Grant and Hutton Claim CIK Titles at Hastings Meeting

Ryan Grant and Arie Hutton proved to be the drivers to beat at KartSport New Zealand's annual CIK Trophy of New Zealand meeting at the Hawke's Bay Kart Club's ZM Raceway near Hastings over the weekend of 6th-8th February 2009.

KF3/JICA podium (left to right) runner-up
Daniel Kinsman, winner Arie Hutton and third placegetter Stan Tangaroa-Green
Photos : KartSport New Zealand

Defending title holder Ryan Grant was again dominant in the 125cc gearbox KZ2 class while young gun Hutton claimed his first CIK Trophy of New Zealand with an impressive performance in the new KF3/JICA category.

Of late New Zealand's CIK Trophy of New Zealand meeting has been run at the Hamilton Kart Club's track at Mystery Creek in late January. This year the meeting was hosted a fortnight later by the Hawke's Bay Club at their ZM Raceway at Roy's Hill near Hastings.

The move brought with it a number of new challenges, not the least sweltering 40 degree C temperatures.

As predicted, it was the favourites who came to the fore, with perennial category pace-setter Ryan Grant qualifying quickest and winning all but one of his KZ2 races before taking the Final and with it his second KZ2 title in two years from hard-charging Wellington driver Karl Wilson and Taranaki's Michael Kiser.

Wilson put the cat amongst the pigeons early on Sunday when he won the Pre-Final as Grant slowed with tyre problems.

Ryan Grant, KZ2 winner

Michael Kiser managed to split Grant and Wilson early in the Final. But when the chequered flag came out it was Grant again in front from Wilson, Kiser and Ashley Johnson.

Arie Hutton enjoyed a similarly dominant run in the new combined KF3/JICA class, only reigning New Zealand Junior 100cc Yamaha champion Chris Cox offering a serious challenge.

Cox, from Rangiora, pipped Hutton in qualifying but Hutton went on to win two of the three heats (the other going to Cox from Hutton and fellow Aucklander Daniel Kinsman) then won both the Pre-Final and Final, the latter from Daniel Kinsman, Stan Tangaroa-Green and Jamie McNee.

Arie Hutton, JICA/KF3 winner

Cox was a factor early in the Final, holding second place, only to have his kart's engine fail after 16 of the scheduled 35 laps.

The young South Island driver didn't return home completely empty handed however, claiming victory in the other class he was running in, Junior 100cc Yamaha, from Jayden Dodge, Levi Madsen-Prinn and Callum Quinn.

Quinn was the paceman in that class early in the weekend, qualifying quickest and winning all three heats, but after finishing a close second to Cox in the Pre-Final he got shuffled back down through the pack early in the Final and had to spend the rest of the race working his way back up to Dodge and Madsen-Prinn rather than fighting for victory with eventual winner Cox.

Multi-time former New Zealand champion Matthew Hamilton had no such problem in the Senior 100cc Yamaha Light class, qualifying quickest and winning all five races.

Jesse Craig ran him close - crossing the finish line just 1.014 seconds behind in the 20 lap Final but like Grant in KZ2 and Hutton in KF3/JICA it was Hamilton's weekend in the 100cc Yamaha Light class.

Aaron Wilson (Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha) and James McDonald (125cc Rotax Max Heavy) also qualified quickest and went on to win each race they contested, with Brook Reeve and local hero Maddison Wise joining Wilson in the Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha podium and Zach Zaloum and Steve Halpin on the 125cc Rotax Max Heavy one.

It was a little closer in Cadet despite Zachary Thompson qualifying quickest and winning the Final. Jacob Cranston won the first heat from Dylan Drysdale and Thompson, and Mitchell Turner won the second from Thompson and Drysdale before Thompson fought back to win the third then the Pre Final and Final.

2009 CIK Trophy of New Zealand Meeting Hawke's Bay Kart Club ZM Raceway Hastings February 6-8 2009

RESULTS

KZ2

1. Ryan Grant; 2. Karl Wilson; 3. Michael Kiser; 4. Ashley Johnson; 5. Jonathan Pearson; 6. Steve Brown.

KF3/JICA

1. Arie Hutton; 2. Daniel Kinsman; 3. Stan Tangaroa-Green; 4. Jamie McNee; 5. Patrick Davy; 6. Chris Cox

Senior 100cc Yamaha Light

1. Matthew Hamilton; 2. Jesse Craig; 3. Alex Geary; 4. James Gorham; 5. Andrew Hoare; 6. Lydia Dickinson

125cc Rotax Max Heavy

1. James McDonald; 2. Zach Zaloum; 3. Steve Halpin; 4. Alex Geary; 5. Teddy Bassick

Junior 100cc Yamaha

1. Chris Cox; 2. Jayden Dodge; 3. Levi Madsen-Prinn; 4. Callum Quin; 5. Tom Alexander; 6. Hayden Pedersen

Junior 100cc Yamaha Restricted

1. Aaron Wilson; 2. Brook Reeve; 3. Maddison Wise; 4. Rhys Tinny; 5. Jordon McDonnell; 6. Josh Drysdale

Cadet

1. Zachary Thompson; 2. Jacob Cranston; 3. Mitchell Turner; 4. Thomas Joyes; 5. Matthew Podjursky; 6. Trey Nairn

Prepared by FAST COMPANY on behalf of KartSport New Zealand. To find out more about the KartSport New Zealand 2009 CIK Trophy of New Zealand contact Ross MacKay on 021 677 919 or via e-mail at ross@fastcompany.co.nz