Double Win for Needham – F125 Superkarts Anglesey

North Wales and the scenic Anglesey track welcomed the British Superkart Association National Championship and the F125’s for rounds 5 & 6, on the 20^th July. Chris Needham took the double as he extended his winning sequence, securing the UK Cup taking him to the top of the championship points table – a perfect weekend.

Qualifying

The F125 Open class were on the same billing as the MSA British Superkart Championship at Anglesey, having their own track time directly after the 250’s. The track had been drying during the previous session, but was still too wet to start on slicks. Kirk Cattermole was soon on the pace and recorded a 1m 13.099s to secure his first ever pole position. He pitted half way through the session and changed to slicks but couldn’t match his earlier time, possibly due to a loose spark plug. After a cold seizure in the earlier warm up session, Chris Needham was taking it easy in the early laps of quali. He then put in a time of 1m 13.771s to go second quickest and then put on a set of slicks but couldn’t improve. Lee Harpham (1m 14.124s) sneaked into third place on the grid on the last lap. “I could have gone quicker after changing tyres but ran out of laps to try and get pole,” he said. The reigning champion was also suffering from a misfire in the TM motor. Championship leader Matt Isherwood (1m 14.299s) completed the second row of the grid with a time only marginally quicker than when he was on wets. He was also having issues with engine set-up. Dan Edwards (1m 15.328s) continued to make progress with the HRK chassis and headed the third row. Alongside him was Louis Wall (1m 15.412s) who was having a lot of track time and keeping Rob Walkingshaw on his toes by competing in both classes this weekend. Ian Larder (1m 15.860s) had taken over Dean Priest’s kit and was getting used to a long wheelbase chassis having raced a KZ chassis for many seasons. He wound up seventh quickest just ahead of Ben Willshire (1m 16.033s) who put his trusty Bridgestone’s to good use. Danny Butler (1m 16.693s) was having his first run out on an HRK chassis and lined up 9th quickest with Rob Stubbs (1m17.005s) completing the top ten despite being on ‘naff tyres’ and having the chain snap. Championship contender Liam Morley only managed one timed lap and was on the back row of the grid.

Race 1

The sea mist was lingering as the 125’s came to the grid. Everyone was spread out with the front two rows watching each other at the ‘fast’ rolling start while Larder was having engine problems so there was a big gap on the 4^th row. Cattermole was first away but Needham passed him at The Banking and led onto the back straight. However, the pole man regained the lead at Rocket.

At the end of lap 1 it was Cattermole, Needham, Isherwood and Harpham nose to tail. Morley was already up to 9^th place while Stubbs had spun and dropped to the back of the field. Cattermole held the lead until lap 3, but then his hand shot in the air to signal a problem and he pulled off on the back straight. The fuel pump had failed and caused the SGM to seize. Needham, who was following close behind, took avoiding action and initially led the race but Isherwood went past at Rocket. They ran bumper to bumper along the back straight on lap 4 before Needham moved ahead on the next lap, setting a new lap record in the process.

Once ahead, Needham gradually pulled clear at about half a second per lap and crossed the line to win by 4.901s. “I was happy to bring it home for a nice safe finish after the engine problem yesterday. I saw Kirk slow slightly and jinked out of his slipstream as his hand went up. It was a bit close,” he explained. Isherwood chased his team mate but couldn’t reduce the gap. “I had handling issues on the front end,” he said. Reigning champion Harpham couldn’t maintain the pace of the Vortex drivers ahead and had to settle for third place. Morley struggled with carburation set up and an “engine that wouldn’t come out of corners cleanly. He inherited fourth place after Edwards pulled off with a split exhaust on lap 9. Willshire had held fourth place at one point but a missed gear change let Morley through. He was then lucky to finish as the engine temperature went up to 88 degrees after a cracked cylinder head let out water. The higher running temperature had also detonated the piston and trapped the piston ring. Matthew McGaffin, a welcome visitor from Northern Ireland, had a steady run to collect 6^th place.

