Thrills and spills as FIM MiniGP Australia Series kicked off in VIC

2023 FIM MiniGP Australia Series
Port Melbourne – Victoria

With Mark Bracks, Images by RbMotoLens

The opening round of the 2023 edition of the FIM MiniGP Championship was held at the Port Melbourne International Karting complex on the weekend of 11-12 March and if the four races of the new look FIM MiniGP program are an indication, the level of competition, speed and intensity has lifted a notch since the inaugural year in 2022.

For 2023, the FIM MiniGP has expanded to now feature two classes; the original Ohvale GP-0 class for 10-14 year old on 160 cc machines with 10-inch wheels (FIM MiniGP 160 cc class), and now a class for 12-16 year-olds on the larger 190 cc GP-2 Ohvale with 12-inch wheels (the FIM MiniGP 190 cc class).

As was the case last year, the top two from the 160 cc class will be invited to attend the global shootout that will be held in the week of the final GP of the season at Valencia, in Spain, while for the new class the top three will be invited.

For countries to be allowed to run both classes they must already have a series for the smaller bikes. As such, there are not as many nations that will run the additional class this year, thus the reason why three riders from the 190 cc class will be invited.

Enough of the formal side of things, the action on the weekend was spectacular with intense racing, plenty of drama and lap records continually lowered through the two fields.

FIM MINIGP 190 cc

The introduction of the larger capacity FIM MiniGP class is a master stroke as it gives the teenagers an extra opportunity to hone their obvious talents on the Grand Prix inspired machines and continue the learning curve that has proven successful with the smaller 10-inch wheel bikes.

The class also has two races that were 16 laps in duration and while there might have only been eight entrants at the opening round the talent on display was equalled by the action.

The riders in the class have already made a reputation for themselves in the classes of the ASBK with Levi Russo on pole, from class debutant 2022 ASBK Supersport 300 and R3 Cup Champ Cameron Dunker, while last year’s FIM MiniGP and OJC Champ Harrison Watts was third.

Other names in the field included Hudson Thompson, Josh Newman (nephew of Glenn Allerton), Marcus Hamod, Bodie Paige and Toby James.

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As in the smaller class it didn’t take the lap record long to be lowered yet again with Russo posting a qualifying time of 51.768sec that eclipsed Senna Agius’s race lap record set back in January which was some three seconds quicker than the lap times from a year previously. The kids are extremely fast and for the most part, extremely smooth.

The front row scarpered off the line to set up a gap over Thompson and the rest as the trio had more than a one second lead after the opening lap.

Russo led every lap with Dunker right on his tail looking for a way through as he probed and thrust at every opportunity, leaving Watts with a perfect view of what was right in front of him.

It was only a matter of time before Dunker decided to have a dip but he showed patience until there was a little over two laps remaining as they headed into the second last corner – a left hand hairpin.

There was a slight gap on the inside and Dunker went for it but unfortunately, he clashed with Russo, both riders leaving the track, locked together. Dunker stayed upright but Russo tipped the bike on its side as Dunker grass tracked to get back on the black stuff.

Watts took full advantage of the situation to inherit the lead and hung on, to take the win with Dunker second and Thompson third. Russo managed to push the bike across the line to claim eighth place and salvage vital points that will no doubt be needed in the remaining eight races over the four remaining rounds.

Dunker claimed a new lap record (51.870) as he stalked Russo in their great battle.

After the race Dunker explained, “I apologise to Levi for the incident but I had to have a go. That’s definitely not the way I want to win a race but hey, it’s racing. Sometimes these things happen.”

Russo copped the incident on the chin, agreeing that it was a racing incident.

FIM MINIGP 190 cc Race 1 Results

RACE TWO

There was plenty of anticipation for the final race and Russo was keen to end the day on a positive note, but it all went pear shaped for him heading into turn one off the start.

Russo led the field, but no sooner had he grabbed the brake than the front washed out and he crashed on his own with Dunker taking over the lead and never headed with Watts in second.

Russo remounted in last place but fought back to seventh to again salvage some much needed points.

Dunker managed to get out to a 1.3 second lead over Watts after seven laps but then Watts tried everything to close the gap to be just 0.115 seconds off the win with Thompson again third.

With a win and a second place apiece, Dunker and Watts finished on equal points with Dunker taking the round win on account of winning race two.

Both classes provided a magnificent appetiser to set the scene for what will be a memorable and exciting year of racing.

The next round is in mid-May at the Cameron Park kart track just outside of Newcastle (NSW). It will be a new track for the majority of the competitors, so it is bound to add another intriguing dynamic to the weekend.

FIM MINIGP 190 cc Race 2 Results

FIM MINIGP 190cc Standings

FIM MINIGP 160 cc

In the 160 cc GP-0 class Isaac Ayad claimed pole in a new qualifying best lap, taking an astounding two seconds off the time set by last year’s series runner-up, Terrin Fleming, at the corresponding opening round, last year.

Hunter Corney was second fastest, just 0.065 second away with fellow Queenslander, Jake Paige 0.026 sec away in third, the top eight separated by a second.

