Current class South Island title holders Louis Sharp, William Exton and Arthur Broughan brought their winning pace and racecraft to the first round of the 2018/19 Manawatu & TRC Toyota WPKA Goldstar KartSport Series in Taranaki on Sunday.
Louis Sharp from Christchurch was simply too good for his North Island counterparts in the Vortex Mini ROK class on the KartSport Taranaki club’s smooth, quick Todd Energy Raceway at Waitara, winning four of his five heat races as well as the standalone class Grand Prix.
William Exton from Picton claimed a new class lap record, meanwhile, as he stormed from the back of the grid to win the Junior Rotax class Grand Prix race from class round winner Jackson Rooney.
The Cadet ROK class also turned into a benefit for karters who had crossed Cook Strait to get to the meeting, with recently crowned South Island class title holder Arthur Broughan from Blenheim sharing the spoils with fellow Mainlander Isaak Fletcher.
Fletcher claimed the class win with three wins from five heats with Broughan second, but Broughan won the Cadet ROK class Grand Prix race with Fletcher second.
Other drivers to do the class/GP double on an epic day of fast-paced action were Palmerston North pair Nelson Hartley in Open, and Ashley Higgins in 125cc Rotax Max Heavy, local pair Brad Still from New Plymouth in the new Vortex ROK DVS Senior class, and Derek Lawrence in ClubSport 120, and Wellington drivers Brent Melhop (Briggs LO206 Senior) and Ben Stewart (Vortex ROK DVS Junior).
Each year sees new faces in each class as Juniors move up to the next age group. Moving up can be a big ask for some. Not Palmerston North’s Riley Jack though. In his first meeting in a 6-speed/125cc KZ2 class kart the teenager got better and better as the day went on, claiming two second places and a third before winning the final Open heat race outright, to end up third overall behind Nelson Hartley and fellow KartSport Manawatu club member John Wallace.
The meeting attracted 96 entries from as far south as Christchurch and as far north as Whangarei. Competitors were sent scrambling for their wet tyres when heavy rain fell early on Sunday morning, But it did not last and the racing on Sunday was run in the same dry conditions those who had tested at the track on Saturday enjoyed.
The 2018/19 series now breaks for the summer, with the KartSport Wellington club hosting the second of three rounds on Sunday March 03,
RESULTS
Open
Nelson Hartley; 2. John Wallace; 3. Riley Jack; 4. Clint Beaumont; 5. Daniel Hall; 6. Jason Gunn.
125cc Rotax Max Light
James Higgins; 2. Bill McCulloch; 3. Christian Hermansen; 4. Jacob Smith; 5. Adam Smith; 6. Fletcher Russell.
125cc Rotax Max Heavy
Ashley Higgins; 2. Adam Bell; 3. Brendon Hart; 4. Alex Chronis.
Vortex ROK DVS Senior
Brad Still
ClubSport 120
Derek Lawrence; 2. Nathan Nolly; 3. Scott Dalley; 4. Tim Allen; 5. Cliff Walsh; 6. Brent Robinson.
Briggs LO206
Brent Melhop; 2. David Sharp; 3. Reid Solomon; 4. Shaun Croskery; 5. Glen Dodd; 6. Corrie McGuigan.
Junior Rotax
Jackson Rooney; 2. Riley Spargo; 3. Liam Sceats ; 4. William Exton; 5. Jamie van den Berk; 6. Zac Christensen.
Vortex ROK DVS Junior
Ben Stewart ; 2. Ayrton Williams; 3. Leo Scott; 4. William Chronis; 5. Ben Isaac.
Vortex Mini ROK
Louis Sharp; 2. Kiahn Burt; 3. Tom Bewley; 4. Blake Dowdall; 5. Emerson Vincent; 6. Jacob Bellamy.
Cadet ROK
Isaak Fletcher; 2. Arthur Broughan; 3. Logan Dowdall; 4. Grayson Stow; 5. Ethan Sayer; 6 . Ryann Windley.
Senior GP
Open class
Nelson Hartley 9:19.700; 2. John Wallace +4.757; 3. Clint Beaumont +15.521; 4. Daniel Hall +15.784; 5. Riley Jack 18 laps.
Vortex ROK DVS Snr class
Brad Still 9:41.679
125cc Rotax Max Light
Bill McCulloch 9:46.808; 2. Jacob Smith +0.613; 3. James Higgins +1 lap; 4. Nathan Cox + 1 lap.
125cc Rotax Max Heavy
Ashley Higgins 9:21.372; 2. Adam Bell +1.729; 3. Alex Chronis +1 lap
ClubSport/Briggs GP
ClubSport 120
Derek Lawrence 10:12.639; 2. Tim Allen +5.619; 3. Cliff Walsh +11.827; 4. Brenden Print +11.965; 5, Chris Parkinson +14.297; 6.Scott Dalley +14.386.
Briggs LO206
Brent Melhop 10:30.876; 2. Reid Solomon +0.407; 3. David Sharp +0.608; 4. Glen Dodd +6.854; 5. Corrie McGuigan+13.627; 6. Shaun Croskery + 2 laps
Junior GP
Rotax
1. William Exton 11:11.260; 2. Jackson Rooney +0.695; 3. Liam Sceats +2.740; 4. Zac Christensen +4.934; 5. Riley Spargo +5.093; 6. Jamie van den Berk +5.422.
Vortex ROK DVS Junior
1.Ben Stewart 11:12.062; 2. Leo Scott + 0.134; 3. Ayrton Williams +4.937; 4. Ben Isaac +11.499; 5. William Chronis +18.225..]
Vortex Mini ROK GP
1. Louis Sharp 7:09.266; 2. Emerson Vincent +5.259; 3. Kiahn Burt +6.118; 4. Tom Bewley +6.644; 5. Blake Dowdall +7.221; 6. Ollie Workman +7.321.
Cadet ROK GP
1. Arthur Broughan 9:28.529; 2. Isaak Fletcher +0.854; 3. Logan Dowdall +1.532; 4. Grayson Stow +15.125; 5. Ethan Sayer +20.560; 6. Ryann Windley +28.870
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