MRFKC Briggs Report: Trio of Sweeps on Opening Weekend – Part 1

The grids were full in the Briggs & Stratton classes this weekend at Goodwood Kartways as racers took part in the first stop of the MotoMaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship. While threatening weather was a small concern heading into the weekend, it was picture-perfect all weekend long and everyone was rewarded with excellent conditions to compete for victory.

While the Rok Cup categories saw a number of different race winners over the two days of competition, the Briggs 206 classes featured three drivers who sweep their respective Finals and jump out to an early lead in the points championship, but with deep fields and intensely close competition, these championships are far from over.

More from Goodwood:
MRFKC Goodwood Rok Cup Report
MRFKC Goodwood Briggs Report – Part 2
MRFKC Goodwood Photo Gallery
Saturday Results
Sunday Results

Briggs Senior

One of the best things about the Briggs Senior category is the unpredictability come every race weekend. There are many drivers capable of driving home a race victory, but Goodwood provides a challenge where a driver needs to play their cards perfect in order to score the race win. With 33 karts in the field, they were divided into two groups for Qualifying, before coming back together for the races.

On Saturday, fast qualifier Alex Murphy (BirelART) opted to go to the lead early on, passing Pearce Herder (Awesome Kart) on lap five. This set off some serious battling for the second position as many drivers wanted the position. Defending class champion Jon Treadwell went for the spot along with Alex Da Silva (Energy Kart). Heading into turn six, no driver wanted to give an inch and Herder and Da Silva made contact, sending the early race leader to the grass and Da Silva back to ninth.

Treadwell kept within a kart length of Murphy, while Jordan Prior (BirelART) and Gavin Sanders (Kosmic) hooked up in third and fourth, hoping to catch the lead duo who got away. As the laps ticked off, Murphy began to break free from Treadwell, leaving him vulnerable to the chasing duo. Prior was able to get by Treadwell on the final lap to take second behind Murphy, a very happy race victor.

For the second day in a row, Murphy grabbed the pole position in Qualifying but he struggled in the PreFinal, falling deep down the running order with a flat tire that hurt his chances of repeating his Saturday performance.

In the Final, Prior jumped out to the lead from P1 on the grid and he never looked back. Herder initially held second until Treadwell found his way by, but even with the two working together, they were only able to cut a small portion out of the lead built up by Prior as the Prime Powerteam driver drove to the win. Treadwell held on for second with Herder third, while Da Silva and Chad Webster (Intrepid) rounded out the top five.

Alex Murphy (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

Briggs Masters

Heading into the weekend at Goodwood, David Anderson (Awesome Kart) was up in the air about running the entire Ron Fellows campaign. After sweeping the race victories at Goodwood, we have a good feeling Anderson may have changed his mind about competing in round two at Hamilton.

It was a superb weekend of driving from Anderson that saw him hold off a heavy pursuit from Corey Walsh (Kosmic Kart) on Saturday, and then battle his way to victory on Sunday.

Walsh put the pressure on from lap one on Anderson, just waiting for his opportunity. With nothing available and only two laps left, Walsh dove up the inside heading into turn one. Anderson did all he could to hold the outside, running wide but keeping his foot on the pedal and getting enough momentum to hold on and maintain the lead before getting to turn four. From there, he went on the defensive and gave Walsh no room to make an easy pass before taking the checkers. Steven MacVoy (Kosmic Kart) ran third for the entire race until the final lap when he and Jamie MacArthur made significant contact in turn five, ending MacVoy’s race and sending racers scrambling to avoid him stranded on the track. MacArthur resumed and took third.

Sunday saw the addition of David Miller (FA Kart), who missed Saturday’s race to compete in a CAN-AM Midget event. After starting third, Anderson wasted no time getting to the lead, pushing his teammate Stephen Goebel (Awesome Kart) to the lead on the start and then overtaking him on lap two. Miller worked his way by Goebel two laps later and he hooked up with Anderson to pull out a small lead. MacVoy jumped into third on lap nine, sending Goebel back another spot and when Miller took the lead a couple of laps later, MacVoy and Goebel used their momentum to make it a four-kart race for the win.

Just barely, Anderson was able to hold on to the lead and won the drag race to the finish line that saw the top-four cross within a tenth and a half of each other. MacVoy chose the right line coming up the hill to just edge Miller at the line for second.

David Anderson (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

Next up for the MotoMaster Ron Fellows Karting Championship is round two at the Canadian Mini Indy in Hamilton, Ontario on June 15 and 16. After the excitement at Goodwood, we’re expecting even more fireworks when the series returns to the track that made its debut with the series a year ago. To learn more about the MRFKC, visit http://kartsportcanada.ca.