The pint-sized points leader in the Micro Max class, Emerson Vincent, 7, from Pukekohe, heads a seven-strong contingent of Kiwi karters contesting the third round of this year’s Australian Rotax Pro Tour at Sydney’s Eastern Creek International Kart Raceway this weekend.
Vincent won his class at the opening round of this year’s Tour in Melbourne in January then finished fourth at the second round in Queensland in February to take a 259 point class lead into the third.
He’s not the only young Kiwi proving the equal of Australia’s top karters either. Sam Wright from Auckland lies fifth in the points standings in the Junior Trophy class where this weekend he will be joined by Callum Hedge from Tauranga.
And in Junior Max, last year’s Junior Trophy class round winner and series runner-up, Matthew Payne from Pukekohe, is currently 15th in the series points standings in his new class and is expected to make further gains this weekend.
Meanwhile, after missing the first 2016 Pro Tour round in Melbourne in January, one of the three female drivers in the Kiwi squad, Rianna O’Meara-Hunt from Wellington, enjoyed a strong run on debut at the second, and is also expected to move up the series points standings this weekend.
The Stewart sisters, also from Wellington, are the other two Kiwi females contesting the Pro Tour this year with Madeline currently eighth and Ashleigh 18th in the Rotax 125 Light standings.
Queensland was a breakthrough round for the sisters, with Madeline qualifying third quickest and going on to finish sixth, and Ashleigh qualifying sixth and finishing 15th.
The pair tested at Eastern Creek last weekend and are cautiously optimistic heading into this weekend’s Pro Tour round.
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