver Blake Germanchis was next to hit the track in the Cadet 9 class. Blake qualified in position thirteen and the young driver’s and teams ambition was to improve throughout the weekend. Germanchis came home in position thirteen in heat one but had dramatic improvement in lap time. Blake had improved second and third heats improving in times once again and coming home as high as eleventh in heat two. Unfortunately, Germanchis was involved in an incident in the final ruling him out of the race. The young driver had a great weekend improving up to nearly three seconds a lap with driver improvement and help from the Pro Karting squad.

Pip Casabene and George Macmillan were the Pro Karting drivers in the oversubscribed KA4 Junior Light class. Pip qualified in a strong sixth position and looked like he could really challenge the top five. Macmillan was not far behind inside the top ten in position ten. Casabane moved up to third position in his split heat one, with Macmillan able to shadow his team mate in position four. Casabane was battling for the win in heat two but with himself and the leader coming together he dropped back once again to third spot. Due to this Macmillan, who was running just behind was able to jump up spots and come home in second spot with both drivers in the top three!

Casabene made a trifecta of third placings in the heat races and this had him starting out of position four for the final. Unfortunately Macmillan had a DNF in his final heat putting him out of position eight for the big one. In a hard fought final Casabene was able to cross the line in position four, Pro Karting’s second top five of the weekend and first trophy! Macmillan unfortunately had a Sunday to forget once again having a DNF. George will be one to watch in the next round with the pace he showed on Saturday!

Jesse Watkins and Julijan Karlusic both represented the Pro Karting stable in the TAG restricted medium class. Karlusic led the charge for the team qualifying in position four with Watkins inside the top fifteen in position fifteen. The opening two heats were mixed results for the drivers with Karlusic starting with a strong fifth spot in heat one, but an incident in heat two dropped him down to position thirteen. Watkins dropped one spot in heat one to finish sixteenth but then had a good drive in heat two moving up four spots to position eleven. Karlusic finished inside the top three in ninth spot with Watkins not to far behind in position twelve. Watkins and Karlusic both moved forward in the final and both coming home with strong top ten results. Watkins moved up eight spots over the fifteen laps coming home in sixth spot with Karluslic just behind in position seven!

Lucas Costanzo was the Cadet 12 Pro Karting representative and had to do so in a big field of nineteen drivers. Costanzo had a great start to his weekend qualifying on the second row of the grid in fourth position. Lucas backed this up with two impressive fourth place finishes in heat one and heat two. Costanzo dropped just outside the top five in heat three in sixth but was determined to bounce back in the final. Costanzo sat on the rear of the led group in the early stages and was showing great pace. Lucas crossed the line in fourth position taking home Pro Karting’s third top five of the weekend and second trophy!

Will Harper represented the team in the tough TAG 125 Light field. Harper set the sixth fastest time in qualifying and was looking to move forward in the heats. The young driver was able to do just that coming home in position three in heat one and position four in heat two. Harper came home in fourth position once again in heat three and was looking to get on the podium for the final. In a great drive Will ran in third spot most of the race and came home just behind second spot to grab a podium. Harper was the fourth Pro Karting driver to come home in the top five with a third trophy for the team.

Sebastian Perrone and Mark Seddon flew the flag for Pro Karting in another big class on the weekend, TAG Restricted Light. Both drivers were able to qualify in the top ten with Perrone in seventh and Seddon in eighth. Perrone had a great start moving up inside the top five in heat one but heat two had an unfortunate DNF. Seddon was consistent and ran in the top ten in both heats with eighth in heat one his best finish. Seddon and Perrone were out of position ten and thirteen for the final. Perrone made his way back inside the top ten, coming home in position ten overall with Seddon not far behind in position twelve. Both drivers showed excellent pace throughout the weekend and will look to bounce back at the next round.

Pip Casabene and Alexander Yoannidis were the final team drivers running in the ultra-competitive KA3 Junior category. Both drivers started strong with Casabene qualifying position four with Yoannidis just outside the top five in position six. Both drivers moved forward in the opening heat with Casabene moving up to third and Yoannidis up to fourth spot. Casabene was once again able to move up to third spot in heat two, with Yoannidis staying in his starting spot in sixth position. Heat three was mixed results for the drivers with Casabene dropped down to position eight overall. Yoannidis had his best heat moving up to position three overall and both looking towards the final. Both drivers tried their hearts out in the final and right in the battle for the podium spots. Yoannidis led the charge home in position four, with Casabene right behind and both drivers coming home in the top five overall.

Jace Lindstrom from Pro Karting spoke post weekend of the team’s weekend. “A very strong start to the Golden Power Series for all of our drivers. Six out of eleven drivers were in the top five and right in the top ten. For most of our drivers it was the first time competing at the Numurkah circuit, which really outlines how good of a job the whole team have done”.

Pro Karting will be back at the track this weekend for the opening round of the Australian Kart Championship at the Go Kart Club of Victoria.