CIK: AUS: Season finale first day summary

Day Of Surprises at Sparco CIK Championships Final Round

The opening day of the final round of the Sparco CIK Australian Championships for 2004, presented by the Foster's Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, produced a number of surprise results in qualifying and some magnificent racing action.

Junior Intercontinental A provided the biggest surprise of all in qualifying, when young New Zealander, Earl Bamber put his Kosmic on the pole, his first pole position in Australian CIK competition. Adding to the surprise was rapidly improving New South Welshman, Richard Rapa, who completed the front row in his Parolin.

Defending Australian Champion, Kristian Lindbom found himself in third, surrounded by his Championship nemeses in Jake Williams (4th) and Joshua Scott (5th).

The opening heat provided some spectacular action, with Joshua Scott fighting his way through for a dominant win over Lindbom, the front row men dropping back through the field.

The second heat was the race of the day, with a number of lead changes and fighting right through the field. Lindbom looked as though the pressure of holding onto his 17 point championship lead was beginning to get to him, running wide on a number of occasions. He was able to hold onto it to finish second behind Rapa who put in a great performance to withstand the pressure from the defending champion.

The other tense Championship battle in Formula A between Daniel Elliot and Barclay Holden was beginning to come to a head. The two combatants have been fighting a tactical battle all season long and today was no different. Elliot completed only one timed lap in the opening qualifying session, before coming out in the second session and blasting around to set the quick time.

The opening heat went to Elliot behind the wheel of his Birel, whilst Holden was experiencing some technical difficulty with the newly sponsored pocketbikes.com.au Trulli. JT Team Arrow's Matthew Wall started off the second heat well, however Elliot skipped away in the early stages. Wall looked as though he was well off the pace, before the Arrow came on in leaps and bounds with a handful of laps remaining. Wall took the lead with around three to go and pulled away from Elliot.

Vega Tyres Intercontinental C looked as though it may have been a tight tussle between a number of competitors and early indications are that will be the case. As has become typical, Bart Price set a blistering time, incidentally the fastest of any class, to take the pole position inhis Arrow from Justin Ruggier, who makes his return this weekend for Team BRM.

The opening heat saw Price take a dominant win, after Ruggier got a blinding start off the front row of the grid. The second heat was a different story, with Price missing the start big time and dropping back to virtually last. A coming together with another competitor saw Price suffer a right rear failure. After attempting to persist with the problem for a few laps, he ultimately pulled in.

This allowed Ruggier and Mathew Sofi the opportunity to fight it out at the front of the field. After initially holding third position, Parolin's Joshua Pontello dropped back toward the end of the heat. Impressively, Daniel Erickson was able to take his Top Kart to third position, in what proved to be one of the drives of the day.

Motor Quality Intercontinental A started off the best way possible for the local Top Kart team, with a trifecta in Qualifying. Second placed in the Championship, Paul Laskazeski took pole, with debutante Ryan Gallagher qualifying in second. West Aussie, Deepal Kandola qualified third.

Tim Ball, who will end his CIK career following this weekend was fired up for a big performance and after putting his Trulli on the second row, looked exceptionally fast in the heats, finishing second in both to Laskazeski. Current Championship leader, Ashley Walsh had a mixed day, qualifying mid pack and had a coming together in the opening heat with Kandola, who was being lapped and stopped on the racing line. Both competitors kept going.

The final round of the 2004 Sparco Australian CIK Championships, presented by the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, will conclude with the final heat, pre-final and final on Sunday.

-cik.aus-