Goulburn junior kart racer Costa Toparis came away, with a round one win in the Australian Rotax Pro Tour Kart Championship on Sunday.
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The 10-year-old, who turns 11 in April, was racing against competitors, some of whom are 12 years old, at the Todd Road Kart Circuit in Port Melbourne.
Costa achieved four race wins over the weekend, including qualifying on pole position and the pre-final win, then he took the chequered flag in the final to give him the race and the overall win for the round.
After being in Melbourne all weekend then travelling home with his father Con, Costa turned up to school on Tuesday ready to start Year 5 in the OC class at Goulburn West.
Costa says he loves racing and it is even better when he wins.
“I like to get the best I can out of the kart,” he said.
“The computer data I can download off it helps me work out where I can improve.
“It is all about feeling what the kart is doing on the track and making adjustments so it can handle the way that suits the track and my driving.
“We are all racing with the same engines and the same tyres, so it is important to adjust the steering wheel width and tyre pressure to suit the track and the temperature of the day.
“I have to concentrate on where to brake on each corner, where to coast, and when to accelerate out of the corner, as well as be aware of what the other drivers and karts are doing.
“Toward the end of the longer races, like the 18-lap final, it is hard to maintain concentration and maintain consistency.”
This is Costa’s first season in Mini Max and, in his national series debut, he put into practice what he had learned in the speed restricted Micro Max class he contested previously.
After setting the pole time on the Saturday, he got to the front early in the final and pulled clear, leaving the remainder of the field to battle for the rest of the podium.
Scuderia PCR Australia’s Cody Maynes-Rutty waited until half a lap to go to make a decisive move on Ethan Feather for second position after the pair had battled all race long, with Kristian Janev chiming in on occasions as well. Ethan crossed the line third with Kristian right behind him.
Rotax 125 Mini MAX (9-12 years of age)
Competitor ranking points
- COSTA TOPARIS 2879
- ETHAN FEATHER 2729
- CODY MAYNES-RUTTY 2580
- KRISTIAN JANEV 2435
- CARTER MOBBS 2176
- KAMAL MRAD 2012
- AIVA ANAGNOSTIADIS 1781
- SEBASTIAN MANSON 1647
- JOSEPH FAWCETT 1456
- COBY GOVONI 1408
- MACKA HAZARD 1302
- SEBASTIAN RUIZ 1204
- JACK CHILDS 1203
- JESSE LACEY 682
- HARRY ARNETT 630
- CADEL AMBROSE 393
About the series
The Rotax Pro Tour is a nationally recognised karting series that offers the highest level of competition in Australia to owners of a Rotax 125 MAX Engine.
Presented by International Karting Distributors, the Rotax Pro Tour is a six-round series, which visits NSW, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia, where each season drivers compete for the prestige of qualifying for the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals and representing Australia on the world stage. Winners of the Rotax Pro Tour are also awarded the coveted #1 Series Champion plate.
The Rotax MAX Challenge is the most internationally recognised kart racing series in the world. Over 15,000 Rotax racers across more than 60 nations participate in events, like Australia's Rotax Pro Tour, to qualify for the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals.
In the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals the same chassis, tyres, fuel and Rotax engines are used in each racing class, meaning that each participant has an equal chance of becoming the World Champion. The Grand Finals recognises five classes:
- Rotax 125 Micro MAX (7-9 years of age)
- Rotax 125 Mini MAX (9-12 years of age)
- Rotax 125 Junior MAX (13-16 years of age)
- Rotax 125 MAX (15 years and older)
- Rotax 125 MAX DD2 (2 speed gearbox – 15 years and older)
- Rotax 125 MAX DD2 Masters (2 speed gearbox – 32 years and older)
The RMCGF is unique, as driving ability is all that counts. The most talented drivers in the world are competing against each other in this unrivalled event, demonstrating their excellent driving skills.
Australian Championships calendar:
- Round 2: Dubbo NSW, March 8-11
- Round 3: Ipswich Qld, May 3-6
- Round 4: Eastern Creek NSW, June 21-24
- Round 5: Albury, August 9-12
- Round 6: The venue is to be advised for September 13-16