KF Junior Round 1 at Suzuka Recap
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Xander Clements October 28, 2014
The Suzuka Kart Track has a deep-running history with the Sim Karting World Championship, even predating the actual league with its predecessor, the Kart Attack Racing Challenge. In fact, the final ever KARC event was held here, with Xander Clements having a breakout win aboard a PCR Super Strillo chassis for Checkered Motorsports. The track showed intense racing then, and proved to hold up to its long-standing past with the SKWC community of drivers by having the closest margin for first in qualifying in SKWC's short-lived history, with Cory Hayes (ItalKart) besting his satellite teammate, Jake Burton (CRG).
Burton had issues on the start of the prefinal, however, and quickly fell back outside the top five after the first two turns. Hayes broke out to an early lead that would last him to the end of the event, with the assistance of some bad luck for BirelART Motorsport drivers Corrie Hiatt (BirelART) and Michael Avansino (BirelART). This allowed KartSport North America drivers Xander Clements (FA Kart) and Andre Castro (FA Kart) the ability to crack into the Top 3, and solidify that the longest running team in the series was a force to be reckoned with yet again.
Moving into the final, Hayes once again got out to an early lead. Clements was shuffled back from second all the way to fifth place within the first sector, only being able to maneuver his way back up to fourth by the end of the first lap. This allowed Castro to lock on to Hayes's draft early on, as Hayes began to pull them both away from the field. Michael Avansino again found bad luck while racing early on, ending his day early with a flip onto his backside. This put the nail into the coffin for his chances at victory, and secured Castro's opportunity to break away from the pack. Clements moved his way back up into third, only to make multiple mistakes throughout the event, eventually relinquishing the spot to Corrie Hiatt, and falling back to fifth place behind Phillippe Denes (Tony Kart), who, like Hiatt, suffered from bad luck in the PreFinal. Hiatt would make one mistake all race, clobbering the exit curb from the last turn just a bit too hard, sending him for a spin and giving up his podium spot to Denes. He recovered to hold on to fourth place over Clements, who rounded out the Top 5 with a solid points finish.
Official Results:
1st) Cory Hayes #11 (ItalKart)
2nd) Andre Castro #4 (FA Kart)
3rd) Phillippe Denes #98 (Tony Kart)
4th) Corrie Hiatt #42 (BirelART)
5th) Xander Clements #36 (FA Kart)
6th) Florian Godard #2 (CRG)
7th) Gresham Wagner #5 (FA Kart)
8th) Ian Bushey #37 (ItalKart)
9th) Elliott Budzinski #91 (Tony Kart)
10th) Michael Avansino #44 (BirelART)
11th) Jake Burton #35 (CRG)
12th) Alex Frazer #51 (ART GP)
13th) Matt Keyes #62 (ART GP)
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