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Karters Back New Look & Feel For Long-Running Regional Series


press release 7 November 2014
 

Karters from both the North and South Islands have backed a well and truly rejuvenated WPKA Goldstar karting series.

Over 80 will contest the first round this weekend in Wellington, more than double the number the series attracted last season.

The Wellington Provincial Karting Association (WPKA) has been running a Goldstar series for karters in the lower half of the North Island for over 50 years.

Action like this - as Liam Lawson leads Jaden Ransley and Ryan Wood at Palmerston North's Manawatu Toyota Raceway earlier this year - will be repeated at rounds of the 2014/15 Bayleys WPKA Goldstar series
Above: Action like this - as Liam Lawson leads Jaden Ransley and Ryan Wood at Palmerston North's Manawatu Toyota Raceway earlier this year - will be repeated at rounds of the 2014/15 Bayleys WPKA Goldstar series
pic - Fast Company/ Graham Hughes

Recently though, competitor numbers have been dropping, prompting the KartSport Wellington club to offer to breathe some new life into it.

Club member Martin Hunt was appointed president of the WPKA and with the support of his club, and those in the Manawatu, Taranaki and Hawke's Bay set about making being involved more attractive to competitors and sponsors alike.

Key to getting things up and running was signing commercial real estate agency Bayleys as the naming rights sponsor and the regional kart shops as official round suppliers. 

Hunt is big on incentives so prior to and at each round competitors are encouraged to buy what they need at that round from the official supplier only.

WPKA wants to be a supporter of karting at the grass roots so Hunt has cast the competitor net wider, offering clubs outside the WPKA catchment $100 per member who enters the series. These funds are to be directed back into their own clubs, and own members. 

The competitors themselves are also in for a treat.

The first-placed Rotax Max Junior driver in the series' Formula Junior class receives free entry to the 2016 Rotax Max Challenge series thanks to New Zealand Rotax importer Right Karts from Auckland.  And the winners of the Cadet ROK and Vortex Mini ROK classes each receive entry to a top meeting in Australia racing a new Tony Kart chassis and Vortex engine thanks to Taranaki's Supreme Kart Supplies, Manawatu Toyota and the WPKA.

Senior class winners, meanwhile, are up for a hosted corporate day plus Hot Laps with former karter Simon Evans in the Smeg Racing Holden #4 SuperTourer  thanks to Smeg and Evans European in Auckland, or a BMW drive experience day plus Hot Laps in a BMW M4 courtesy Mike Eady and his driver training business, Tracktime.

All series entrants can also win a set of MG Tyres at each round.

All entries are eligible for spot prizes at every event, from driving suit and apparel company ORG, automotive additive company Wynns and paint company Dulux.  Round medals are being supplied by Wellington graphic design company typeface.

The rejuvenated Bayleys WPKA Goldstar series kicks off in Wellington this weekend with subsequent rounds at Palmerston North in December, Taranaki  in March 2015 and Hawke's Bay in early May 2015 then a 'championship' round back in Wellington at the end of May 2015. 

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

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