The 2007 Australian Superkart Championship was the 19th running of the national championships for Superkarts. It began on 6 May 2007 at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and ended on 15 July at Eastern Creek Raceway after eight races.
It was contested for three engine-based classes, 250 cc International (twin-cylinder engines), 250 cc National (single-cylinder engines) and 125 cc. National championships were awarded to 250 cc International and 125, while 250 National were awarded a national title, but not an Australian Championship as there were insufficient competitors to qualify.
Teams and drivers The following drivers competed in the 2007 Australian Superkart Championship. The series consisted of two rounds, with four races at each meeting. TeamClassChassisEngineNoDriver RMR Superkarts 250 National Anderson Maverick KTM 1 Jason McIntyre 250 International Anderson Maverick FPE/RCS 6 Wayne Sprostan 7 Colin McIntyre 10 Gary Pegoraro 11 Evan Fuller 250 National Anderson Maverick Kawasaki 21 Rick Setterfield Bittern Garden Supplies 250 National Anderson Mirage PVP 3 Shannon Barton Rocket Race Engines 250 International Anderson Mirage FPE/RCS 4 Rod Prickett Zip – BDH 250 International Zip Eagle II BRC 5 Gerard Seibert 15 Peter Knispel 27 Barbara Hepworth 29 Yiani Harpas 66 Todd Johnson International Entertainment 250 International PVP PVP 8 Anton Stevens Stockman Superkarts 250 International Stockman MR2 Honda RS250 9 Sam Zavaglia 250 National Stockman MR2 Kawasaki 12 John Roberts 250 International Stockman MR2 Honda RS250 18 Warren McIlveen 125 Gearbox Stockman MR2 Honda RS125 24 Chris Harward Maddern Oil Pty Ltd 250 International Zip Eagle II 14 Chas Maddern MJR Bricklaying 250 National Stockman MR2 Yamaha 16 Martin Latta Rod Conn 125 Gearbox Arrow Honda RS125 17 Rod Conn Safe Billet Cases 250 International Anderson Mirage SAFE/RCS 19 Darren Hossack Darren Dunn 125 Gearbox Topkart Honda RS125 20 Darren Dunn Project Precast 250 National Stockman MR2 Yamaha 22 David Williams Lombo Concreting 250 International Anderson Maverick Honda RS250 25 Andrew Lombardo 26 Eddie Lombardo 250 National Zapelli Kawasaki 76 Chris Sullings Ron Ping 125 Gearbox Stockman MR2 Honda RS125 28 Ron Ping Buildersmile Construction 250 International PVP PVP 30 Carlo Chermaz Suburban Accounting 125 Gearbox Stockman MR2 Honda RS125 33 Kristian Stebbing 250 International Stockman MR2 Honda RS250 77 Brad Stebbing Coach Design 125 Gearbox Stockman MR2 Laydown Honda RS125 35 Russell Jamieson 86 Chryss Jamieson NEC Automotive 250 International Stockman MR2 Honda RS250 40 Stephen Castles Impact Flags & Banners 125 Gearbox Stockman MR2 Honda RS125 46 Colin Moore James Bakker 125 Gearbox Bakker Honda RS125 51 James Bakker IDM Racing 125 Gearbox Centreline Honda RS125 55 Ian Mash GR Industries 250 National Stockman MR2 60 Frank Giglio Giova Design 250 International Avoig Honda RS250 62 John Pellicano 125 Gearbox Avoig Honda RS125 63 Luke Brown JBL Performance 125 Gearbox Bakker Honda RS125 65 Jarrod Lethborg 125 Gearbox Stockman MR2 Honda RS125 70 Anthony Lappas City Mobile Brakes 250 International Bakker Honda RS250 72 Dean McGinty Guards Australia 125 Gearbox Centreline Honda RS125 74 Allan Dodge Kitten Car Care Products 250 International Anderson Maverick 88 Greg Ruff Nick Paul 250 International Stockman MR2 Honda RS250 89 Robert Oakley Modbury Press 125 Gearbox MDV Honda RS125 91 David Prest Mark Hanson 250 International Zip Eagle II Yamaha TZ250 96 Mark Hanson KC Tools 250 International Anderson Maverick Honda RS250 99 Daniel Rammerman
Season review
Round 1
Sydney based racer Sam Zavaglia stepped back from the brink of a kart destroying crash to win the fourth and final race of the weekend, claiming the opening round of the Australian Superkart Championship held at the Shannons Nationals Motor Racing Championships at Phillip Island.
Zavaglia (Stockman Superkarts Stockman-Honda) started the day well with a pair of second places in the two opening races behind team mate and defending champion Warren McIlveen (Mac's Marine Stockman-Honda). Race Three saw disaster strike when Zavaglia slid off the track at the Southern Loop while leading, plunging off a half metre drop in the infield as he struggled to rejoin the circuit, wrecking his nosecone on his way to salvaging sixth place. The final bonus points race saw Zavaglia climb rapidly into second place where he fought for the place with New Zealander Anton Stevens (International Entertainment PVP-PVP) which became a battle for the lead when McIlveen slowed with tyre failure. Zavaglia cleared away from Stevens for the win.
The tyre failure cost McIlveen the round win who had overcome ignition and clutch problems to claim the three preliminary race wins. Limping home for a 34th placed finish in the final gave the Tamworth-based racer points enough to secure third place for the round, but McIlveen did have the satisfaction of taking home the Phillip Island lap record (1:32.6516), an eight-year-old record held previously by Stockman Superkarts Team Manager, Brian Stockman.
