Top Karters Head to Te Puke This Weekend

Top Karters Head to Te Puke This Weekend

The country's top karters head to the Bay of Plenty this weekend to contest KartSport Bay of Plenty's big Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series/Gen-i Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand meeting.

The two-day meeting at the Fagan's Valley Raceway between Te Puke and Papamoa hosts the third round of this year's Mi Sedaap series for KZ2 and KF3 karts and the fourth round of the Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand for 125cc Rotax-powered karts.

Previous rounds of each series have been held at separate meetings but from this weekend on they will share top billing at the same meetings.

That makes for a busy couple of days but is a major boost for fans of top-level karting with over 120 drivers providing non-stop action from Saturday morning to late Sunday afternoon.

Drivers in both categories will be competing for more than points as well, Rotax Max Challenge series promoter Right Karts announcing that competitors in the three classes, Right Karts 125cc Rotax Max Light, Arai Helmets Junior Max and Strata Networks 125cc Rotax Max Heavy, will compete for a pole position cash purse of $200 per class.

Commenting on the move series organizer Tony Chambers said;

"The series is really hotting up and we have some close positions in all three classes. It is especially pleasing this weekend to see the largest field to date in the Junior Max class."

The organisers of the Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series are also offering prize money with $1000 per round up for grabs in their (Junior) KF3 support class.

Heading the points in the Right Karts 125cc Rotax Max Light class heading into the weekend's meeting is defending class title holder and 2012 series round one winner Daniel Kinsman from Auckland with competition expected to come from round two winner Daniel Connor from Helensville and Kinsman's older brother Mathew who beat both to the flag in the Final at round three.

Christchurch's Scott Manson leads the points standings in Arai Formula Junior after claiming victory at the first two rounds, but Palmerston North driver Josh Drysdale is within striking distance after finally managing to get the better of Manson at the third round.

Hawke's Bay driver Zack Zaloum, meanwhile, heads the points standings in the Strata Networks 125cc Rotax Max Heavy class after three class round wins from three starts.

Former rally ace Andrew Grant is second in his reborn career as a karter with defending class title holder Aarron Cunningham from Auckland third.

Grant also leads the Masters points standings from fellow Aucklander Stuart Marshall, Daryl Crighton from Palmerston North and local driver Niki Urwin.

In the Mi Sedaap (instant noodles) Pro Kart series the big story is the on-going rivalry between Auckland internationals Ryan Grant and Daniel Bray in the premier KZ2 class.

Both have been overseas this year preparing for the World KZ2 Championship meeting in Italy in September, with Bray only just home in time for this weekend's meeting having contested the third and fourth rounds of SuperKarts USA's Pro Tour series - for which he is the defending champion in the premier S1 class - at the Miller Motorsport Park in Utah last weekend.

Aucklander Mark Lane, meanwhile, currently leads the KZ2 Masters class points standings with defending title holder Tom Curran from the Hawke's Bay second and Aucklander Steve Brown third.

One driver who will be particularly busy this weekend is Josh Drysdale from Palmerston North.

As well as being second in the Arai Formula Junior (Rotax Max Challenge) points standings, he also leads the standings in the Mi Sedaap series's KF3 class and intends contesting both classes this weekend.

The Fagan's Valley track will be open for testing on Friday with qualifying and the first heats on Saturday and subsequent heats, Pre-Finals and Finals on Sunday.

ENDS

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