Manawatu Karters Make Their Mark At Goldstar Series Round In Hawke’s Bay

Karters from the Manawatu led by Open class expert Riley Jack and young Vortex Mini ROK class ace Judd Christiansen, made their mark at the third round of the 2020/21 Manawatu & TRC Toyota-backed Wellington Provincial Karting Association’s (WPKA) Goldstar Series at the KartSport Hawke’s Bay club’s Carter’s Tyres Raceway at Fernhill near Hastings over the weekend.

Riley Jack was again top dog in the Open class, winning all five heat races as well as the standalone Senior Grand Prix race – the latter by just over 8 seconds from fellow Open class competitor Daniel Hall.

Youngster Judd Christiansen, the current North Island champion, also did the round win/class GP race double – and in doing so beat freshly minted classs #1NZ Zach Tucker in both.

The meeting was not quite an an all-Manawatu affair. But with four of the 10 class titles up for grabs going to drivers from Palmerston North and environs- - including Jackson Rooney, back on form in 125cc Rotax Max Light, and Ashley Higgins again dominant in the 125cc Rotax Max Heavy division, not to mention Jacob Cranston who claimed 125cc Rotax Max Light class honours in the Senior GP - the current strength of the sport in the region was plain for all to see.

In saying that there were also a couple of standout performance from local drivers on their home track. Young Napier karter Luke McMillan won four of the five heats to claim class honours in Cadet ROK, in the process beating newly crowned #1NZ Henry Fisher and fellow Christchurch driver and reigning Sth Island champion Jackson Culver.

Both Culver and Fisher were able to turn the tables on McMillan in the Cadet ROK GP race on Sunday. However the margins were such that it could have been anyone’s race - just 0.600 of a second between winner Jackson Culver and second-placed Henry Fisher with a further 1:144 seconds back to McMillan who finished third.

It turned out to be an excellent weekend for the McMillan family with Luke’s older brother Daniel finishing third in the Vortex ROK DVS Junior class but beating class winner Jay Urwin home to win the Junior GP race

Tom Bewley from Havelock North also proved his ability in the 125cc Rotax Max Junior class, claiming the class title by a single point over top Auckland driver Sebastian Manson and finishing second in class in the Junior GP.

The full list of class winners at the meeting was;

• Open – Riley Jack (Palmerson North)
• Vortex ROK DVS Snr – Chris Cox (Rangiora)
• 125cc Rotax Max Light – Jackson Rooney (Palmerston Nortth
• 125cc Rotax Max Heavy – Ashley Higgins (Palmerston North)
• Briggs LO206 ClubSport – Sean Lockyear (Wellington)
• ClubSport 120 – Stephen Muggeridge (Whakatane)
• Vortex ROK DVS Jnr – Jay Urwin (Matamata)
• 125cc Rotax Max Junior - Thomas Bewley (Havelock North)
• Vortex Mini ROK – Judd Christiansen (Palmerston North)
• Cadet ROK – Luke McMillan (Napier).

The stand-alone class Grand Prix races, meanwhile, were won by;

• Senior GP – Riley Jack (Palmerston North)
• ClubSport GP – Stephen Muggeridge (Whakatane)
• Vortex ROK DVS Junior GP – Daniel McMillan (Napier)
• Vortex Mini ROK GP – Judd Christiansen (Palmerston North)
• Cadet ROK GP - Jackson Culver (Christchurch)

There were also several class winners within the Senior GP.

These were;

• 125cc Rotax Max Light (3rd O/A)– Jacob Cranston (Palmerston North)
• 125cc Rotax Max Heavy (10th O/A)– Ashley Higgins (Palmerston North)
• Vortex ROK DVS Senior (7th O/A) – Harry Townsend (Hastings)
• Combined Rotax Max Junior and Vortex ROK DVS Junior GP
• 125cc Rotax Max Junior (3rd O/A) – Emerson Vincent (Pukekohe)

And finally in the combined ClubSport 120/Briggs LO206 ClubSport GP the

• Briggs LO206 ClubSport (3rd O/A) class was won by – David Sharp (Wellington).

The 2020/21 Manawatu & TRC Toyota-backed WPKA Goldstar series concludes with its annual WPKA ‘Championship’s round in Palmerston North over the June 05-06 weekend.

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