Jenner finishes as runner up for Melbourne Kart Centre

Melbourne Kart Centre made the trip interstate for the fifth and final round of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship.

Melbourne Kart Centre, once again was led by former multiple time national champion James Sera, with 12 drivers across four classes competing at the Newcastle Kart Club.

With leading stable driver Bradley Jenner in with a shot at the X30 championship, it was a massive weekend for the team.

Jenner and Samuel Gibson took on the X30 class for the Melbourne Kart Centre team.

Jenner was able to put himself in fifth for Qualifying, with Gibson inside the top 20.

Jenner never left the top five on Saturday with three brilliant heats while Gibson raced around the top 20.

Gibson moved forward into the top 15 in Heat 4 on Sunday morning finishing in 14th.

Unfortunately from there neither Jenner nor Gibson finished a race, resulting in a DNF for both drivers in the final.

Jenner was able to clinch second place in the Australian Kart Championship.

Cadet 12 had young guns Blake Purvis and Aiden Schweikert taking to the track for Melbourne Kart Centre.

Purvis led the way in Qualifying in 26th, with Schweikert just outside the top 35 in 39th overall.

Both drivers moved forward across the heats, with Purvis inside the top 20 in his fourth heat and Schweikert inside the top 25 in his first and third heats.

Purvis was able to come through for his best result of the weekend in the final in 17th.

Schweikert charged forward to finish in 22nd overall, 17 positions up from his qualifying spot.

Hunter Salvatore was the sole Melbourne Kart Centre driver in the KA4 Junior category.

Salvatore qualified down the order in 26th but was able to move forward four spots in Heat 1 and nine spots in Heat 2.

Hunter pushed on the edge of the top 10 in his remaining two heats before taking a brilliant seventh position in the final, just outside the top five drivers.

Melbourne Kart Centre had a seven driver spread in the KA3 Senior class with James Sera, Taine Venables, Jake Santalucia, Jenson Teleskivi, Joshua Lackas, Imran Aly, and Jack Johnson all taking the starter.

Sera and Venables led the charge in Qualifying both coming home in the top 15.

Santalucia, Teleskivi, Lackas, Aly, and Johnson qualified in 19th, 23th, 24th, 25th, and 28th respectively.

Sera and Venables raced in and around the top 10 in the heats, with the other five team members racing around the top 20 and 30.

Santalucia charged through the field after two DNF’s to take home a brilliant 11th in the final.

Venables and Sera was able to come home inside the top 15 in 14th and 15th respectfully.

Aly, Lackas and Johnson came home in 24th, 26th and 29th respectively, with Teleskivi having an unfortunate DNF after being as high as the edge of the top 15.

Team owner and manager James Sera spoke post weekend.

“It wasn’t quite the weekend we were after in Newcastle,” Sera said.

“A big congratulations to Brad on finishing second in the championship after a tough Sunday.

“All the team gave it their all and Hunter did a great job to charge up to seventh spot.

“We now turn our focus to the 2023 championship and the remainder of the Karting Victoria 2022 season.”

Melbourne Kart Centre will have a busy finish to the 2022 season.