Preview: NZ Prokart Series Final Round


press release 9 September 2015

Karters from across the country have plenty to race for at the final roud of this year's KZ2-based ProKart Series at Hamilton's Agrisea New Zealand Raceway this weekend.

Multi-time class and series champion Ryan Grant finally wrested back the lead in the Cable Systems KZ2 class points standings off teammate and fellow Aucklander Graeme Smyth at the penultimate round on their home track last month.

nz prokart
Above: Chris Cox
pic - Fast Company/Graham Hughes

But there is still just five points in it and after a strong round at Auckland top South Island driver Chris Cox is also in the title mix, being just two points back from Smyth in third.

Mix in Aaron Wilson, Mitchell Brown (just one point apart in fourth and fifth) and fellow young gun Luke Dobbs in sixth, and the final series' finishing order is still anyone's guess.

With the annual ProKart Series twinned with the 2015 Logitech New Zealand Rotax Max Challenge, over 100 karters from as far afield as Dunedin and Whangarei are expected to make the trip to KartSport Hamilton's Agrisea NZ Raceway opposite the city's intenational airport for this weekend's two-day finals meeting.

As well as overall series placings, at stake are entries to Australia's annual Race of Stars meeting on the Gold Coast in early October for the top three finishers in both the Cable Systems KZ2 and Aarque Group KZ2 Masters classes.


Above: Billy Frazer leads a train of Vortex MiniROK
pic - Fast Company/Graham Hughes

The winner of the Vortex Mini ROK junior class will also earn an entry to the final round of the Australian championships under the guidance of expat Kiwi kart ace Dale Verrall later in the month.

In the other senior classes on the ProKart Series roster Hawke's Bay ace Tom Curran has a healthy lead in the series standings in Aarque Group KZ2 Masters over series promotor Steve Brown and fellow Aucklanders Mark Wheeler and Jared Mackenzie, while Garry Cullum looks set to successfully defend his 2014 title in Aarque Group KZ2 Restricted from fellow Aucklanders Connor Adam and Gerhard Benadie.

Top local drivers Fynn Osborne and Connor Davison, meanwhile, will be wanting to end the year on a high in Vortex Mini ROK. But they will have their work cut out taking on points leader Ryan Wood from Wellington.

Earlier this year Wood successfully defended his class title at the National Schools championships, and last weekend he was the winner in the Vortex Mini ROK class at the big Blossom meeting in Hawke's Bay.

There will be action on track at Hamilton both days over the weekend with qualifying and the heats on Saturday and the Pre-Finals and Finals on Sunday.


Above: KZ2 Masters, Mark Wheeler
pic - Fast Company/Graham Hughes

2015 ProKart Series

Cable Systems KZ2
Series points after Rnd 5 of 6
1. Ryan Grant (Ak) 443 points; 2. Graeme Smyth (Ak) 438; 3. Chris Cox (ChCh) 436; 4. Aaron Wilson (Rot) 418; 5. Mitch Brown (Mkau) 417; 6. Luke Dobbs (Mt W) 404.

Aarque Group KZ2 Masters
Series points after Rnd 5 of 6
1. Tom Curran (HB) 445 points; 2. Steve Brown (Mkau) 427; 3. Mark Wheeler (Ak) 425; 4. Jared Mackenzie (Ak) 422; 5. Mark Lane (Mkau) 419; 6. Graeme Lambert (Tok) 409.

Aarque Group KZ2 Restricted
Series points after Rnd 5 of 6
1. Garry Cullum (Ak) 459; 2. Connor Adam (Ak) 441; 3. Gerhard Benadie (Ak) 429; 4. Shaun Curran (Ak) 427; 5. Simon Adam (Ak) 84

Vortex Mini ROK
Series points after Rnd 5 of 6
1. Ryan Wood (Wgtn) 448; 2. Fynn Osborne (Ham) 435; 3. Billy Frazer (MW) 432; 4. Connor Davison (Ham) 425; 5. Callum Hedge  (BoP) 419

 

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