Urban Eyes Next Challenge

Urban Eyes Next Challenge After Second Superkart Champs' Clean Sweep

New Zealand's new SuperKart 'King,' Ryan Urban is now eyeing his next challenge after a second New Zealand championship, Grand Prix and Pommie Trophy clean-sweep at Hampton Downs on Sunday.

Driving a state-of-the-art FPE-engined Anderson Maverick kart he and talented engineer mate Tony Bowden built to defend his 2016 title, the 34-year kart shop proprietor and engine builder from Auckland was again the class of the field at the annual KartSport New Zealand National SuperKart championship meeting.

After topping the time sheets in qualifying with a time of 1.03.257, Urban won all four combined International/KZ2 heats as well as the standalone Grand Prix race very much as he liked, and now has his sights set on competing overseas.

"That's right," he said. "The idea now is to do some racing in Australia next year, then all going well, look to Europe in 2019."

Second overall after spending the day battling category stalwart Andrew Hall was Taupo's Teddy Bassick. Bassick leased a SuperKart for last year's title meeting and was so impressed he bought his own one - a 2014 Anderson chassis with FPE engine - for this year's event.

He and Hall were virtually inseparable all day with the pair finishing second and third respectively in the class points standings, but Hall claiming second place in the standalone Grand Prix from former NZ title holder Paul Dunlop.

Earlier in the day, Aucklander Martijn Weiss, driving the Anderson Maverick SuperKart Urban drove to victory last year, looked a likely threat to Bassick and Hall. However, he

suffered wheel bearing problems in the third heat and was forced to sit out the fourth one and the Grand Prix.

In other classes contested at the meeting Taranaki ace Logan Boyde won the 2017 New Zealand KZ2 class SuperKart crown from Daryl Currie from Palmerston North and Aucklander Andrew Hunt.

Former sprint class star Tony Kinsman, the uncle of current front runners Mathew and Daniel, proved the man to beat, meanwhile, in Rotax Max Light with a clean sweep of the heats and class GP.

Fellow Aucklander Keith Wilkinson did a similar job in the Rotax Max Heavy heats though - in his absence - class honours in the standalone Grand Prix race went to title runner-up Caleb Hartley from Mark Ongley.

As well as the 2017 New Zealand and Grand Prix title Ryan Urban was also awarded the coveted Pommie Trophy for the best overall combined performance in the Championship and Open Grand Prix for the International class.

Ends

2017 KartSport New Zealand National SuperKart Championship and Grand Prix Hampton Downs Sat/Sun Sept 23-24

RESULTS

International class

1. Ryan Urban

2. Teddy Bassick

3. Andrew Hall

4. Martijn Weiss

5. Paul Dunlop

Pommie Trophy - Ryan Urban

KZ2

1. Logan Boyde

2. Daryl Currie

3. Andrew Hunt

4. Craig Goffin

5. Peter Dicks

6. John Crossman

7. Brent Gordon

Rotax Max Light

1. Tony Kinsman

2. Chris King

3. Jason Butterworth

4. Todd Jolly

5. Sean Heffernan

6. Lee Sefton

Rotax Max Heavy

1. Keith Wilkinson

2. Caleb Hartley

3. Mark Ongley

4. Derek Lawrence

5. Matt Flaherty

6. Glenn Downey

7. Peter Cottam

International/KZ2 Grand Prix

1, Ryan Urban

2. Andrew Hall

3, Paul Dunlop

KZ2

1. Logan Boyde

2. Andrew Hunt

3. Peter Dicks

4. Craig Goffin

Rotax Max Grand Prix

Light

1. Tony Kinsman

2. Jason Butterworth

3. Chris King

4. Todd Jolly

5. Sen Heffernan

6. Lee Sefton

Heavy

1. Caleb Hartley

2. Mark Ongley

3. Matt Flaherty

ENDS

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