Urban Back in the Winner's Circle at Tauranga Street Race

Three years almost to the day after winning his class at the inaugural Tauranga kart street race, Auckland's Ryan Urban was back on the top step of the podium at this year's Castrol-backed event on Sunday 9th November 2008.

Ryan Urban
Photo: Fast Company/Greg Henderson

The Makzgear-sponsored Open class which Urban contested was always going to be the most spectacular class to watch and with a full grid of 24 karts this certainly proved to be the case.

Matt Kneesch was the surprise qualifier in fourth position and had a good run through his heats to start the final on pole with Craig Toy in third and the 2005 event winner Ryan Urban separating them.

By the end of the opening lap Urban had pulled away into the lead and left Kneesch and Toy to battle it out. Toy passed Kneesch for second place on lap four but then received radiator damage one lap later in an ambitious passing attempt from Kneesch.

This dropped Kneesch back down the order and left Toy to struggle on, only to retire from the race with an overheating engine just one lap from the end.

At the line it was Urban from fellow Aucklander Richard Vickers with local man Ryan Belworthy in third place.

Local drivers featured well at the spectacular Bay of Plenty Kart Club-organised event which attracted 135 drivers from all over the country and an estimated ten thousand spectators.

The Yamaha Motor New Zealand backed Senior Yamaha Light class, for instance, proved to be a clean sweep for members of the local club, in-form driver Justin Herbert starting the final from pole and leading all the way to the flag, even surviving a re-start attack from Rotorua’s Mathew Bufton, to win from club mates Daniel Dufty and John van Bommel.

Dufty and von Bommel were amongst a handful of drivers to enter two classes and also featured in the Fulton Hogan 125cc Rotax Max Lght class.

Justin Herbert
Photo: Fast Company/Greg Henderson

This time it was von Bommel taking the top honors after a ten-lap battle with Dufty. Completing the BOP clean sweep was Niki Urwin in third.

Meanwhile it was Arryn Hill who was the local man to beat in The Aussie Butcher-supported 125cc Rotax Max Heavy class, Hill qualifying in fifth position, but climbing to second place in the first heat and winning the second, third and final heats in style.

The 1.1km long Cameron Rd, Elizabeth St, Glasgow St and 3^rd Ave track was essentially the same layout as the inaugural 2005 race with improved chicanes and kerb protection which received nothing but praise from the competitors.

In other class, the Sydenham Motor Group-sponsored Cadet class was won outright by Auckland's Jacob Smith but saw locals Connor Hayes, Josh Adlam and Blake Harris claim second, fourth and fifth places respectively.

In the Kale Print Junior Restricted class (won by Palmerston North's Bramwell King from Auckland's Aaron Marr) Stephen Appleton had a very consistent day, never finishing outside the top three over his four heats and going on to claim third overall in the final, setting the fastest lap of the race along the way.

Fellow BoP club mate Michael Scott also did well, finishing his weekend in a solid fourth place overall.

The Edwards Transport-supported Junior 100cc Yamaha class saw four local club members entered, with the highest placing going to Corey Green. The class was won by Alex Geary from Taranaki from Auckland's Levi Madsen-Prinn with Green starting his final in sixth position, before losing a place at the tricky Repco chicane after the start but staying in touch with the lead bunch then moving up the ranks over the ten laps to claim fifth overall.

2008 Castrol Tauranga Street Race Tauranga Sat-Sun Nov 08-09

Results:

Cadet: 1. Jacob Smith; 2. Connor Hayes; 3. Blake Filleul; 4. Josh Adlam; 5. Blake Harris; 6. Michael dePont.

Junior Restricted: 1. Bramwell King; 2. Aaron Marr; 3. Stephen Appleton; 4. Michael Scott; 5. Ryan Still; 6. Callum Gibbs.

Junior Yamaha: 1. Alex Geary; 2. Levi Madsen-Prinn; 3. Scott Blummont; 4. Aaron Hodgson; 5. Corey Green; 6. Michael Dyanton.

Senior Yamaha 100cc Light: 1. Justin Herbert; 2. Daniel Dufty; 3. John van Bommel; 4. Mathew Bufton; 5. David Mezzaros; 6. Brad Still.

Senior Yamaha 100cc Heavy: 1. Darren Aislabie; 2. Dion Kendall; 3. Clinton Fell; 4. Michael Grimshaw; 5. Todd Sherley; 6. Leyton Kendall.

Rotax Max Light: 1. John van Bommel; 2. Daniel Dufty; 3. Niki Urwin; 4. Whitney Claxton; 5. Matt Hollier; 6. Blair Rodgers.

Rotax Max Heavy: 1. Arryn Hill; 2. Michael Grimshaw; 3. Aaron Woolley; 4. Jared Richardson; 5. Gary Claxton; 6. David Waldmeyer.

Open: 1. Ryan Urban; 2. Richard Vickers; 3. Ryan Belworthy; 4. Johnathon Pearson; 5. John Lovich; 6. Rick Huston.

Prepared by FAST COMPANY on behalf of KartSport NZ. To find out more about the Castrol Tauranga Street Race contact Ross MacKay on 021 677 919