By Michael Weaver
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State
champion LSATA Adrian Haywood in action during this year’s
WA titles.
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Photo:
Brad Mitchell
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The
drive to succeed has seen dirt kart racer LSATA Adrian Haywood
hit top gear with his first State title in Western Australia.
LS Haywood won the Australian Indewpendent Dirt Kart Racing Association
WA State title on November 8-9, capping off a successful season
where he also scored numerous wins at local events in and around
Perth.
Starting from pole position for the final, LS Haywood crossed
the line half a kart-length in front of his nearest rival, after
some 14 entrants qualified for the event.
“Basically, any one of the top four guys could have won the
State title, so I was lucky to get through for the win,”
LS Haywood told Navy News.
“The track had been watered just before the race, so it was
really slippery and made it a bit of a technical race. You really
had to hold your line to keep your position.”
LS Haywood won the 125cc open water-cooled light (below 85kgs)
division and said the win is a definite highlight in a fairly
successful year where he has won just about every event except
the Australian title, where he finished fourth after being hit
by a back-marker.
“I’ve never won a State title or anything that big,
so hopefully it will help me towards sponsorship.
“I’m going to sea next year with HMAS Canberra, so I
don’t even know if I’m going to defend my title, but
hopefully I can.
“I want to get into speedway eventually. I didn’t want
to move forward into any other form of motorsport until I’d
reached the best in each level.”
LS Haywood said his very supportive work group helped make the
win possible, with the helicopter technician putting his skills
to good use to keep the kart in ship-shape mechanical order.
His sister ABCK Renee Haywood, pit chief Craig Stewart, workmate
LSATA Shaun Hindmarsh and sponsor Stewart Style Stickers have
been the “bolts” behind the “nut” at the wheel,
while LS Haywood’s boss CPOATV Jimmy Carruthers has been
very supportive in providing back-up facilities for the team.
“We work on that go-kart as if it is a helicopter and I’ve
never broken down due to a maintenance error or anything like
that,” said LS Haywood.
