A wet and wild Warwick Kart Club presented the latest challenge for junior driver Daniel Quimby. Quimby was looking for championship gold taking place in the Project X Queensland Kart Championship over the weekend. Running in an oversubscribed near fifty kart field of KA3 Junior, Daniel had a mountain to climb!
Friday practice was the first laps Quimby had ever turned at the circuit, so he had to utilise his practice sessions wisely. The Galvaniize Insurance backed entry had strong pace in the early sessions and was looking to try and get as far up the grid as possible. Qualifying was on Friday afternoon and Daniel headed out on circuit setting his opening flying lap. Quimby’s charge for pole position ended with a broken coil earth wire hurting his pace. Daniel tried as hard as he could but was only able to set the one flying lap, landing in position thirty-nine. Quimby now had work to do in his heats to try and move forward.
Due to the over subscribed class, Daniel was starting out of position twenty for his opening two heats. The MIR Raceline Australia backed entry got an excellent start, moving up eight positions on the opening lap! Quimby continued to battle on the edge of the top ten but struggled for overall pace in the wet conditions. In an excellent drive with the package not being where it needed to be. Daniel crossed the line just outside the top ten in eleventh position overall!
After moving up nine positions in heat one, Quimby was looking to continue his charge forward in heat two. The Praga Karts Australia backed entry got a smooth get away and moved up one spot on the opening lap. Daniel moved up a further three spots in the opening half of the race and was pushing his way towards the top fifteen drivers. With quicker laps than the drivers ahead, Quimby was able to break into the top fifteen and cross the finish line in position fifteen overall.
Quimby had to have another consistent third heat to make the all important final. The Galvaniize Insurance backed entry slotted into position sixteen at the conclusion of the opening lap and had the eyes forward. Daniel was able to move up four spots in the opening six laps and continued to push his way onto the edge of the top ten drivers. Quimby was able to make up another spot and was setting laps fast enough to be running inside the top ten. Daniel crossed the finish line in position eleven overall which had him out of position twenty-two for the combined final.
The final was an all or nothing approach for Quimby who was looking to move up from position twenty-two. The MIR Raceline sponsored entry got a clean start and moved up a position on the opening lap. Daniel was able to put in a slick opening four laps quickly, moving up into the top fifteen and on the charge forward. Quimby continued to show good pace and was a man on a mission making up spots across the final. In his best result of the weekend, Daniel was able to burst into the top ten and come home in position ten overall!
Daniel’s father Ian spoke post weekend on the highs and lows of karting. “The Queensland state title was a tough weekend for Daniel. We had a good start to the weekend on Friday with a solid two practices in the wet. Never having turned a lap at Warwick we felt confident Daniel could do well. An Engine drama struck in qualify with a coil earth wire breaking. Only one flying lap put us behind the eight ball. Starting all heats from position twenty he had some good results but we were lacking outright pace in the wet. Come Sunday and the sun came out and we were fast but track position hurt us. He drove from position twenty-two to tenth in the final with some of the most consistent laps of the day”. Quimby will be back on track next weekend for round four of the SP Tools Australian Kart Championship at the Emerald Kart Club.
