It was a case of history repeating for Ryan Urban in the Rotax Max Challenge of 2009, repeating his championship winning performance of 2008, this time at the Hawke’s Bay Kart Club's ZM Raceway at Roys Hill west of Hastings on Saturday 26th September.
Ryan Urban,
Rotax Max Light winner
Photo: Championship Digital
Urban’s championship win in the TotalSpan Rotax Max Light class secures his
place on the grid at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final (held this December
in Egypt).
Joining Urban in Egypt this December will be Christchurch driver and fellow TotalSpan Rotax Max Light competitor Matthew Hamilton, young Auckland driver Daniel Kinsman who won the Arai Formula Junior class, and Strata Networks Rotax Max Heavy class driver Paul Booth, after series winner Bradley Alexander decided he wouldn’t be able to make the trip.
Having consistently banked points at the previous four rounds, Urban drove strategically during racing on Sunday, qualifying well and remaining in the top three all day in the company of Hamilton and the ever-present Kane Taylor.
Urban’s plan to remain fast enough to score the necessary points, but avoiding potentially championship ending tussles paid off, with the trio quickly pulling away from the rest of the field during the 30 lap Final, Hamilton winning over Taylor and Urban.
Third was the perfect place to be for Urban, carrying enough points to claim the New Zealand Rotax Max Challenge title in Rotax Light.
As the saying goes, points win prizes and for the second year running, Urban has qualified for a trip to compete in the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final, where he will face off against other Rotax Max Challenge national winners from over 50 countries around the world.
And best of all, event organisers BRP Rotax will supply all drivers with a kart chassis and engine to race free of charge during the week, providing a great opportunity to compete equally against other drivers from around the world.
This will be Ryan’s second visit to the Grand Final event, having won the chance to compete in last year’s New Zealand Challenge. In 2008 he showed that he truly had the pace to be competing on the world stage, finishing third in the Pre-Final race before being punted out of the all-important Final race by eventual race winner Leeroy Poulter.
This left Urban with unfinished business and a clear goal for 2009; to win the NZ Rotax Max Challenge again and return to race for the title of Rotax Max World Champion in the DD2 class.
Also returning for a second time will be Christchurch driver Matthew Hamilton, who won the chance to compete at the 2001 Grand Final, held in Malaysia. Consistent placings over the series have also delivered for Hamilton, who also has reason to return after a similar turn of events led to disaster in the closing stages of his last race.
"The first year we went, we were leading right up until two laps from the end of the Final, so that was pretty unfortunate. But I’ve been back mechanicing and things since to help other people, so I know what it’s all about. Obviously luck comes into it a bit too,.but we’ll give it our best shot and I’m pretty sure Ryan and myself will make a pretty good (Senior class) team."
|
|
Getting his first taste of racing at the Grand Final will be Auckland’s Daniel Kinsman, courtesy of his series win in Arai Formula Junior. Kinsman was in dominant form this weekend, qualifying on pole and winning all four races around the 670m track. With a reputation for hard and fast racing, Kinsman is aware of the challenge facing him in Egypt: |
|
Daniel
Kinsman, Formula Junior winner |
"I’ve heard it’s pretty rough and very, very competitive, so qualifying is going to be the main thing just to get a good starting position. Then (I’ll) hug the steering wheel and hope for the best."
In the Strata Networks Rotax Heavy class, Auckland driver Bradley Alexander won the fourth and final chance to compete in Egypt this year, but due to a back injury that needs further surgery, he has donated his seat in Egypt to Paul Booth of Dunedin who placed second overall.
|
Alexander did well to manage his points lead during this last round, avoiding a first turn pileup in the fourth race to finish third in the last two races; enough to claim the series win ahead of Booth and Auckland’s David Waldmeyer. Rotax Heavy driver Darryl Currie is also off overseas, but instead of experiencing the heat of competition, he’ll be experiencing the warmth of a Pacific Island holiday as the lucky recipient of a trip for two to Fiji valued at over $5000, courtesy of series promoters Right Karts. |
|
|
Bradley
Alexander, Max Heavy winner |
Series organiser Right Karts is again pleased with the quality of racing over the series, and representative Tony Chambers (who has been to Grand Finals many times both as a driver and as team support) thought the team that has emerged for 2009 looked strong.
"The racing’s been clean, and hard, which is what we always want. "And out of it I think we’ve got a pretty good team for Egypt....we’re really, really looking forward to taking those guys over."
With the Championship decided for 2009, the Rotax Max Challenge Series look forward to starting afresh in 2010.
The New Zealand Rotax Max Challenge will begin again with a night race meeting at Manawatu Toyota Raceway on Saturday the 20th February 2010.
The 2009 Kartstars Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge was brought to you with the support of Gen-i, TotalSpan, Arai Helmets, Strata Networks and Right Karts.
2009 Gen-i Rotax Max
Challenge and Steward Motors Shifter Series - ZM Raceway, Royshill,
Hastings.
26th September 2009.
ROUND RESULTS
GEN-I ROTAX MAX CHALLENGE
ARAI FORMULA JUNIOR (Round results determined by finishing positions in
Final race)
1st - Daniel Kinsman, Auckland
2nd - Aaron Hodgson, Auckland,
3rd - Andy Schofield, Cambridge
TOTALSPAN 125CC ROTAX
MAX LIGHT (Round results determined by finishing positions in Final race)
1st - Matthew Hamilton, Christchurch
2nd - Kane Taylor, Auckland
3rd - Ryan Urban, Auckland
STRATA NETWORKS 125CC
ROTAX MAX HEAVY (Round results determined by points over the round, lowest
wins)
1st - Paul Booth, Dunedin, 4 points
2nd - Bradley Alexander, Auckland, 9 points
3rd - Aarron Cunningham, Auckland, 9 points
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
GEN-I ROTAX MAX CHALLENGE
ARAI FORMULA JUNIOR
1st - Daniel Kinsman, Auckland, 435 points
2nd - Aaron Hodgson, Auckland, 419 points
3rd - Andy Schofield, Cambridge, 409 points
TOTALSPAN 125CC ROTAX MAX LIGHT
1st - Ryan Urban, Auckland, 422 points
2nd - Matthew Hamilton, Christchurch, 420 points
3rd - Kane Taylor, Auckland, 410 points
STRATA NETWORKS 125CC ROTAX MAX HEAVY (Lowest points win)
1st - Bradley Alexander, Auckland, 46 points
2nd - Paul Booth, Dunedin, 49 points
3rd - David Waldmeyer, Auckland, 103 points
Click here for the full points for the series
This report prepared by Andrew Bright/Championship Digital on behalf of KartSport New Zealand. For more information or hi res photographs from both series’, please contact Andrew Bright on 029 200 1977 or andrew@championshipdigital.com or KartSport New Zealand media officer Ross MacKay on 021 677 919 or ross@fastcompany.co.nz
Copyright © KartSport New Zealand. All rights reserved.