KARTING REPORT O’sullivan dramatically denies Thompson a second GP plate win at Kartmasters

Zak O’sullivan snatched his maiden Kartmasters GP title in dramatic style having led for only two corners during an absorbing Cadet IAME final at PF International in Lincolnshire last weekend.

Five drivers went into the final lap with a shot at the GP title. O’sullivan put himself in the perfect position to capitalise when Harry Thompson’s banzai lunge on leader Bray Kenneally forced both drivers off line with just two corners remaining.

Earlier on in a breathaking final lap O’sullivan had swept passed his teammates Max Dodds and Joseph Taylor to snatch what he thought would be the final place on the podium after a race in which an initial lead group of 13 was gradually whittled down to the final five.

Thompson, who had earlier won the Cadet Honda GP Plate and was attempting to emulate Ben Barnicoat as the only two drivers who have ever won two GP Plates on the same day, finished just a kart length behind his stunned team-mate with Kenneally third.

But Thompson can still look back on the day with a smile after he out-duelled Oliver Bearman to win the Cadet Honda title. An early-race clash that claimed poleman Wes Mason and Lucas Ellingham left Thompson and Bearman with a gap over the rest and they worked together diligently until the final two laps when they scrapped it.

There was also last-lap drama in Junior Rotax when William Pettitt tried an audacious outside pass on Joe Turney at the first hairpin for the lead. However, Pettitt clipped the KR Sport machine wide and sent himself into retirement. As Turney ran off line Myles Apps cut underneath his rivals to claim the win. Adding insult to injury, Turney was then given a penalty for jumping the start which allowed Tyler Chesterton and Mark Kimber to complete the podium.

Dexter Patterson won the Mini Max GP Plate despite struggling with his kart for most of the weekend. The Scotsman got it working when it mattered most and was able to keep his

1 Zak O’sullivan (Fusion/ Synergy); 2 Harry Thompson (Fusion/ Synergy) +0.16s; 3 Bray Kenneally (AIM/ ZIP); 4 Max Dodds (Fusion/ Synergy); 5 Joseph Taylor (Fusion/ Synergy); 6 Joshua Ratican (Fusion/ Synergy). Pre Final Winner Kenneally. Heat Winners Thompson (x2), Alex Simmons (AIM/ ZIP) (x2), Alex Dunne (AIM/ ZIP), Dodds. Fastest lap Thompson 1m06.72s (46.13mph). Pole Kenneally. Starters 43.

1 Harry Thompson (CER/ Synergy); 2 Oliver Bearman (Virtus Motorsport/ Project One) +0.09s; 3 Oliver Marsh (Project One/ Project One); 4 Sam Heading (Privateer/ Project One); 5 Theo Micouris (Virtus Motorsport/ ZIP); 6 Archie Brown (Privateer/ BRK). HW Thompson (x3), Wesley Mason (Privateer/ Project One). FL Bearman 1m07.49s (45.81mph). P Mason. S 29.

1 Myles Apps (Dan Holland Racing/alonso); 2 Tyler Chesterton (Coles Racing/tony) +1.42s; 3 Mark Kimber (Strawberry Racing/tony); 4 Tommy Foster (Privateer/tony); 5 Jenson Brown (Privateer/tony); 6 Cole Kilner (Mick Barrett Racing/tony). HW Apps, Chesterton, Joe Turney (KR Sport/ Kosmic) (x3). FL Turney 59.15s (52.27mph). P William Pettitt (Tooley Motorsport/tony). S 18.

Mini Max Grand Prix (16 laps) 1 Dexter Patterson (Strawberry Racing/tony); 2 Jenson Butterfield (Strawberry Racing/tony)

Strawberry team-mate Jenson Butterfield, who had been one of the dominant forces of the weekend, pegged back in second place. Finlay Bunce was a close third while Tom Canning drove from 25th to fourth.

Both X30 classes were well subscribed and it was the two drivers who triumphed in June’s IAME European Open at PFI who triumphed again. Callum Bradshaw inherited the Junior X30 title after Oliver York, who pulled off an outside last-lap pass high up on the banking that will live long in the memory was given a nosecone penalty. That decision handed Bradshaw the win and ensured a podium lock-out for BKC.

Danny Keirle didn’t leave it as late to

+0.19s; 3 Finlay Bunce (Tooley Motorsport/ Kosmic); 4 Tom Canning (KR Sport/ Kosmic); 5 Lorcan Hanafin (Strawberry Racing/tony); 6 Jonny Edgar (Coles Racing/tony). HW Edgar, Canning, Butterfield (x3), Kierle. FL Keirle 58.08s (53.23mph). P Butterfield. S 25.

1 Callum Bradshaw (BKC Racing/tony); 2 Jac Maybin (BKC Racing/ Exprit) +0.12s; 3 Sam Mcdonnell (BKC Racing/tony); 4 Matthew Graham (Jade Karts/ Gold); 5 Morgan Porter (CRM/ Octane); 6 Elliott Harvey (Global Karting/tonykart). HW Maybin (x3), Bradshaw (x2), Oliver York (Coles Racing/tony). FL York 58.95s (52.67mph). P Bradshaw. S 42.

1 Danny Keirle (Jade Karts/ Gold); 2 Mark Litchfield (PF International/ Birelart) +0.51s; 3 Brett Ward (MLC Motorsport/ Mach1); 4 Matthew Hirst (KR Sport/ Kosmic); 5 Josh Skelton (Coles Racing/tony); 6 Tom Sharpe Reynolds (Kartune/ Kosmic). HW Ward, Litchfield (x3), Kierle, Josh White (Coles Racing/tony). FL Keirle 58.08s (53.23mph). P Litchfield. S 53.

Senior OK Grand Prix (18 laps) 1 Oliver Hodgson (PF International/ Birelart); 2 Clement Novalak (Team Oakes/tony) +1.14s; 3 Dean Mcdonald (Strawberry Racing/tony); 4 Luke Knott (Strawberry Racing/tony); 5 Archie Tillett (Privateer/ Fullerton); 6 Ben Davis (Dan Holland Racing/alonso). HW Hodgson, Mcdonald (x2), Novalak. FL Mcdonald 54.99s (54.99mph). P Hodgson. S 13.

take the Senior X30 as he did in June but it was still a grandstand finish as first he passed Brett Ward and then had to hold off none other than Mark Litchfield on the last lap.

Making its Kartmasters debut was the OK Senior class and, despite having the smallest grid, Dean Mcdonald turned the fastest ever lap around PFI in the pre final. However neither Mcdonald nor anyone else could do anything about Oliver Hodgson in the main event.

Over a gruelling 18-lap pursuit, Mcdonald had to concede second place to Clement Novalak, who finished just one second behind the now two-time GP plate winner.