All On For Rotax Final after Rain-Hit Hawke's Bay Round

All On For Rotax Final after Rain-Hit Hawke's Bay Round

It's all on for the final of this year's YÖGG Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand in Auckland next month with Mathew Kinsman now the favourite to take honours in the Platinum Glass 125cc Rotax Max Light class and Marcus Armstrong now with the advantage in Arai Helmets Junior Max.

Heading into the penultimate series round in the Hawke's Bay over the weekend it was 22-year-old Aucklander Mathew's younger brother, defending class title holder Daniel, 19, who held the points advantage in the premier Light class, and Palmerston North young gun Dylan Drysdale who had the lead in the Junior one.

The younger Kinsman brother got a good start to the weekend too, qualifying quickest and and beating his brother Mathew and round four class winner Daniel Connor to the line in the first heat.

Come the second heat though everything changed. Overnight rain had left KartSport Hawke's Bay's The Rock Raceway at Roys Hill damp, and with dark clouds looming most of the field lined up on wet tyres.

Mathew Kinsman was one of the few who didn't, gambling on slicks for what he read as a damp but drying track, and - after his brother and Daniel Connor tangled at the first turn - going on to win the race very much as he liked from three of the other drivers who had opted for slick tyres, Mitchell Osborne, Nick Carpenter and Daniel Bray.

Both Daniel Kinsman and Daniel Connor managed to get back onto the track and finish the race, but running their good wet tyres on a drying track had consequences later in the day when passing showers meant wet tyres were essential for both the Pre-Final and Final.

With his wets still in good condition Mathew Kinsman won both, the best his brother Daniel could manage on the wet tyres he wore down on a drying track in the second heat, however, was fifth in the Pre-Final and third in the Final.

That was enough to tip the series points balance back in favour of Mathew with Daniel now second, Daniel Connor third, Reid Harker fourth and Mason Armstrong fifth.

The changeable weather conditions also threw a curve ball into the results of the second Arai Helmets Junior Max heat with Hamilton driver Campbell Joyes winning from James Blair and Jacob Cranston, and quickest qualifier and heat one winner Marcus Armstrong back in seventh place.

Early season class points leader Dylan Drysdale didn't go down without a fight either, storming back after qualifying and finishing the two heat races in fourth position to win the Pre-Final from Armstrong and top local driver Maddie Wise.

Come the Final though Armstrong was in a class of his own, setting a new class lap record on his way to victory over Trey Nairn and Drysdale, the result meaning he was finally able to wrest the series points lead off his season-long rival.

A new name, meanwhile, came to the fore in the Logitech 125cc Rotax Max Heavy class, Aucklander Daniel Sayles getting the better of Aarron Cunningham and Teddy Bassick in the Pre-Final, and Cunningham and Stuart Marshall in the Final.

Cunningham continues to lead the class series points standings, and Marshall remains tied on points in the Masters (over 32 yrs) category-within-a-category with Palmerston North driver Brendon Hart, but Sayles - who this year has won his class at both the KartSport Auckland and KartSport Mt Wellington club championship meetings - will definitely now be the driver to watch in the Heavy class races at the final Rotax series round at KartSport Auckland's Strata Networks Kart Raceway over the Septemebr 21/22 weekend.

2013 YÖGG Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand

Platinum Glass 125cc Rotax Max Light
Round
1. Mathew Kinsman; 2. Mitchell Osborne; 3. Daniel Kinsman; 4. Daniel Bray; 5. Reid Harker; 6. Daniel Connor

Points after Rnd 5 of 6
1. Mathew Kinsman 343 points; Daniel Kinsman 335; 3. Daniel Connor 323; 4. Reid Harker 319; 5. Mason Armstrong 310; 6. Daniel. Bray

Arai Helmets Junior Max
Round
1. Marcus Armstrong; 2. Trey Nairn; 3. Dylan Drysdale; 4. Ryan Yardley; 5. Campbell Joyes; 6. Ethan Anderson

Points after Rnd 5 of 6
1. Marcus Armstrong 346 points; 2. Dylan Drysdale 343; 3. Campbell Joyes 252; 4. Maddy Wise 305; 5. Ethan Anderson 293; 6. Jacob Cranston 292

Logitech 125cc Rotax Max Heavy
Round
1. Daniel Sayles; 2. Aarron Cunningham; 3. Stuart Marshall; 4. Teddy Bassick; 5. Brendon Gridley; 6. Mark Oudney.
Points after Rnd 5 of 6
1. Aarron Cunningham 344; 2. Brendon Hart 326; 3. Stuart Marshall 326; 4. Brendon Gridley 313; 5. Teddy Bassick 311; 6. Daniel Sayles 310.

Masters (over 32)
1. Brendon Hart 326 points; 2. Stuart Marshall 326; 3. Brendon Gridley 313

CALENDAR
Rnd 1: Feb 16 KartSport Manawatu
Rnd 2: Mar 09-10 Kartsport Rotorua
Rnd 3: April 20-21 Kartsport Bay of Plenty
Rnd 4: May 25-26th Kartsport Tokoroa
Rnd 5: Aug 17-18 Kartsport Hawke's Bay
Rnd 6: Sept 21-22 Kartsport Auckland

ENDS

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