In the opening leg, Paige grabbed the lead from Ayad in the charge to the uphill blind entry turn one from Corney and Victorian, Ethan Johnson, who made a good start from the second row.

Rikki Henry (SA) was equally impressive from the third row to climb to fourth from accomplished dirt-tracker/third generation road racer Jed Fyffe and Australian Tae-kwon-doe champion Jackson Macdonald, holding off Ayad’s younger brother Ethan.

Paige and Ayad soon broke away from the rest as Corney led the bunch in the battle for third for the first half of the race from Johnson until he made a mistake and ran off to drop down the order.

Ayad was trying everything to get by Paige but to no avail, as Paige covered every move, making no mistakes to allow his rival to take any advantage as they distanced themselves from the rest in their duel for the win.

At half race distance Henry put on a determined move to pass Corney for third, to give chase to the leading pair, but the distance was too great.

He had plenty to think about with Corney, on his ducktail and Fyffe and Macdonald right amongst it until the final couple of laps when passing lapped riders curtailed their charge around the tight and challenging layout.

Paige claimed the win by just on a second from Ayad with Henry over six seconds away in third, less than three tenths in front of Corney.

The previous lap record set six weeks ago at the Sandringham MCC Summer Series, by Corney, was broken by all in the top six apart from Corney himself!

Ayad claimed the new outright race lap record with a time of 55.340.

FIM MINIGP 160 cc Race 1 Results

RACE TWO

Fastest qualifier Ayad launched off the line to lead the opening lap from Paige Corney and Henry, fourth fastest qualifier Macdonald in fifth right in the mix, with Fyffe on his tail.

Paige made his way into the lead on lap two and then put on a clinical dispay of consistent laps to pull a gap at every corner.

Henry was up to third by the end of the second lap and improved to second spot a couple of laps later but there was a bit of controversy that came out at the end of the race.

Young Ethan Ayad had crashed (unhurt) at Turn One with the yellow flags being waved. In the charge along pit straight up to the blind entry corner, Henry dived under brakes heading in but with the yellows being displayed he quickly realised the error of his ways and gave up the place soon after.

As Paige gapped them Henry and Ayad put on a very entertaining battle for the last spots on the podium with a freight train of five riders, line astern behind as they each tried everything in their lesson book trying to pass each other.

The antics were spectacular on such a tight track as they all attempted at least one dive bomb move at some stage during the 16-lap race

Paige may have won the race easily but that didn’t take away from the action behind.

Henry finished over five seconds in arrears but second to seventh was covered by 0.600 second, the sextuplet like a rapid worm negotiating the tight little track adjacent to the car park that is the West Gate Bridge.

In the helter-skelter of the six-bike freight train, Jed Fyffe – who was in fifth place – put in his fastest lap of the race on the final lap and in doing so took another .306 second off the recently set lap record to set the benchmark of 55.024sec.

While Paige was way ahead, rolling off laps within tenths of each other, those involved in the intense battle for second place had plenty to be happy with.

For the likes of Macdonald and Fyffe, it was the smallest gap to the winner in their short road racing experience. An infinite boost of confidence to the future rounds.

The riding skill of these young riders is extremely impressive and has certainly lifted immensely since the first ever round of the FIM MiniGP in March last year at the same venue.

This was reflected in the number of times the lap records were lowered and how many riders improved their PB’s to be setting their own impressive bench-marks.

FIM MINIGP 160 cc Race 2 Results

FIM MINIGP 160 cc Standings

Supports: Ohvale GP-2, Veterans, Grom/Mini Motard

Over the two days there were three support classes; an Ohvale GP-2 race for all ages, a Veterans class and a combined Grom/Mini Motard category.

All provided some very close and impressive racing with many of the older “kids” doing multiple classes. Most of the Veterans cross entered in the GP-2 class giving them eight races over the two days.

In the GP-2 class older brother of Levi Russo, Jai took the class with three wins and a sixth place from Matt Watkins and Adam Banner third.

Watkins added more silverware to his gear bag. taking out the Veterans class with three wins and a second. Co-owner of Ohvale Australia Nick Angelopoulos was second and Watkins’ brother Paul, third.

The Grom/Mini Motard class also had some entertaining races during their four races with the little two-stroke Kawasaki KX80 of Paul Englezos claiming three wins and a second to take the class from the Honda Grom of David White. Winwright Condon on his Ohvale powered DMZ was third overall.

Owners of Ohvale Australia, Nick Angelopoulos, Dimitri Papaconstantinou and Wayne Maxwell were extremely happy with the opening round.

Wayne Maxwell

“That was a fantastic way to start the year. The racing was first-class with the kids showing how much they have improved from last year, combined with the newcomers who have shown a great improvement over the weekend as well.

“The new FIM MiniGP 190 class is a great concept and that was shown in the quality of the racing and the riders in it. It’s a credit to all involved from Nick and Dim who do a vast amount of work, through to the officials and everyone involved. We’re all very proud to be a part of it.”

OHVALE GP-2 Results

Veterans Results

Mini Motard/Grom Results