TARPORLEY High School’s karting team showed their brilliance at the first NatSKA meeting of the new school year.
The team claimed a string of titles and almost completed a clean sweep of trophies at the Glan-y-Gors circuit in North Wales.
The super fast 100cc TKM class was very exciting with Tarporley taking four of the top five places. Rob Wallace claimed first place and was joined in the top five by Chris Percival and Josh McLoughlin in equal second and James Warner in fifth.
In the four stroke classes, Rob’s younger brother Simon followed last season’s scintillating form by taking the seniors’ win. Tarporley driver Johnathan Molyneux was close to emulating Simon in the juniors but he had to settle for second.
In the class eight rotary, Tom Oliphant raced to second and was closely followed by team-mate Mike Booker in third.
Tarporley drivers dominated the class 14 raket field as Stuart Wood took the overall win, pushed all the way by teammates Ben McLoughlin (4th), Daz McLaughlin (5th), George Heath (6th), Florrie Kirby (7th), Bethan Rainford (8th) and Jack Lister (10th).
In the extreme speed Rotax class, Luke McLaughlin claimed top spot, beating Matt Wood by just one point.
Tarporley’s next meeting is tomorrow at Rye House, Hertfordshire.
Alex O’Sullivan delivered a gritty performance to overcome a poor qualifying session and a mechanical failure and keep his Formula Rotax Championship hopes alive in the penultimate race.
The Chester kart driver, 14, climbed from 18th on the grid – his worst grid placement of the season – to second at the Three Sisters raceway, near Wigan.
Just a few minutes before the start of the crucial 18-lap final, Alex’s mechanics spotted his axle was bent. With no time to change it he had to make the best of the situation and went on to finish in second.
He will now have a chance to compete for the top championship spot in the final round at Buckmore Park in Kent on October 7.
