Points leaders Ryan Urban and Ryan Grant edged ahead of their closest rivals at the penultimate round of their respective Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand and Steward Motors Formula S 125 Shifter Series at the Hamilton Kart Club's kart track near Mystery Creek on Sunday 30th August 2009.

Ryan Urban leads Kane Taylor in Rotax Max.
Photo : Fast Company/Championship Digital

But the big question heading into the final in the Hawke's Bay later this month is, will their new margins - Urban's has gone from five to nine points, Grant's from 15 to 25 - be enough to successfully defend their 2008 series titles?

In Urban's case the main competition in the TotalSpan 125cc Rotax Max Light class came from Kane Taylor, the fiery young gun from Auckland qualifying quickest and winning both heats then the Pre-Final before becoming an early victim of contact in the wet conditions in the Final, eventually recovering to cross the line in sixth place.

In his place, Christchurch's Matthew Hamilton - like Urban a former winner and New Zealand representative in the 125cc Rotax Max class in the annual challenge series - kept chipping away and followed Urban home in the Final to remain a threat at the final round of the series which this year is being hosted by the Hawke's Bay Kart Club at its ZM Raceway near Hastings on Saturday September 26.

The points situation is similar in the Steward Motors Formula S 125 Shifter Series which after the first solo round has run concurrently with the Gen-i-backed Rotax one.

In the KZ2 class defending champion Ryan Grant was the dominant force despite conceding the Final, run in wet conditions, to arch-rival Graeme Smyth. Before that Grant had qualified quickest and won the heats and Pre-Final.

A dns (did not start) in the second heat put Smyth down the grid in the Pre-Final but he fought his way back to second in that race then won the Final from Grant, Jason Farmilo and Daniel Dufty.

Wellingtonian Karl Wilson remains second in the points standings heading to the final round but the best place he could manage at Hamilton was a fifth, allowing Grant to ease away in front and Smyth to close the gap from third place to second to just one point!

Jason Farmilo and reigning New Zealand Open class champion Richard Moore remain within striking distance of Wilson as well, ensuring a battle royal before the final series podium is decided in the Hawke's Bay.

Points-wise the result was a promotor's dream with the gap between leader Storr and runner-up Swetman down from nine points heading into the meeting to just two leaving it.

How that is going to pan out at the final round is anyone's guess.

In the other series classes Bradley Hicks took the battle to long-time points leader Arie Hutton in the Shifter Series - KF3 support class, though Hutton was still the quicker qualifier and after folloing home Hicks in the two heats and Pre-Final was back in front in the wet Final and retains his lead in the series points standings over Hicks and Mitchell Brown.

Perhaps the most competitive class was Arai Helmets Formula Junior, the main support class on the Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand roster where points leader Daniel Kinsman qualified quickest but faced competition from all corners, Aaron Hodgson winning the first heat, Andy Schofield the second.

Following some serious rethinking by the Kinsman team overnight regarding an engine carburation issue, come the Pre-Final and Final Kinsman was back in front when it counted and heads to the final round with a 12 point lead over Hodgson with Schofield eight points further back.

Finally, in the Strata Networks 125cc Rotax Max Heavy class, it was Dunedin driver Paul Booth doing the lion's share of the winning this time around though local driver Michael Grimshaw won the third heat before series points leader Bradley Alexander fought back to take the Pre-Final.

Booth won the day from Grimshaw and Alexander but Alexander retained his points lead - albeit by a diminished margin - heading into the final round with Booth second and Brendon Hart third.

The 2009 Kartstars Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge is brought to you with the support of Gen-i, TotalSpan, Arai Helmets, Strata Networks and Right Karts. And the Formula S 125 Shifter Series is brought to you by Steward Motors.

2009 Gen-i Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand/Steward Motors Formula S 125 Shifter Series Rnd 4 Hamilton Kart Track Hamilton Sat/Sun August 29-30

TotalSpan 125cc Rotax Max Light
Points after Rnd 4 of 5:
1. Ryan Urban 340 points; 2. Matthew Hamilton 331; 3. Kane Taylor 325; 4. Niki Urwin 300; 5. Mason Armstrong 298; 6. Charles Hoare 277

Arai Formula Junior
Points after Rnd 4 of 5:
1. Daniel Kinsman 346 points; 2. Aaron Hodgson 334; 3. Andy Schofield 326; 4. Tom Alexander 312; 5. Shaun Morris 305; 6. Daniel Connor 240

Strata Networks 125cc Rotax Max Heavy
Points after Rnd 4 of 5
1. Bradley Alexander 37 points; 2. Paul Booth 45; 3. Brendon Hart 60; 4. David Waldmeyer 87; 5. Daryl Currie 97; 6. Teddy Bassick 135

KZ2
Points after Rnd 4 of 5
1. Ryan Grant 444 points; 2. Karl Wilson 419; 3. Graeme Smyth 418; 4. Jason Farmilo 413; 5. Richard Moore 408; 6. Daniel Dufty 407

Formula 125S
Points after Rnd 4 of 5 (Provisional)
1. Kevin Storr 436 points; 2. Mark Swetman 434; 3. Snow Mooney 421; 4. John Steward 414; 5. Keith Warwick 407; 6. Mike Browning 311.

Shifter Series – KF3
Points after Rnd 3 of 4:
1. Arie Hutton 330; 2. Bradley Hicks 324; 3. Mitchell Brown 308; 4. Callum Quin 210; 5. Paul Blomqvist 209; 6. Aaron Wilson 207

CALENDAR
Rnd 1 Feb 21 Manawatu Toyota Raceway Palmerston North
Rnd 2 April 25-26 Fagan's Valley Raceway Bay of Plenty
Rnd 3 May 23-24 The Pallet Company Raceway Auckland
Rnd 4 August 29-30 Hamilton Kart Club track
Rnd 5 September 26-27 ZM Raceway Hastings

Prepared by FAST COMPANY on behalf of the 2009 Gen-i Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand and Steward Motors Formula S 125 Shifter Series. To find out more about the annual Challenge and/or 125 Shifter Series contact Ross MacKay on 021 677 919 or via e-mail on ross@fastcompany.co.nz

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