Points-wise it is still too close to call in most of the classes as the KartSport Hawke’s Bay club hosts the third and final round of the 2017/18 Manawatu & TRC Toyota WPKA Goldstar KartSport Series at Chemz Raceway near Hastings this weekend.
After two earlier rounds in Taranaki and Wellington a single point separates the top two in two of the seven classes and there are just four points separating first and second in the other five!
Class by class the points leaders are Kiahn Burt from the Manawatu in Cadet ROK, local ace Tom Bewley (pictured) in Vortex Mini ROK, William Exton from Picton in Junior Rotax, Michael McCulloch in Rotax Max Light, Jacob Cranston in Open, Derek Lawrence in ClubSport 120 and Brent Melhop in Briggs LO206.
The Junior Rotax class sees reigning South Island champ William Exton from Blenheim one of the two class leaders with just a single point advantage, in his case over second placed Fynn Osbourne, with Fynn’s brother Clay (both from Hamilton) third a further seven points back.
There has been some amazing racing in this class this season though this weekend it will be missing usual front runners, Jackson Rooney from Palmerston North and Ryan Wood from Wellington who are competing in Australia.
Other series regulars competing at the same Rotax Pro Tour meeting at Ipswich in Queensland this weekend are Rotax Max Light class points leader Michael McCulloch and top female driver Rianna 0’Meara-Hunt.
The other class where there is just a point in it between first and second is the new Briggs LO206 club one where Brent Melhop leads from KartSport Wellington clubmate Hadleigh Coffey.
Long-time karter Melhop will be doing everything in his power to keep the younger Hadleigh Coffey behind to take the honours as the very first Briggs L0206 Gold Star champion. Hawke’s Bay local Shaun Hibbs is always strong at his home track, however, and might be the spoiler at this round and take the round win.
An exciting inclusion at this event this weekend is the introduction of the new Vortex ROK DVS Junior class. This is a new 125cc direct drive engine option which will offer close racing, and Goldstar series organisers are expecting around four competitors, who have recently moved up from Vortex Mini ROK, to run off the back of the Junior Rotax grid at this meeting.
Practice starts at 11.00am to 4.00pm Saturday with racing from 9.00am Sunday.
This weekend’s round in the third and final points one of the 2017/18 Manawatu & TRC Toyota WPKA Goldstar KartSport Series. There is always a single, stand-alone, ‘WPKA Championships’ meeting to wrap up the WPKA racing season, however.
This year the WPKA Championships will be hosted by the KartSport Manawatu club in Palmerston North on Sunday June 03.
Points after Rnd 2 of 3.
Cadet ROK
1. Kiahn Burt 118 points; 2. Blake Dowdall 114; 3. Judd Christiansen 112; 4. Kerr Botha 110; 5. Hugo Neale 109; 6. Blake Corin 108.
Vortex Mini ROK
1. Tom Bewley 120 points; 2. Hayden Bakkerus 116; 3. Louis Sharp 112; 4. Mason Potter 107; 5. Ryan Bell 105; 6. Tayler Payne 105.
Rotax Max Junior
1. William Exton 118 points; 2. Fynn Osborne 117; 3. Clay Osborne 110; 4. Ryan Wood 108; 5. Zac Christiansen 107; 6. Liam Sceats 106.
Rotax Max Light
1. Michael McCulloch 120 points; 2. Zach Zaloum 116; 3. Campbell Jamieson 112; 4. James Higgins 111; 5. Ashley Higgins 102; 6. Melanie Oughton 100.
ClubSport 120
Derek Lawrence 120 points; 2. William Pearson 116; 3. Nathan Nolly 112, 4. Brent Hickmott 110; 5. Stephen Palmer 109; 6. Stuart Frew 109..
Briggs LO206
1. . Brent Melhop 117 points; 2. Hadleigh Coffey 116; 3.Shaun Croskery 113; 4. Shane Sayer 111; 5. Glen Dodd 108; 6. Michael Love 60..
Open
1. Jacob Cranston 120 points; 2. Clint Beaumont 116; 3. Brendon Jury 57; 4. Rianna O’Meara-Hunt 56; 5. Mark Burling 55; 6. Chris Cox 54
GP Results
Cadet ROK GP
Points after Rnd 2 of 3
1. Kiahn Burt 96 points; 2. Judd Christiansen 93; 3. Blake Dowdall 91; 4. Kerr Botha 91; 5. Hugo Neale 90; 6. Blake Corin 86.
Vortex Mini ROK GP
Louis Sharp 96 points; 2.Tom Bewley 96; 3. Ryan Bell 93; 4. Hayden Bakkerus 92; 5. Jenson Bate 89; 6. Mason Potter 88
Rotax Junior GP
Jackson Rooney 97 points; 2. Fynn Osborne 94; 3. Ryan Wood 90; 4. William Exton; 90; 5. Clay Osborne 88; 6. Bradley Hewson..
Senior GP
Open: 1. Jacob Cranston 100 points; 2. Clint Beaumont 48; 3. Michael McCulloch 48; 4. Brendon Jury 47; 5. Jackson Whitfield 47; 6. Mark Burling 46
ClubSport GP
Derek Lawrence 100 points; 2. William Pearson 95; 3. Nathan Nolly 91; 4. Stuart Frew 87; 5. Brent Melhop 82; 6. Hadleigh Coffey 79.
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