Race 1 Results:

1. Chris Needham Anderson Vortex

2. Matt Isherwood Anderson Magnum Vortex

3. Lee Harpham F1 Redspeed TM

4. Liam Morley Anderson Vortex

5. Ben Willshire Anderson PFP SGM

6. Matthew McGaffin F1 TM

Photo Gallery Info:

Main photo – the grid coming through the Corkscrew on the warm-up lap with Chris Needham (35) on pole position.
76 – Liam Morley through the Corkscrew.
Another shot of the grid from race 2 with front row starter Matt Isherwood (60) in front of 1 Lee Harpham
60 Matt Isherwood leads 76 Liam Morley chased by 18 Kirk Cattermole on lap 4 of race 2 through the Corkscrew
0 Dan Edwards on the new HRK chassis.
60 Matt Isherwood applying a little bit of oversteer through the Corkscrew.
18 Kirk Cattermole on the Raider SGM, unlucky to retire in race 1 when leading.
Warm up lap grid shot.
60 Matt Isherwood throwing up the spray in a wet practice session.
35 Double winner Chris Needham
1 Lee Harpham leads 0 Dan Edwards during their scrap in race two through the Corkscrew.

Race 2

With grid positions determined by lap times in race one, Needham and Isherwood lined up on the front row with Morley and Harpham behind. Cattermole had fitted a spare engine and he lined up on row 3 with Edwards who had replaced the exhaust.

In a more controlled start, Needham grabbed the lead from Isherwood and Morley and that’s how they ended the first lap. McGaffin was up to fourth place ahead of Cattermole, Harpham, Wall and Edwards. It didn’t take long for Needham to get into his stride and on lap 3 he set the fastest lap of the race and was already 2.562s ahead of Morley and Isherwood. McGaffin had been shuffled down the pack to 8^th place while Cattermole took over fourth place and chased after the Vortex drivers. Danny Butler was enjoying his first meeting on the HRK chassis, but the engine moved on lap 5 loosening the chain and he pulled off. Willshire was making up places after getting boxed in at the start but he spun at Rocket on lap 5 and dropped to the back of the field. He spun at the same corner on the next lap and thought it was a brake issue but later found that the engine had seized.

Up at the front Needham kept a constant gap over his pursuers and in the closing stages put more time over the rest to win by 4.543s and collect the UK Cup. “That wasn’t an easy race as I didn’t know how much of a lead I had. I expected Matt and Liam to be right with me so I pushed right to the flag,” he said. The double win gave him a marginal lead in the points. “It’s nice but there is still a long way to go,” he added. The battle for second place lasted the full 14 laps. Isherwood and Morley swapped places on nearly every lap. Morley was better through The Banking while Isherwood was able to regain the place at Rocket. At the flag it was Isherwood who came out on top by 0.135s despite his tyres going off with 3 laps to go. Morley had to settle for third place with an almost identical lap time, but no records at this meeting. Cattermole couldn’t match the Vortex power with his spare engine in this race and settled for a lonely fourth place. Fifth place was hotly contested for the final 9 laps with Harpham just getting the verdict over Edwards by 0.270s. Wall completed a hectic weekend with seventh place while McGaffin held onto eighth spot.

Race 2 Results:

1. Chris Needham Anderson Vortex

2. Matt Isherwood Anderson Magnum Vortex

3. Liam Morley Anderson Vortex

4. Kirk Cattermole Raider SGM

5. Lee Harpham F1 Redspeed TM

6. Dan Edwards HRK TM

BSA F125 Open Championship 2014 – Positions after 6 rounds:

1. Chris Needham 137pts

2. Matt Isherwood 135

3. Liam Morley 102

4. Lee Harpham 87

5. Dan Edwards 70

6. Danny Butler 69

Words by Gary James & photos by Dave Robinson.

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