Bray Gets A Break At Drama-Filled Hamilton Kart Meet
press release
Series leader Daniel Bray got just the break he was looking for at a drama-filled penultimate round of the joint Gen-i Kartstars 2010 Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand/Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series at the Hamilton Kart Club's track near Mystery Creek over the weekend.
Above: KZ2 class winner Daniel Bray
pic - Fast Company/Graham Hughes
After winning the feature KZ2 class at the opening round of this year's Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series in Wellington at the beginning of the year Auckland-based international Bray had come under intense pressure at subsequent rounds from defending series title holder Ryan Grant and fellow Aucklander Graeme Smyth.
The pendulum swung back Bray's way over the weekend, however, as a change in racing plans saw Grant a non-starter while Smyth had to start the Final from the back row of the grid after losing a wheel in the Pre-Final.
The result left Bray the winner of both the Pre-Final (the race to decide grid positions for the winner-takes-all Final) and the Final, and a definite favourite now to claim the 2010 KZ2 class title.
For Smyth it was a case of 'what-might-have-been' the young Auckland driver setting the quickest lap time in the first qualifying session and winning all three KZ2 class heats before putting in the drive of the day to work his way through from P15 on the grid to second place behind Bray in the 20 lap Final.
That was by no means the only drama at the two-day meeting. In the KF3 Junior class Auckland's Arie Hutton ended up winning the Final from Taranaki's Aaron Marr and Auckland's Aaron Wilson after arch-rival Bradley Hicks was slowed by a broken throttle cable.
Hicks had qualified quickest and won the first two heats before not starting the third with an electrical issue. He went on to finish fourth in the wet Pre-Final which was won by Aucklander Paul Blomqvist and was quickly back into the lead in the Final - until his kart's throttle cable broke.
Above: 125cc Rotax Max Heavy class winner Shane Hodgson
pic - Fast Company/Graham Hughes
Usually that would be the end of the race but in an amazing display of dexterity and determination Hicks continued (only dropping three places in the process) by steering with his left hand and opening and shutting the carburettor's throttle with his right!
In stark contrast defending F125S class title holder Mark Swetman had a dream run, qualifying quickest and winning all three heats as well as the Pre-Final and Final, both from Scott Hancett and Keith Warwick.
In the Gen-i Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand, meanwhile, Palmerston North-based international Josh Hart found he had his work cut out in qualifying and the heats, former Junior star Daniel Kinsman quickest in both Time Trials before winning both heats from fellow Aucklander Jake Pascoe with Hart third in the first and Mathew Bufton third in the second.
Defending class title holder Matthew Hamilton should also have been in the mix but struggled in the changeable weather and track conditions, finishing 12th in the first heat, seventh in the second and eighth in the Pre-Final
Hart came back to win the Pre-Final, however, this time from Pascoe, Kinsman and Kane Taylor. He also crossed the finish line first in the Final but the results of that race remains provisional pending a judicial hearing.
In the 125cc Rotax Max Heavy class, after top three finishes at the second and third rounds Auckland's Shane Hodgson turned out to be the man to beat at Hamilton, winning the first heat from series points leader and early round standout Hamish Cross then the Pre-Final and Final from Aucklander Steven Currie.
With Cross out early in the Final with a broken chain, the way was open for Hodgson to assume the mantle of man to beat in the class, claiming round victory from Currie, Taupo's Teddy Bassick and Aucklander Aarron Cunningham.
There was also a fresh new face on the top step of the podium in the Formula Junior class, young Auckland driver Shaun Grocock stepping up to beat top local driver Andy Schofield with Jordan Hart third and Christchurch's Tom Alexander fourth.
Competitors in both series now look to the final to be hosted by the KartSport Auckland club at the Moselle Panel and Paint Raceway on Auckland's Rosebank Domain over the October 2-3 weekend.
Joint Gen-i Kartstars 2010 Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand/ Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series round meeting Hamilton Kart Club Kart Track Hamilton Sat/Sun August 28-29 2010
RESULTS
125cc Rotax Max Light (results provisional pending a judicial hearing)
1. Josh Hart; 2. Matthew Bufton; 3. Chris Cox; 4. Matthew Hamilton; 5. Jake Pascoe; 6. Kane Taylor.
125cc Rotax Max Heavy
1. Shane Hodgson; 2. Steven Currie; 3. Teddy Bassick; 4. Aarron Cunningham; 5. Brendon Hart; 6. Daryl Currie
Formula Junior
1. Shaun Grocock; 2. Andy Schofield; 3. Jordan Hart; 4. Tom Alexander; 5. Josh Drysdale; 6. Christopher Sinclair
KZ2
1. Daniel Bray; 2. Graeme Smyth; 3. Daniel Dufty; 4. Ryan Urban; 5. Will Thomason; 6. Richard Moore.
F125S
1. Mark Swetman; 2. Scott Hancett; 3. Keith Warwick; 4. Mike Browning; 5. Daniel Samuelson; 6. Kerry James
KF3
1. Arie Hutton; 2. Aaron Marr; 3. Aaron Wilson; 4. Bradley Hicks; 5. Matthew Butchart; 6. Luke Dobbs