Wilson Gunning for 5th Straight Superkart Title
| press release | 25 February 2015 |
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SuperKart ace Karl Wilson is gunning for his fifth straight New Zealand title at Taupo on Saturday. And the Wellington driver will have plenty of firepower at his disposal.
Last year Wilson ran a 2012 Anderson chassis and 2011 DEA engine. That the combination did the job was without question; Wilson qualified on pole and won every race he started to claim both the New Zealand SuperKart title and SuperKart Grand Prix race.
Above: Karl Wilson (#NZ) on his way to winning last year's New Zealand SuperKart Grand Prix
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Fast Company/Jordan Moss
Each year the competition gets hotter though so late last year kart owner Wayne Sproston bought a brand new 2014 Anderson/DEA combination with Wilson's title defence very much in mind.
"It's done a couple of test runs but that's it," said Wilson. "It's brand new. The best you can get."
Before Wilson's golden run started in 2011, two-time NZ SuperKart #1 Paul Dunlop from Clydevale (near Balclutha) was one of the drivers to beat on the SuperKart scene.
The southern man continues to be a threat and after chain issues last year is back this year as one of at least three drivers keen to take the battle to Wilson in the premier International class.
"I was very happy with our new engine last year so we're definitely back this year," he said.
Aucklander Andrew Hall and young Taranaki driver Alex Geary are the other two drivers Wilson will be looking out for on Saturday.
Hall is a three-time winner of the NZ SuperKart Series (2010, 2013 and 2014) finished third in both the SuperKart Championship and Grand Prix at Manfeild last year and has a very well-developed PVP kart and engine package.
A former New Zealand Sprint champion in the Yamaha Light class, New Plymouth's Alex Geary will be the dark horse in the ex Tony Bowden kart and engine combination.
Convenor Robin Isaac says he is very happy with the 47-strong entry across four classes - International, National and Rotax Max Light and Heavy - with close and exciting, slipstream-based racing expected in all.
Above: Josh Drysdale (#2) won the combined Rotax MAX Grand Prix at the 2014 event
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Fast Company/Jordan Moss
In the other classes National has two divisions, 250 and 125cc with last year's winner Chris Simmonds back to defend his title and competition expected from Nick Isaac (third last year), last year's International class runner-up Tony Gestro and Wellington trio Dan Isaac, Sean Cuthbert and Peter Hoare.
In the 125cc division drivers to look out for include Darryl Currie from Palmerston North and young gun Bradley Tremain from Tokoroa.
The two Rotax Max classes have attracted the largest entries with big things expected from experienced Sprint and SuperKart driver Ryan Urban from Auckland in the Light division as he takes on 2014 series winner Charlotte Oram from Wellington, former champ Gareth Playle and Logan Boyde from Taranaki.
In the Heavy class this year's title fight looks likely to be a re-run of last year's with 2014 title holder Daniel Sayles favourite from the drivers who finished behind him at Manfeild a year ago, Karl Cameron David Odering and Brad Alexander.
The event will use Ricoh Motorsport Parks' 3.3 km Track 1 (aka the A1GP track) with four heats and a final per class as well as the stand-alone Open (Int & Nat) and Rotax (Light & Heavy) Grand Prix races.
Qualifying begins at 9.20am on Saturday with racing due to start at 10.30am.
