kartsportnews.com kart racing website

Preview: NZ Rotax Series Final Round

press release

The country's newest kart track, the Rotorua International KartSport Raceway, hosts the final round of this year's Right Karts Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand this weekend. 

Situated high in the Mamaku Ranges west of the city, the 1241 metre track was built to full international standards and was officially opened last month.  


Above: Aarron Cunningham took victory in Rotax Max Heavy at the previous round
pic - Fast Company/Graham Hughes

The annual Challenge series final is the first major meeting to be held at the new $3.4 million facility and series spokesman Gavin Bright says competitors have been looking forward to it since the start of the season.

"It's a fantastic track, definitely the best in the country and quite possibly the best in Australasia at the moment."

Heading into the final round of this year's six-round 2011 Right Karts Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge series former Arai Formula Junior class winner and New Zealand representative Daniel Kinsman looks to set to win the premier Motorex Rotax Max Light title from fellow Aucklander Kane Taylor with at least three drivers - Kinsman's older brother Mathew, former New Zealand champion and representative Ryan Urban and reigning New Zealand Sprint class champion Daniel Connor vying for third.


Above: Right Karts Kartstars 2011 Rotax Max Challenge Rnd 5 winner in Rotax Light, Daniel Kinsman
pic - Fast Company/Graham Hughes

Aarron Cunningham, meanwhile, has a 15 point lead over Shane Hodgson in Strata Networks Rotax Max Heavy, with their KartSport Mt Wellington clubmate Steven Currie third but with an unassailable lead in Masters class-within-a-class points standings.

Christchurch's Scott Manson has been the driver to beat in the Arai Helmets Formula Junior class however the results in that class are provisional pending an appeal. Drivers again expected to take the battle to Manson this weekend are Reid Harker, James Munro and Josh Drysdale.

New Zealand has a strong record at the annual Rotax Max Grand Finals event, with the best result so far recorded in Italy last year where Palmerston North's Josh Hart finished a close second in Rotax Max Light and Christchurch's Matthew Hamilton finished third in DD2.  


Above: Scott Manson in Formula Junior.
pic - Fast Company/Graham Hughes

This year four drivers will earn places on the grid at the Grand Finals, the team set to consist of the winner and runner-up in Motorex Rotax Max Light, the winner of Arai Helmets Formula Junior and the winner of the Masters class-within-a-class in Strata Networks Rotax Max Heavy.

The winner of the Strata Networks Rotax Max Heavy class will also win a trip to the event.

This weekend's final 2011 series round will be contested over two days with qualifying and heats on Saturday and Pre-Finals and Finals on Sunday.

Home

© kartsportnews.com