Mixed Fortunes for Top Contenders
at Joint KartSport Series Round at Tokoroa

There was a contrast in fortunes for the top competitors in the key categories at the combined second round of the Gen-i Kartstars 2010 Rotax Max Challenge and Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series at Tokoroa's new, extended Pinex Raceway over the weekend of 6th and 7th March.

Rotax Max Lights winner Matthew Hamilton
Photo: Fast Company/Greg Henderson

It was very much a matter of business as usual in the three Gen-i Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand classes with round one winners Matthew Hamilton (125cc Rotax Max Light), Andy Schofield (Formula Junior) and Hamish Cross (125cc Rotax Max Heavy) back on the top step of the podium in their respective classes for a second round in a row.

In the Lights class, Palmerston North-based international Josh Hart qualified quickest and won the two heats and the Pre-Final but as it turned out both Hamilton and Auckland driver Kane Taylor got the better of him in the Final.

Andy Schofield didn't have it all his own way in the Formula Junior class either, edged out in qualifying by Auckland's Shaun Grocock and South Islanders James Penrose and Tom Alexander and by Grocock and Penrose (as well as CJ Sinclair, Tom Alexander and Nicholas Carpenter in the first one) in Saturday's heats.

Schofield was back on top on Sunday though, winning the Pre-Final from Penrose, Grocock and Alexander and the Final from Penrose, Grocock and CJ Sinclair.

Formula Junior winner Andy Schofield
Photo: Fast Company/Greg Henderson

Like Schofield, 125cc Rotax Max Heavy winner Hamish Cross found himself conceding heat wins - in his case to Aucklanders Steven Currie and Shane Hodgson - on Saturday but come Sunday he too was back in front, winning both the Pre-Final and Final from Currie and Tauranga's Niki Urwin.

In the Mi Sedaap Pro Kart series meanwhile, former series champion Ryan Grant fought back to beat round one standout Daniel Bray in KZ2 and reigning North Island champion Bradley Hicks and Paul Blomqvist both beat round one winner Arie Hutton in KF3.

Competition was extremely tough in both classes with Bray qualifying quickest but having to share heat wins with Grant and young Auckland driver Richard Moore.

KZ2 class winner Ryan Grant
Photo: Fast Company/Greg Henderson

The more laps he did in his radical new Maranello RS8 kart the better Grant went, stating his intentions with a win in the Pre-Final (over Bray, Moore and teammate Graeme Smyth), then winning the Final by just over a second-and-a-half from Bray (who admitted afterwards that his kart's rear tyres were long past their best by the time the Final came around), Moore, Smyth and Bray's GP Kart teammate Daniel Dufty.

Last year's class champion Mark Swetman had it a little easier in the senior Formula 125 S support class, qualifying quickest and winning the heats, Pre-Final and Final though fellow podium placegetters Keith Warwick and Daniel Samuelson certainly kept him honest.

Arguably the closest and most intense racing however was produced by the top three drivers in the KF3 class with current North Island champion Bradley Hicks qualifying quickest and winning the heats and - as it turned out - the Final.

That was only part of the story though as round one winner Arie Hutton won the Pre-Final and he and Hick's KartSport Mt Wellington clubmate Paul Blomqvist were rarely more than a kart length or two apart in the Final with the result - Hicks first, Blomqvist second and Hutton third - in doubt until the chequered flag came out.

Bradley Hicks dicing with Arie Hutton
Photo: Fast Company/Greg Henderson

The weekend's joint series' round was the second of five with the third set to be hosted by the Bay of Plenty Kart Club at its Fagan's Valley Raceway over the May 01-02 weekend.

Joint Gen-i Kartstars 2010 Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand/ Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series round meeting Pinex Raceway Tokoroa Sat/Sun March 06/07 2010

KZ2
1. Ryan Grant; 2. Daniel Bray; 3. Richard Moore; 4. Graeme Smyth; 5. Daniel Dufty; 6. Matthew Grant

F125S
1. Mark Swetman; 2. Keith Warwick; 3. Daniel Samuelson; 4. Mike Browning; 5. Kerry James

KF3
1. Bradley Hicks; 2. Paul Blomqvist; 3. Arie Hutton; 4. Callum Quinn; 5. Reid Harker; 6. Aaron Marr

125cc Rotax Max Light
1. Matthew Hamilton; 2. Kane Taylor; 3. Josh Hart; 4. Jake Pascoe; 5. Chris Cox; 6. Daniel Conner.
Points: 1. Hamilton 174; 2. Hart 169; 3. Taylor 166; 4. Cox 159; 5. Pascoe 157; 6. M. Griffin 148.

Formula Junior
1. Andy Schofield; 2. James Penrose; 3. Shaun Grocock; 4. CJ Sinclair; 5. Josh Drysdale; 6. Scott Manson.
Points: 1. Schofield 178; 2. Grocock 164; 3. Penrose 160; 4. Sinclair 158; 5. Alexander; 6. Manson 155.

125cc Rotax Max Heavy
1. Hamish Cross; 2. Steven Currie; 3. Niki Urwin; 4. Shane Hodgson; 5. Daryl Currie; 6. Carry Claxton.
Points: 1. Cross 178; 2. Urwin 165; 3. S. Currie 160; 4. D. Currie 157; 5. Hodgson 153; 6. G. Claxton 150.

Click here for full Gen-i Kartstars 2010 Rotax Max Challenge points tables

CALENDAR
Rnd 1 Feb 13/14 CIK Trophy of NZ presented by Eyede meeting Wellington (Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series)
Rnd 1 Feb 20/21 Manawatu Toyota Raceway Palmerston North (Rotax)
Rnd 2 March 06-07 Pinex Raceway Tokoroa
Rnd 3 May 01-02 Fagan's Valley Raceway Te Puke
Rnd 4 August 28-29 Hamilton Kart Club track Hamilton
Rnd 5 October 02-03 The Pallet Company Raceway Auckland

Prepared by FAST COMPANY on behalf of the Gen-i Kartstars 2010 Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand and Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series. To find out more about the annual Challenge contact Ross MacKay on 021 677 919 or via e-mail on ross@fastcompany.co.nz