With keen karters travelling from all over New Zealand to Taranaki this week for the first 2018/19 season round, the good news about the Wellington Provincial Karting Association’s (WPKA) annual Goldstar Series has obviously travelled fast.
Though originally set up to benefit members of clubs in the lower North Island, the past three or four seasons have seen an increase in the number of drivers travelling down from Auckland, Hamilton and up from Christchurch, Nelson and Blenheim for rounds of the Manawatu & TRC Toyota-sponsored series.
The KartSport Taranaki club hosts the opening round of the 2018/19 series at Todd Energy Raceway in Waitara on Sunday and WPKA President Chris Rooney says that as far as he is concerned, the more the merrier.
“If you want to come up from Invercargill or down from Whangarei it’s fine by us. The secret of a series like Goldstar is that you get to race different people than you do at our own club days and you get to learn to race different tracks.
“What you are effectively doing is bridging the gap between competing at club level at your local track and stepping up to Island or National level events.”
The incentive, he says, is that you become a better driver, and are better prepared if you want to do a Schools, Island or NZ title meeting.
“But also,” he adds, “with the help of our series and class sponsors we make sure it’s worth your while.
“For kids, parents, care-givers etc, it’s also a chance to get away, see a new bit of the country and forge new friendships.”
It’s a formula that obviously works, because this season, like last, entries looks set to top the 100 mark, with the list in some classes sounding like a who’s who of top-level North and South Island drivers.
The Junior classes are again the best supported with 20 entries in Junior Rotax, 17 in Vortex Mini ROK and 10 in Cadet ROK.
Senior numbers are also strong, helped by the return of a Briggs LO206 4-stroke kart category with 9 entries.
Included in the prize pool is a Tony Kart chassis and two arrive-and-drive trips to an event in Australia courtesy Tony Kart and Vortex engine importer Supreme Kart Supplies and Engines from New Plymouth
Other prizes include a place on the Sabre Motorsport Formula First class Scholarship programme, Stilo helmet and Dunlop tyre giveaways and Briggs & Stratton water blasters and generators.
As in previous years the Manawatu & TRC Toyota WPKA Gold Star Series runs from November this year through until June next year.
KartSport Wellington hosts the second round in early March 2019, KartSport Hawke’s Bay the third in early May and KartSport Manawatu the annual stand-alone ‘WPKA Championships’ in June 2019.
Comments