Reigning champ has eyes on prize

TRACK TARGET: National titleholder David Sera expects fierce competition at this weekend’s championships at Willowbank.

Ash Budd

WHEN the Sparco Rotax Nationals were last hosted by the Ipswich Kart Club it was Melbourne karter David Sera who claimed a convincing win – a trend he is hoping to continue this weekend.

Such is the form 22-year-old Sera has shown since winning the 2007 Rotax Light national crown at Ipswich, he has only been defeated on two occasions over the past three years.

“I’ve probably raced Rotax Light more than 35 times over the last three years and only been beaten twice – so it’s a pretty good average,” Sera said.

With such an impeccable record Sera could be forgiven for beginning to rest on his laurels. However, the 10-time national champion is as focused and determined as ever at Willowbank this weekend.

“I’m fully aware as that every time I hit the track I’ve got a target on my back,” Sera said. “Everyone is aiming to beat me.”

Should he be victorious at this weekend’s event, Sera will move clear of current V8 Supercar star Mark Winterbottom and Victoria Matthew Wall into third place outright on the national championship honour role.

The trio are currently equal on 10 championships a piece – five behind Australian karting legend John Pizarro and two behind Peter Ward.

“No matter who you are in karting, whether you are 15 or 50, you’ve heard about John Pizarro and how successful he was in a kart,” Sera said.

“He is really the Jack Nicklaus of our sport and there is always an aura around someone who has been so successful.

“Mark Winterbottom was also very much like John Pizarro with enormous success in karting, but he, of course, was in a different era of the sport.

“If I could move to third outright it would be something that I’d be pretty proud of, especially when you consider some of the top drivers that have come through the sport over the years and I’m still only 22 years of age.”

Sera is one of 43 competitors who are vying for the Rotax Light crown this weekend. He believes the Queensland contingent will be the ones to beat.

“Ipswich is a track that really rewards the brave, it’s very challenging,” Sera said.

“The local guys from Queensland know the track well and it is the local knowledge that seems to come to the fore at events like this.

“Local driver Scott Auld won the event here in 2004 and with him making a comeback this weekend I think he’ll be tough to beat.

“I’ve also had some close battles with Toowoomba driver Tyler Greenbury and young Ben Jurczak was undefeated in Junior Max. He’ll be fast this weekend.

“I’ve also got a teammate from Estonia, Mario Vendla, for the weekend who may throw a spanner in the works. He finished runner-up in the world grand finals last year and has great knowledge of the Rotax engine.”

Practice for this weekend’s event began yesterday and will continue today ahead of qualifying and heat races tomorrow.

The championship finals are on Sunday.