Young Victorian driver Adam Hughes has upstaged some of his more fancied rivals to take a commanding win in the Australian Formula 100 Titles at the Beckley International Karting Raceway in Geelong, Victoria today.
The 19-year-old from Mentone in Melbourne, Victoria won his first Australian title with a clear victory in the 21-lap championship final, just one week after finishing second while representing Australia at the IAME International Karting Challenge in Spain.
The win capped off a breakthrough season for the popular Kosmic driver, who was a regular top three contender all season and was making his first start in a major event in the Formula 100 category, arguably the fastest class in Australian karting.
“It’s an awesome feeling to get this win,” said Hughes.
“I’ve never won an Australian title, so it’s great to get the victory here today.
“The whole MKC team is really stoked and the Kosmic chassis was great all weekend – everyone at Super 1 Karting is very happy as well because it was a Kosmic 1-2.
“This win definitely caps off the best year of my career and I feel that the Kosmic chassis has moved me up to the front of the field.
“It was great to race for Australia in Spain last weekend, so to win a green plate the very next weekend is a pretty special feeling.
“In Leopard Light, James (Sera, MKC-Kosmic team-mate) and I have both been running well all year. We ran 1-2 here at Geelong in the Victorian Open earlier this year and when James won the Nationals in Tassie I had the pace but not the luck.
“I haven't done much racing in Formula 100, but it all went to plan and I have to thank everyone that got me to this point after so many years of karting. I can’t wait to run that green and gold number one plate next year.”
Finishing second was local Geelong driver Daniel Richert, making it a 1-2 finish for Italian manufacturer Kosmic, while former Australian Rotax Light champion Hayden McBride came home in third place aboard his Gillard kart.
Another local Geelong favourite in Aaron Ivermee started the final from pole position ahead of Hughes, fastest qualifier David Sera and Cameron Thorpe.
But at the first corner it was Hughes who got the jump, followed by the Geelong pair of Ivermee and Richert while behind them, two of the pre-event favourites in Sera and defending champion Jason Burns crashed out in spectacular fashion.
While Richert and McBride both charged hard to haul in their younger rival, Hughes was able to maintain a sizeable gap over the entire race distance to claim the victory.
Thorpe was a fast finishing fourth after falling back as a result of the skirmish at the first corner, claiming the honour as the first brand new Arrow X1 chassis home.
Yet another Kosmic claimed fifth with a strong drive from Reece Kawitzki, followed by Ivermee, Mark Domaschenz, Matthew Hayes and Trent James.
2007 Australian Formula 3 champion and CAMS Gold Star winner Tim Macrow made a successful comeback to karting with a top 10 finish in the final in his Tony Kart after starting from the rear of the pack, some eight years since his last kart race.
RESULTS: 2008 Australian Formula 100 Titles – Geelong, Victoria
Run in conjunction with the Val & Joyce Findlay Memorial
1. #64 Adam Hughes (Kosmic) 21 laps
2. #90 Daniel Richert (Kosmic)
3. #4 Hayden McBride (Gillard)
4. #32 Cameron Thorpe (Arrow)
5. #17 Reece Kawitzki (Kosmic)
6. #58 Aaron Ivermee (Arrow)
7. #18 Mark Domaschenz (SQ)
8. #52 Matthew Hayes (Maranello)
9. #51 Trent James (Arrow)
10. #25 Tim Macrow (Tony Kart)