Record Entries Bode Well For Kartsport

Record Entries Bode Well For Kartsport Schools' Championships These Holidays

Record numbers - including 47 in the Junior Yamaha class - bode well for KartSport New Zealand's Fair Dinkum Sheds & Houses-backed National Schools' Championship event, being held in the Hawke's Bay over the second weekend (July 11-12) of the school holidays.

Entries in the Cadet class reached record numbers at the 2009 National Sprint Championship meeting at Hamilton over the Easter weekend and KartSport New Zealand's Development Manager Robert Hutton says it is heartening to see the momentum has continuing into the seventh annual National Schools Championship event.

"Like every sporting group we're seeing some belt-tightening going on around the country but the Schools' event has always been a highlight for a lot of our members - parents and children alike - and it is very gratifying to see the numbers staying up there. The Junior Yamaha number is truly unprecedented too. We had 34 Cadets at the Nationals at Hamilton and that was a record, so to have 47 in Junior Yamaha at this event is really quite remarkable."

In total the three-day Friday July 10 to Sunday July 12 event at the Hawke's Bay Karting Club's ZM Raceway at Roys Hill on the outskirts of Hastings has attracted 139 entries over six classes representing schools from Whangarei in the north to Dunedin in the south.

At last year's National Schools' Championships in Dunedin, Christchurch drivers Chris Cox and Andrew Errington claimed the Secondary Schools' title for Christchurch's St Andrews College while Liam Young and Cassidy Mowat took out the Primary/Intermediate one for Dunedin's Wakari Primary School and Kaikorai Valley College.

The year before, in Te Puke, the Secondary Schools title returned to Auckland's St Kentigern College courtesy drivers Ben Dallas and Simon Evans after being won in 2006 when the event was held in Blenheim by Waimea College (Nelson) students Brett Sullivan and Kane Adcock.

In 2005 at the Taranaki Kart Club's Joll Street track at Waitara, it was Palmerston North Boys High School which was the top school, taking over the mantle from Auckland schools St Kentigern College which top-scored in 2004, and Rangitoto College which won the inaugural National Schools' title in 2003.

There is always plenty of local interest at a Schools' event with at least 15 Hawke's Bay Karting Club members competing including 2008 New Zealand Cadet class champion Maddison Wise and 2009 New Zealand Cadet class champion Mitchell Turner.

Both have now graduated to the Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha class where they are set to come up against the Cadet class winner at last year's Schools' Championship meeting in Dunedin, Chrischurch's Jordan McDonnell.

A special feature of the annual event is the main prize, the Bruce McLaren KartSport Award presented by Formula Challenge. And KartSport New Zealand is pleased to confirm that the winning Secondary Schools Team drivers will again each receive a Formula Challenge Drive Experience in a Formula Challenge racing car.

Taupo-based Formula Challenge has supported the Bruce McLaren KartSport Award since it was established in 2003 by providing racing car drives to the winning team members. Formula Challenge operates at the Taupo Motorsport Park circuit and will soon expand its activity to the new Hampton Downs circuit near Meremere. KartSport New Zealand would like to express its thanks to Charles Dawson and the team at Formula Challenge for their on-going support of the annual Bruce McLaren KartSport Award. For more information on Formula Challenge go to www.fcr.co.nz

Event sponsor Fair Dinkum Homes & Sheds is a leading distributor of residential garages and carports, barns, farm sheds and industrial/commercial buildings. Fair Dinkum products are sold through distributors all over New Zealand. For more information go to www.fairdinkumsheds.co.nz

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