Gough takes emotional first State title win

Kalgoorlie driver Courtney Gough has ended her State title drought after she claimed her maiden blue plate in an emotional final day of the 2017 WA Kart Championship at Albany City Kart Club.

The Eastern Goldfields Kart Club representative, who has just graduated as a physiotherapist at university, recovered from a non-finish in her heat race on Saturday to claim the WA open performance 22-lap final by 1.204 seconds.

Starting from position three on the grid in the final, Gough quickly raced to the lead by the second lap after passing Mitch Perrella, while fellow front-row starter Tyler Spouse-Nastasi was caught up in an early incident and fell back through the pack.

The 21-year-old opened up a significant advantage during the middle of the race before Thomas Gray began to close the gap after slipping past Perrella.

But Gough was not about to let her State title dream slip as she fended off their challenges in the dying stages to score a popular victory.

Perrella capped a strong weekend by crossing the line in second place after passing Gray on the final circuit, while Queensland visitor Blayke Wagner finished third after he was also able to squeeze past Gray on the last lap.

Competing in the division for only the fourth time this season, Gough was thrilled to win a State championship.

“I’m very happy with the result,” she said.

“I’ve never been on the podium, so coming in it would have been good to get on the podium but to win as well is just amazing. I’ve only raced this kart four times this year, so we had no great expectations. I’m living in Perth and graduated at uni four weeks ago so we haven’t done a lot of racing but this has capped off a great few weeks.”

She was the only female driver at the weekend to win a State title and has been racing karts for 12 years.

Gough celebrated as she crossed the line and was embraced by her father, four-time State titleholder Wayne, and mother Rosalie.

Earlier in the weekend it was an all-Albany front row after ACKC member and fastest qualifier Spouse-Nastasi won the 17-lap pre-final and Lake King Kart Club, but Albany resident, Perrella finished second.