New Zealand’s KartSport scene bursts back into life this weekend as the KartSport Hawke’s Bay club finally gets the chance to run its traditional Blossom Festival & Grand Prix meeting at its Carter’s Tyre Service Raceway track at Roy’s Hill near Hastings,
This year’s Bayswater Vehicles-backed 52nd Blossom Festival & Grand Prix meeting was originally going to be held at the beginning of the month. That date fell victim of the COVID-19 Level 2 Lockdown, however, thanks to its restrictions on gathering numbers and non-essential travel.
With the Hawkes’ Bay and all but the greater Auckland region now back on Level 1, and Auckland down to Level 2, the KartSport Hawke’s Bay is now free to run the popular meeting and karters from all over the country have responded in kind with over 100 entries lodged as at closing time last night (Wed Sept 23).
Class by class the youngest drivers competing (in Cadet ROK) will all be keen to get back on track and catch up with their racing mates. Local driver Grayson Stowe will be the one to watch over the two-day event. However having recently taken out the Cadet ROK class titles at both the Manawatu and Wellington Club Championships meetings Palmerston North local Aryan Lala will be looking to back up his recent success with a strong performance this weekend at the Blossom event.
One of the biggest fields of the meeting, meanwhile is in the 22-strong Vortex Mini ROK class where current Goldstar Series’ category champion Judd Christiansen from Palmerston North looks set to take the fight to the likes of Taranaki ace Jacob Bellamy and Auckland’s Jamie Thompson.
Rotax Max Junior is another class bursting with talent as the likes of Levin’s Logan Manson and Auckland namesake Sebastian Manson come up against Hayden Lines from Hamilton and Repco Scholarship recipient Tom Bewley, who will join the Rotax Max Junior field this weekend at his home track.
In the Vortex ROK DVS Junior class Ayrton Williams will be looking to use his experience in the class as youngsters Daniel McMillan and Blake Corrin join the ranks.
Drivers from all over New Zealand will suit up in the 125cc Rotax Max Light (Senior) class at Roy’s Hill this weekend with William Exton from Blenheim taking the battle to the North Island’s best in the form of Jackson Rooney from Palmerston North, Michael McCulloch from the Kapiti Coast and Bradley Hewson from Rotorua.
Back in the class after a short break, meanwhile, is former Palmerston North, now Auckland-based, Jaden Hardy who has a successful karting background.
Local interest in the 125cc Rotax Max Heavy category will focus on how class stalwart and multi-time class winner Zach Zaloum (main picture) goes against current class pace-setter Ashley Higgins from Palmerston North, and former Junior class ace Jamie McNee, from Wellington, the latter now back in a kart after trying his hand in cars.
Another Kiwi kart-turned-car star back in a kart is Chris van der Drift from Hamilton who will headline the Vortex ROK DVS Senior class. Lining up to against the two-time Carrera Cup Asia champion is ROK Cup series regular Jacob Cranston and top local driver James Van Den Berk.
Open class looks set to become a fascinating battle of youth vs experience with Jackson Rooney, Sam Wright and Luca Burns representing the former group and Regan Hall and local Tim Loughran the latter.
Finally in the 2-stroke ClubSport 120 class, Whakatane’s Steve Muggeridge will be looking to continue his winning streak, with Scott Dalley and Cliff Walsh joining the 8-strong entry.
In the 4-stroke Briggs LO206 ClubSport class run concurrently, Hastings father Shaun and son Ben Hibbs are expected to again entertain with their on-going battle for family bragging rights.
There will be racing on both days over the weekend with racing starting at 9.45am on Saturday morning, and 9.30am on Sunday.
The annual Blossom Festival and Grand Prix meeting is unique in that racing is run in a clockwise direction on Saturday and anti-clockwise on Sunday. The meeting also features a number of stand-alone Grand Prix races plus demonstrations of Vintage Karts.
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