Junior Steps Up to Senior Win
| press release | 19 February 2014 |
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Recent Junior class graduate James Blair from Auckland's KartSport Mt Wellington club enjoyed a winning move to the Senior ranks at the opening round of this years' CRC Speedshow Top Half series at Rotorua on Sunday.
Blair was one of over 100 karters from as far afield as Christchurch and Wellington who made the trip to the top of the Mamaku ranges west of Rotorua for the Kartzone-sponsored round at KartSport Rotorua's The Rock FM Raceway, the young Aucklander claiming a close win in the 125cc Rotax Max Light class after a day-long battle with established class pace-setters Corey Green and Logan Rogers-Jenkins.
Above: Jordan Krissansen clips a wheel in one of the 125cc Rotax Max Light races
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Fast Company/Emilee Wright
Racing was held in hot, dry conditions with eight classes contested. With enough entrants to justify their own race the new Cadet ROK class ran separately from the existing Cadet class while those running the new Mini ROK engine ran off the back of the Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha grid.
In 125cc Rotax Max Heavy, Caleb Hartley won the round with Stu Gould second and kart-turned-sprintcar racer Brad Tyrrell back for this year's CRC Speedshow series third. Also impressive was the pace of recent Junior graduate Joe Ganley who showed great speed to claim the fastest race lap in three of the five heats.
While in the other Senior classees, Graham Knight from the Eastern By of Plenty club top-scored in Clubsport 120 with four wins and a second, and young gun CJ Sinclair beat old hand Darren Aislabie to claim Open class honours.
In the Junior ranks Aidan Robson used his KF3 class kart to take the Formula Junior class while some fantastic driving in a Junior Rotax kart earned fellow KartSport Auckland club member Dylan Smith second place after a day of fierce battles with Taylor Hart.
Above: Liam Lawson (#30) leads Sam Wright (#7) in a Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha heat
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Fast Company/Emilee Wright
In the combined Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha/Mini ROK field, meanwhile, the Mini ROK winner was Ben Morrison, the Junior Restricted class winner Liam Lawson.
This was one of the best supported and closest fought classes of the day with 24 entries including those of Rianna O’Meara Hunt and Joshua Donohue from Wellington, and Jayden Ransley from Christchurch. One of the many highlights of the day's racing was watching Liam Lawson and Joshua Donohue cross the line in the final side by side for a margin of 0.002 sec.
Strong performances also came from Rianna O’Meara Hunt and KartSport Rotorua club member Hunter Cheetham.
In the Cadet class the day belonged to Connor Davison with three race wins however this class was very hotly contested with the top 10 or so drivers trading places each lap – fabulous to watch and with Joshua Parkinson from the KartSport Mt Wellington club deserving special mention for driving from last place to first in the first heat.
Above: Action from one of the Cadet class heats with Connor Davison (#95) leading Fynn Osborne (#12), Billy Fraser (#46), Joshua Parkinson (#89) and Liam Sceats (#23)
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Fast Company/Emilee Wright
With four wins and a second, meanwhile Cullern Thorby top-scored in the new Cadet ROK class, with Dylan Grant second and Gemma Winters third
CRC Speedshow is New Zealand's premier automotive and motorsport expo which this year will be held at Auckland's ASB Showgrounds over the July 19-20 weekend.
More information on this year's CRC Speedshow Top Half series can be found on KartSport New Zealand's website www.kartsport.org.nz/events/2014-top-half-series and Facebook page www.facebook.com/TopHalfSeries
2014 CRC Speedshow Top Half Series
Rnd 1 Results
125cc Rotax Max Light
1. James Blair 154
2. Corey Green 146
3. Logan Rogers-Jenkins
4. Jason Butterworth 139
5. Matthew Harris 135
6. Jordan Baldwin 127
125cc Rotax Max Heavy
1. Caleb Hartley 153
2. Stuart Gould 149
3. Bradley Tyrrell 146
4. Darren Walker 139
5. Joseph Ganley 138
6. Darren Aislabie 133
Open
1. CJ Sinclair 158
2. Darren Aislabie 152
3. Graeme Lambert 151
4. Tim Wakefield 146
5. Niki Urwin 140
6. Teddy Bassick 137
Clubsport 120
1. Graham Knight 159
2. Steve Muggeridge 150
3. Keith Rawlinson 149
4. Richard Macey 141
5. Steve Carter 139
6. Paul Farmer 132
Formula Junior
1. Aidan Robson 153
2. Dylan Smith 142
3. Taylor Harte 139
4. Suvarn Naidoo 134
5. Kyle Krissansen 129
6. Bailey Paterson 128
Mini ROK / JR
1. Ben Morrison 159
2. Riley Jack 155
3. Heidi Benner 151
4. Liam Lawson 149
5.Joshua Donohue 138
6. Sam Wright 138
Cadet
1. Connor Davison 157
2. Joshua Parkinson 150
3. Fynn Osborne 144
4. Blake Austin 139
5. Clay Osborne 134
6. Jack Proctor 131
Cadet ROK
1. Cullern Thorby 159
2. Dylan Grant 156
3. Gemma Winters 145
4. Noah Skipps 143
5. Mason Potter 139
6. Bradley Ayers 139
