Off the back of a successful opening round of this year’s Top Gear Top Half kart series in Hamilton last month there has been a boost in entries – to a total of 130 – across all classes for the second round, at the KartSport Rotorua club’s Century Batteries International Raceway this weekend (Sept 21-22).
The 1241 metre kart track high in the Mamaku Ranges west of the city is the country’s newest and is set to provide action-packed racing across all classes with a stunning race day (Sunday) weather forecast – clear skies and a top temperature of 18 degrees C – the icing on the cake!
The TCB Motorsport Cadet ROK class sees 17 youngsters take to the track this weekend. Auckland driver Maxim Kirwan will be looking to continue his form from Round 1 where he was undefeated with 5 wins from 5 starts. That said, Hamilton driver Carson Daly and Aucklander Marco Manson will be aiming to grab a race or round win this weekend after finishing on the podium at round one.
Supreme Kart Supplies sponsors the Vortex Mini ROK class which this weekend will see 18 entries. Amongst them Sebastian Manson will be the one to chase alongside fellow Aucklander Ashton Phipps and Hamilton driver Jake Millan, who showed great pace at Round 1.
The biggest numbers this weekend are in the International Kart Supplies-backed Rotax Max Junior class with 25 teenagers all fighting for the top step of the podium. Included in that number is top Hamilton driver, Clay Osborne, fresh from contesting the final round of Australia’s Sparco Rotax Pro Tour at Albury in rural Victoria last weekend.
It will be round one winner Nathan Crang who will be looking to extend his series lead, however, with fellow Aucklanders Ayrton Williams and Dylan Grant just a few points behind.
International Kart Supplies Rotax Max Junior will be the Giltrap Group Dash for Cash class this weekend where there is $500 dollars up for grabs.
Urban Performance Rotax Max Light will be a close one this weekend with current NZ#1 Fynn Osborne looking to take the top step of the podium again. The recently completed 2019 ProKart Series’ Rotax Max Light class winner, Ashton Grant, will also be a strong competitor this weekend alongside Zane Hills and Marco Giltrap, the latter pair having both showed marked improvements on the track at multiple events over the past month.
In MG Tyres Rotax Max Heavy points leader Caleb Harley and current runner-up Adam Bell will both be looking to continue their form this weekend, with Darren Walker looking to chase them down. Female racer Heidi Benner will be also be one to watch on the weekend after a strong showing at the opening series round at Hamilton.
This weekend at Rotorua the Spartan 4 Toyota KZ2 and Right Karts Rotax DD2 categories will again race together, with additional entries to the KZ2 class from youngster Michael Adolph and Sam Dashfield.
Graeme Smyth will be looking to maintain his series lead in the Spartan 4 Toyota KZ2 class with Sam Wright on the chase. Wright was awarded the Allan Wilson Memorial Cup at the ProKart series prizegiving last month and will be using this weekend’s Top Gear Top Half Series round as preparation for his prize, a ticket to the big Race of Stars KZ2 class kart meeting on Queensland’s Gold Coast later next month.
After his round one win in Hamilton last month Tauranga racer Sam Waddell will be the one to beat in Right Karts Rotax DD2, though after an impressive final Sparco Rotax Pro Tour debut across the Tasman this year, the arrival of Aucklander Bond Roby is being greeted with much anticipation.
Finally, in WRB Karting Supplies Clubsport 120 it looks again like a question of who – if anyone – can beat dominant driver Steve Muggeridge. Cliff Walsh and Richard Macey did their best at the opening series round at Hamilton and will both be looking to have another strong weekend to maintain series positions at Rotorua.
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