Pegoraro, Rowell and Haywood are the champions

Victorian racers Gary Pegoraro and Garry Haywood claimed their first Rockpress/Coach Design Australian Superkart Championships while young New South Wales racer Dalton Rowell succesfully defended his 250 National class championship after a day of hard fought racing at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Each race win was hard fought and in a highlight of the weekend, all three classes had three-kart battles go all the way to the chequered flag in Race 4.

Pegoraro (Dunlop Kartsport/BRC Engines Anderson-BRC) had to work hard to defeat Ilya Harpas (Your Amigo/Apex Management Anderson-DEA). The gap was just five points heading into the final race in favour of Pegoraro. The rivals had won a race each earlier in the day and together with outgoing champion Russell Jamieson (Coach Design Anderson-DEA), held a magnificent dice over the final that had the crowd entranced. The win was only settled in the sprint from the final corner as Pegoraro swept out from Harpas shadow to win the race and the title.

Dalton Rowell (DLR Racing/Secret Squirrell Racing Stockman-Honda) came from a long way back after seemingly unending engine problems in practice and qualifying. Engine number three was the charm and he was able to battle for wins with Queenslander Dan Lewis (Lewis Plumbing Racing Anderson-GasGas), the pair shredding the long-standing lap record as they did so. The ten lap final saw Rowell and Lewis come to the flag together until Rowell staggered with fuel starvation and Dale Williams (Slipstream Signs Stockman-Yamaha) charged towards Lewis until he too ran out of fuel in the final metres. Lewis rolled to a halt enterring the paddock after the finish. Rowell's title rival Martin Latta (MJR Bricklaying Anderson-Yamaha) had a wheel failure in the final.

Garry Haywood (Ringwood Kart Centre/Bakker Superkarts Bakker-Honda) was one point shy of securing the title after race 3 as immediate rival Lee Vella (L&J Custom Kitchens Avoig-Honda) struggled for pace. Haywood, Tim Philp (Floth Sustainable Building Consultants Avoig-Honda) and Paul Campbell (Redback Racepaint Avoig-Honda) fought a thrilling fight in the final and raced to the line side-by-side. The timing system awarded the win to Philp but with Vella down in fifth place the tile was won by Haywood.