Border drivers give the best a lesson

VICTORY: Wodonga’s Gary Burns shows the field a clean pair of heels in the Rotax Pro final. Picture: TREVOR JACKSON.

ROUND four of the Victorian Golden Power series was held at Wodonga’s Sheathers Road track over the weekend and Border racers stood up and showed the strength of the local club.

In the Rotax Pro class 17-year-old Wodonga racer, Gary Burns took the victory while the Junior National Light division saw 14-year-old Wodonga racer, Jack Talty take the honours.

The series takes in all of Victoria including metropolitan Melbourne and is described as possibly one of the best kart series in Victoria with around 200-300 drivers competing at each round.

Burns won his final with a controlled effort from the front of the field after creating a small gap which he maintained throughout the race, culminating a strong weekend of racing.

After beginning the weekend in 20th place Burns worked his way up through the field to finish ninth in that race and win the next two before taking out the final.

And while pleased to have taken the win he didn’t forget those who helped him along the way.

“Dad’s really done an awesome job with Danny from Full Tilt,” Burns said.

“They’ve really put their brains together and put together a really awesome package for me this season and I’ve got a really strong engine from CC Racing.”

In his first year of senior racing Burns has managed to take out three of the Golden Power events and is looking strong for the series.

In contrast Talty had to work hard for his victory and in the end took the win in spectacular fashion.

While he was sitting comfortably in third place in the final with a lap to go he realised the leading competitors were dicing aggressively and felt an opportunity could present itself, so he sat back and waited.

With just a few hundred metres to go it did and he pounced.

The second placed driver tried to dive up the inside of the leader on the final corner and the two karts came together, slowing down, creating an opening for Talty and he made the most of it.

He said when the opportunity arose he simply took it and drove to the line for the win.

“I would have been  happy to come third and knew it would be a struggle to get up to first and win it,” he said.

“I thought just go for it … if I can win it I’ll do it … I won by about a kart length.”

After an up and down weekend and a fifth place start in the final it was a well deserved win by Talty.

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Posted by BT on Aug 25 2011. Filed under Local Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry