Porter Group Raceway To Host Weather-hit Top Half Series In Hamilton

The wet weather has forced a change to the Giltrap Group Top Half karting series with the penultimate round moved to the Porter Group Raceway in Hamilton this weekend.

The flooding in Bay of Plenty made it impossible to stage the event as planned at the Fagans Valley facility near Te Puke, with the double round returning to Hamilton.

There is more than 140 karters heading to Hamilton as the overall competition hots up.

Vortex Mini ROK has attracted the biggest entry with 33 in the field, including William Edmondson (Auckland) and Miles Baker and Carson Daly, both on their home club track.

Tokoroa club rising star Jay Urwin has the lead in Vortex ROK DVS, where he will take up the continuing battle with Taranaki’s Jack Amon and Auckland’s Ashton Phipps.

Urwin doubles up in the Rotax Max Junior with 30 drivers in action, also including Phipps and Bay of Plenty’s Mitchell Corin as likely favourites.

Cadet ROK competition is likely to pit the front-runners from last round in Matty Heaphy (Tokoroa), Benji Bellamy (Hawkes Bay) and Auckland’s Senna Wilkinson.

Rotax Max Heavy and DD2 proved a two-horse battle with Aaron Tahu best in Rotax Max Heavy and fellow Auckland peddler Darren Walker in DD2.

Likewise, the top three from last round in Rotax Max Light return in Ryan Crombie (Auckland), Tayler Payne (Rotorua) and Ryan Bell (Bay of Plenty).

The KZ2 will look to last round protagonists Jason Lee (Auckland) and Mitchell Sparrow (Hamilton) but they will need to watch for multi-national champion Mat Kinsman.

The competition, open to T1 and T2 drivers, will comprise four rounds with pre-determined grides and a final, with all points counting, while drivers can drop their worst performance at the end of the series. Racing starts at 12.30pm on Saturday and 9am on Sunday.

The final rounds will be staged at Tokoroa (12-13 November).

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