Internationals Back Home for Weekend Rotax Series Round

Internationals Back Home for Weekend Rotax Series Round

Last weekend Auckland karter Daniel Bray was competing in the United States. The weekend before, namesakes Daniel Kinsman from Auckland and Daniel Connor from Helensville were racing in Australia. This weekend all three will be back home contesting the third round of the 2013 YÖGG Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand in the Bay of Plenty.

New Zealand was one of the first Rotax territories to run a national challenge series and send teams to the annual Grand Challenge events, the first of which was held in Puerto Rico in 2000. Before then most Kiwi karters were content racing at home.

Now, New Zealand drivers are regularly heading overseas, Bray a three year veteran - and winner of the premier S1 class title in 2011- of the SuperKarts Pro Tour in the United States, Connor and Kinsman now regulars on Australia's Rotax Pro Tour circuit.

The experience is obviously doing them good because heading into this weekend's YÖGG Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand round at the KartSport Bay of Plenty club's Fagan's Valley Raceway near Te Puke defending class title holder Daniel Kinsman heads the points standings in the premier Platinum Glass 125cc Rotax Max Light class.

Older brother Mathew - who has also competed overseas - is second, long-time class rival Daniel Connor third, young Auckland driver Reid Harker fourth and Daniel Bray equal sixth.

In the other classes Palmerston North drivers are leading the way, with young gun Dylan Drysdale two points up on Jordan McDonnell in Arai Helmets Junior Max and fellow KartSport Manawatu club member Brendon Hart sharing an early lead in both the Logitech 125cc Rotax Max Heavy class and Masters division with Aucklander Stuart Marshall.

This weekend's two-day meeting has again attracted a bumper Rotax class entry with over 60 drivers across three classes and from as far afield as Dunedin and Whangarei making the trip to Te Puke.

The round is the third of six in this year's Challenge series with subsequent ones set to be held in Tokoroa, the Hawke's Bay and Auckland.

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