NZ Series Titles Decided This Weekend
press release
Josh Hart, Andy Schofield, Daniel Bray and Bradley Hicks. Just four of the drivers in contention for series titles and overseas trip prizes at the final round of the jointly run Gen-i Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand/Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series being hosted by KartSport Auckland at Auckland's Moselle Panel & Paint Raceway this weekend.
Above: Josh Hart
pic - Fast Company/Greg Henderson
Heading into the fifth and final round of the two series each heads the points standings in a class, Hart, from Palmerston North, in 125cc Rotax Max Light, Cambridge teenager Andy Schofield in 125cc Rotax Max Junior, Aucklander Daniel Bray in KZ2 and Bradley Hicks in KF3.
Drivers from all over New Zealand have been contesting this year's jointly run Gen-i Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge/Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series with over 100 on their way to Auckland for the televised grand final this weekend.
Up for grabs are five trips to the 2010 Rotax Max Grand Finals meeting (at which the representatives from 55 national Challenge series like New Zealand's Gen-i Kartstars one will go up against each other to decide the overall class winners for 2010) at La Conca in Italy in late November this year, and entries for three Senior KZ2 and three Junior KF3 drivers contesting the Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series, to compete in Italy next year.
Though the points leaders in each class justifiably carry favourite status into this weekend's meeting, the trip prizes add an extra element. In 125cc Rotax Max, for instance, Josh Hart looks set to claim the class win for a third time. However last year's class winner and New Zealand representative at the 2009 Grand Final, Matthew Hamilton, could still join Hart on the plane because the second placegetter also wins a trip.
Above: Andy Shofield, Formula Junior
pic - Fast Company/Greg Henderson
What makes that particular scenario interesting is that local track expert Kane Taylor lies third in the points standings, just two points shy of second-placed Hamilton....
There are also two trips available for Masters-age competitors contesting the 125cc Rotax Max Heavy class. Because class leader Hamish Cross qualifies as a masters athlete the Rangiora man has his hand on one of the tickets. But the other is still too close to call with two drivers, Mount Maunganui's Niki Urwin and Auckland's Steven Currie, second and third respectively....with just three points separating the pair!
Even in 125cc Rotax Max Junior, where Cambridge's Andy Schofield looks a shoe-in for the class win and ticket, there are still only 12 points between he and second placed Shaun Grocock, with Christopher Sinclair third just 10 points adrift of Grocock.
In the Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series meanwhile the battle for round victory in the premier KZ2 class looks set to involve teammates Daniel Bray and Daniel Dufty, and fellow Aucklanders Graeme Smyth and Richard Moore. At earlier rounds, defending champion Ryan Grant was also in the mix, but he decided to withdraw from the title chase in the run-up to the penultimate round, leaving Bray to pull out a seventeen point lead on Dufty with Smyth a further eight points back.
Leading the KZ2 Masters section is Auckland's Steve Brown from Tom Curran from the Hawke's Bay, while leading the F125S senior support class is defending class title holder, Bay of Plenty driver Mark Swetman, from Aucklanders Keith Warwick and Mike Browning.
Above: Daniel Bray
pic - Fast Company/Greg Henderso
Finally, with just six points between them the KF3 title fight looks set to be fought out by long-time class rivals Bradley Hicks and Arie Hutton. However current third placeman Paul Blomqvist is handily placed - just four points behind Hutton - if either Hutton or Hicks strikes trouble.
This weekend's series final meeting is being run over two days with qualifying and heats on Saturday and Pre-Finals and Finals on Sunday.
Joint Gen-i Kartstars 2010 Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand/ Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series
Points after Rnd 4 of 5
125cc Rotax Max Light
1. Josh Hart 262 points; 2. Matthew Hamilton 250; 3. Kane Taylor 248; 4. Jake Pascoe 239; 5. Chris Cox 235; 6. Daniel Kinsman 234.
125cc Rotax Max Heavy
1. Hamish Cross 267 points; 2. Shane Hodgson 252; 3. Niki Urwin 248; 4. Steven Currie 245; 5. Brendon Hart 236; 6. Aarron Cunningham 235
125cc Rotax MaxMasters:
1. Hamish Cross 267 points; 2. Niki Urwin 248; 3. Steven Currie 245; 4. Brendon Hart 236; 5. Daryl Currie 229; 6. Gary Claxton 221
125cc Rotax Max Junior
1. Andy Schofield 264 points; 2. Shaun Grocock 252; 3. Christopher Sinclair 242; 4. Tom Alexander 233; 5. Jordan Hart 230; 6. Josh Drysdale 229
KZ2
1. Daniel Bray 439 points; 2. Daniel Dufty 422; 3. Graeme Smyth 414; 4. Richard Moore 410; 5. Rick Huston 398; 6. Steve Brown 393.
KZ2 Masters: 1. Steve Brown 330 points; 2. Tom Curran 322; 3. Brett Hollander 314; 4. Steve Cox 312; 5. Leo Bult 311; 6. John Steward 309
F125S
1. Mark Swetman 333 points; 2. Keith Warwick 319; 3. Mike Browning 318; 4. Daniel Samuelson 312; 5. Kerry James 307; 6. Scott Hancett 210.
KF3
1. Bradley Hicks 431 points; 2. Arie Hutton 425; 3. Paul Blomqvist 421; 4. Aaron Marr 416; 5. Reid Harker 407; 6. Luke Dobbs 405.
