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The weekend of July 12/14 was a momentous one for EnduroKA as the series hosted only its second 24-hour race.
Anglesey Circuit Trac Môn’s stunning coastal configuration was the venue, just as it had been with EnduroKA’s inaugural 24-hour race in 2022.
With previous winner AxiaMetrics not in attendance, it was time for a new team to etch their names into the series history books as EnduroKA 24-hour race winners.
Qualifying
Shine Automotive’s Thomas Wood and KaHoona’s Race Team’s Kosta Kyritis both hit the ground running in qualifying, finding themselves each lighting up the timing screens early on. It was Kyritis who had slightly pipped Wood and held the benchmark for competitors to best.
11Tenths Racing provisionally held pole position courtesy of Gianluca Elia, before PRO-AM Racing’s Luca Staccini quickly bettered the time. Autotech Motorsport’s Toby Owen was the first driver to set a time in the 1m30s, quickly improving on his previous best to go even faster at the front.
Owen topped the timing sheet for a substantial period, before previous pacesetter Elia eventually bettered the #65 KA’s time. Ultimately, Elia’s time of 1m30.622s was only enough for second on the grid, with Taylor Norton clinching his first pole position in the Autotech Motorsport #65 KA - thanks to a tremendous 1m30.510s.
Burton Power Racing, PRO-AM Racing, MilnAir Racing, KA-Doodle-Doo Racing, Shine Automotive, KaHoona’s Race Team, Windgat Racing and SuKAru Racing rounded out the top ten.
Race Start
An epic battle between the two leading KAs dominated the headlines of the race’s opening two hours. Polesitter Autotech Motorsport and fast-starting MilnAir Racing duked it out on circuit, while simultaneously working together to try and gap the chasing pack behind. Incredibly, after two hours of racing, just 0.348s separated the front pair over the start/finish line.
KnF Racing had enjoyed a magnificent start, gaining 15 places in the opening two hours, while both Shine Automotive and PRO-AM Racing were keeping the leading two in sight in third and fourth respectively. Rowe Rage Motorsport and Orkasport were also two KAs on the rise.
At the four hour classification, just 4.285s separated the top three. Autotech Motorsport continued to pave the way, with Shine Automotive and PRO-AM Racing having closed the gap drastically. MilnAir Racing had dropped back after a pit stop, while KaHoona’s Race Team were making indents into the top five.
Through The Night
As darkness fell, MilnAir Racing were back in the hunt for leading KA on track – finding themselves just 9.370s behind Autotech Motorsport. At the same stage, KaHoona’s Race Team were just 5.767s ahead of Shine Automotive in the battle for the final podium spot, while Purple Sector Racing were sitting eleven places higher than they had qualified.
Shine Automotive displayed strong pace through the early hours to lead the race, as pit stop strategy became increasingly influential on the running order.
MilnAir Racing and KaHoona’s Race Team enjoyed stints at the front in the darkness, whilst PRO-AM Racing and Burton Power Racing also remained in the hunt.
AFK Racing, Original Chequers Racing and Semprini Racing all displayed strong and consistent pace to rise through the order and into the top ten.
Sunday Morning
With day breaking, MilnAir Racing and Autotech Motorsport found themselves battling for the lead once more. After 14 hours of racing, 41.918s separated the duo.
Shine Automotive, PRO-AM Racing and KaHoona’s Race Team had dropped back slightly, but with ten hours remaining on the clock, there was plenty of time for the teams to close the deficit. 11Tenths Racing had recovered expertly from a challenging start to sit in eighth, one place behind the SuKAru Racing #555 outfit.
Through the morning, MilnAir Racing had started to build a gap to second-placed Autotech Motorsport. KaHoona’s Race Team were pushing hard and were looking to establish themselves firmly in the podium hunt, with SuKAru Racing sitting fourth at the 17-hour mark – just 11.341s ahead of PRO-AM Racing in fifth.
After 19 hours, MilnAir Racing had managed to maintain the buffer to Autotech Motorsport, while KaHoona’s Race Team had closed the gap to the #65 KA ahead. AFK Racing continued to look strong and sat narrowly behind SuKAru Racing in fifth.
Race End
As the final hours of the race clock passed by, MilnAir Racing expertly maintained the gap they had amassed to the KAs behind to take the checkered flag first and become only the second EnduroKA 24-hour winners! It was a huge effort and fantastic performance from all four drivers (Jack Wright, Declan McDonnell, Jonny Milner and George Wright), as well as the entire MilnAir Racing team.
Autotech Motorsport saw off the KaHoona’s Race Team charge to finish in second, with the #333 KaHoona’s KA claiming a well-deserved podium in third. To finish on the podium in a 24-hour race is an incredible achievement so a huge congratulations goes out to each of the three teams, including drivers Taylor Norton, Toby Owen, Mark Witherington, Joey Da’Prato, Adam Bessell (Autotech Motorsport), and Philip Truman, Kosta Kyritis and Ian Perkins (KaHoona’s Race Team).
A superb drive from AFK Racing and SuKAru Racing resulted in fourth and fifth position respectively, with: PRO-AM Racing, 11Tenths Racing, Original Chequers Racing, Purple Sector Racing and Semprini Racing rounding out the top ten.
The bespoke Ynys Môn 24 Dagenham Dustbin was awarded to SuKAru Racing by Chief Marshal Margaret for their eye-catching #555 livery, while MilnAir Racing claimed the honour of fastest lap on their 518 of 895 circulations of Trac Môn.
Remember you can re-watch all the action on the MSVT Racing live stream.
EnduroKA returns next month for 2 x 3-hour races around the technical Snetterton 300 circuit. Entries to be made here.
See you there!