Goldstar Series Back In Action This Weekend
| press release | 5 March 2015 |
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The Bayleys WPKA Goldstar Series roars back into action this weekend with karters from all over the country converging on the Kartsport Taranaki club's Todd Energy Raceway at Waitara for the Supreme Kart Supplies-sponsored third round.
The series is one of the longest running regional ones in New Zealand with a cross-year calendar format that sees the first rounds at the end of one year and subsequent ones run up until May the next.
Revitalised this season with naming rights support from Bayleys and a new sponsor-friendly format put together by a new organising committee, the series has seen an increase in both numbers and intensity.
Above: Zach Zaloum (#2) is joint leader of the 125cc Rotax Max Heavy class points
pic - Fast Company/Vicky Jack
Leading the way in the Senior ranks after the first two rounds in Wellington and the Manawatu are Brad Still from Taranaki in the 125cc Rotax Max Light class and Zach Zaloum from Hawkes' Bay and Jordan McDonnell (the pair are tied for first place) from Christchurch in 125cc Rotax Max Heavy.
Neither Still nor Zaloum and McDonnell have big leads however and this weekend will be all about local drivers Still and Aaron de Ridder maximising home track advantage.
For Still that means working hard to extend the five point lead he had on Chris Cox and John Wallace, who are tied for second place in the Lights class.
For de Ridder it will be about trying to bridge the three point lead Zach Zaloum and Jordan McDonnell have on him in the Heavy class points standings, while keeping a weather eye on top Masters category driver Brent Melhop who is fourth but only three points behind de Ridder.
Brent Robinson is in a similar position in the ClubSport 120 class, with a three point lead over a pair - John Paddy and Simon Frater - tied for second place, and it is even closer in the Junior ranks.
In Formula Junior only five points separate the top five going into this weekend's meeting with Jacob Cranston two points ahead of fellow Palmerston North driver Kaleb Ngatoa, Wellington drivers Maddy Stewart and Josh Donohue tied for third two points back and Lee Zeltwanger, fifth just one point behind them.
There's also just a solitary point between Bayley Walker and Ronan Murphy who are first and second respectively in the Junior Yamaha class, and only three points between first and second in Vortex Mini ROK, and Cadet ROK>
In Vortex Mini ROK Ryan Wood has 118 points to Riley Jack's 115 and Tom Greig's 114, while in Cadet ROK, Louis Sharp leads with 118 points from Zac Christensen with 115.
This weekend's round is the third of four series rounds with the fifth in Hastings over the May 02-03 weekend and a final - stand-alone - championship meeting in Wellington on May 30 and 31.
Further information is available on facebook ‘GoldStar Series’ and at www.wpka.org.nz
Above: Bayley Walker (#11) leading Ronan Murphy (#51) and Robbie Johnston (#84) in one of the Junior Yamaha class races at the second Bayleys WPKA Goldstar Series round late last year.
pic - Fast Company/Vicky Jack
2014/2015 Bayleys WPKA Goldstar Series
125cc Rotax Max Light
Points after Rnd 2
1. Brad Still 118; 2=. Chris Cox & John Wallace 113; 4, Michael McCulloch 112; 5. Jack Bridgman 108; 6. Zachary Thompson 105
125cc Rotax Max Heavy
Points after Rnd 2
1=. Zach Zaloum & Jordan McDonnell 118; 3. Aaron de Ridder 115; 4. Brent Melhop 112; 5. Karl Cameron 110; 6. Darren Conway 106.
ClubSport 120
Points after Rnd 2
1. Brent Robinson 118, 2=. John Paddy & Simon Frater 115; 4. Braden Parsons 113; 5. Jim Thompson 109; 6. Kevin Groves 106
Formula Junior
Points after Rnd 2
1. Jacob Cranston 116; 2. Kaleb Ngatoa 114; 3=. Maddy Stewart & Josh Donohue 112; 5. Lee Zeltwanger 111; 6. Rianna O'Meara-Hunt 106;
Junior Yamaha
Points after Rnd 2
1. Bayley Walker 116; 2. Ronan Murphy 115; 3. Robbie Johnson 112; 4. Jayden Smith 108; 5. Nathan Cox 108; 6. Brendan Jury 60.
Vortex Mini ROK
Points after Rnd 2:
1. Ryan Wood 118; 2. Riley Jack 115; 3. Tom Greig 114; 4. Jackson Rooney 112; 5. Louis Redshaw 109; 6. Samuel Wright 56
Cadet ROK;
Points after Rnd 2:
1. Louis Sharp 118; 2. Zac Christensen 115; 3. Logan Smith 112; 4. Daniel Austin 112; 5. Logan Manson 108; 6.
CALENDAR
2014/15 Bayleys WPKA Goldstar Series
Rnd 1 Nov 08-09 2014 Rnd sponsor Sparkarts Wynns Raceway Wellington
Rnd 2 Dec 06-07 2014 Rnd sponsors TK Manawatu & ORG Manawatu Toyota Raceway Palmerston North
Rnd 3 March 07-08 2015 Rnd sponsor Supreme Kart Supplies Todd Energy Raceway Waitara
Rnd 4 May 02-03 2015 Rnd sponsor Total Karting Chemz Raceway Hastings
Championship round May 30-31 2015 Rnd sponsor Kartworks Wynns Raceway Wellington