Discovery of the meeting was the Marron Excavations / RMR Superkarts Anderson-FPE/RCS of Gary Pegoraro. Only a month after the Melbourne Superkarter stepped into the 250cc International ranks Pegoraro sits second in the Australian Championship after scoring a second and two thirds in the preliminary races. The former 250cc National racer faded to fourth in the final behind the improving pace of Stevens and Carlo Chermaz (Buildersmile Constructions PVP-PVP) but he now sits just four points behind Zavaglia heading into the next round at Eastern Creek.
Chermaz third-place finish in the final capped off a round above his expectations after a curtailed preparation from a construction site accident forcing the Queenslander to race recovering from a broken elbow and hand. Just four points behind McIlveen and twelve behind Zavaglia there is a four driver showdown beckoning at Eastern Creek in July for the championship decider.
In the 250cc National division, reigning champion Jason McIntyre (Marron Excavations / RMR Superkarts Anderson-KTM) had a perfect weekend, turning pole position into four races wins including a top ten finish in Race Three. McIntyre was however pushed as he has never been pushed in the last two seasons as John Roberts (Stockman Superkarts Stockman-Kawasaki) diced with McIntyre in three of the four races and heads to Eastern Creek closer in the points race than any of McIntyre rivals have managed. Another class newcomer, David Williams (Project Precast Anderson-Yamaha) snapped at the heels of McIntyre and Roberts throughout the weekend to finish third.
A tyre failure in race one saw defending 125cc reigning champion Russell Jamieson (Coach Design Stockman-Honda) finish the weekend in third place as his team mate and father Chryss Jamieson (Coach Design Stockman-Honda) took out the round. The distinctive laydown designed Stockman chassis taking two race victories each with Russell eclipsing Steve Crossland's six-year-old lap record in a dominant Race Four performance. Three thirds and a second in the bonus points Race Four has put Kristian Stebbing (Suburban Accounting Stockman-Honda) between the Jamieson family in the points, while veteran racer Colin Moore (Impact Flags & Banners Stockman-Honda) sits just one point behind Russell Jamieson after a consistent run.
Driver Quotes: Sam Zavaglia (Stockman Superkarts Stockman-Honda) 250cc International First, "I don't know where it come from, but I got a top end misfire under load. It was well down on horsepower. When Anton passed me I used his tow to drag me along behind him. I've been here before and lost with three laps to go, you don't know where it's going to end, but I'm glad it finished that way. I've had some luck. It's been a good weekend and I couldn't have hoped for better. We had problems but we still got there."
Gary Pegoraro (Marron Excavations Anderson-FPE/RCS) 250cc International Second, "I've had a pretty reasonable weekend consider we've only had the kart for a month. I can't complain. We've had a couple of issues but when you're trying to catch some of the best karters in the world you have to do your homework. We've got a little bit more to do. But our RMR Anderson is going really well."
Warren McIlveen (Mac's Marine Stockman-Honda) 250cc International Third, "I had a tyre blowout coming in to the second last lap and managed to scramble home for a point in the final. The kart went mostly fine but we had ignition problems in the fourth and the third race and a clutch slipping problem. Roll on Eastern Creek and hopefully I can win all four races there and maybe win the championship."
Jason McIntyre (Marron Excavations Anderson-KTM) 250cc National First, "The kart was brilliant. The Whizzer engine was brilliant all day. We had some competition for a change where we were pushed all the way but we were able to pull away. To come away from Round 1 with four wins, it's looking good for Eastern Creek."
Chryss Jamieson (Coach Design Stockman-Honda) 125cc First, "The weekend started ordinary but it finished good. We had a very very good day. We were lucky the engine failure happened on Friday but the important days, Saturday and Sunday was really good. Those two young fellas had the wood on me in that last race and congratulations to Russell for breaking the lap record."
Round 2
Warren McIlveen was too quick for the competition at Eastern Creek Raceway, taking two wins and a second to secure his sixth Australian Superkart Championship, a tenth consecutive title for the Stockman Superkarts team. Jason McIntyre successfully defended his 250 National division title, while Kristian Stebbing broke through for his first title, winning the 125cc Australian Championship.
McIlveen (Mac's Marine Stockman-Honda) was behind in the points heading into the final round, some eight points behind Stockman Superkarts team mate Sam Zavaglia, and four behind RMR Superkarts racer Gary Pegoraro, but pole position and a dominant Race 1 win put his title firmly back on track. Winning the second race with Zavaglia well down the order with an electrical gremlin meant the pressure was off for the final as all he would need as a finish inside the top eight. What gave the pursuing three drivers hope was continuing cylinder detonation issues with the kart that might bring McIlveen undone. The kart and driver were strong enough to control the race from the front early on in the final race. Zavaglia slipped through to take the final race victory, bringing home a 1–2 finish in the championship for the Stockman Superkarts team.
Proceedings had been complicated by an incident during the third race when a wheel rubbing clash between Zavaglia and the International Entertainment PVP of Anton Stevens sent Stevens into a tumbling accident. While there were initial fears for Stevens health, his injuries were relatively minor and it is expected that the New Zealander will be released from hospital on Monday. Stevens had been very quick and had recovered to be fighting in the top three after a bolt head break in Race 1 had caused a chain reaction that sprayed engine water over the Kiwi in Race 1. An excellent second place behind McIlveen in Race 2 demonstrated what he had been capable of.
The ensuing delay while the paramedics attended Stevens and a brief investigation by the authorities the program was substantially delayed leading to the race being declared at two laps, effectively a non-result with no points awarded.