Series Wins Anything but Assured
for new 'Shifter Series' Champions

The fifth and final round of the 2009 Steward Motors Shifter Series, held in conjunction with the Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand at the Hawke’s Bay Kart Club’s ZM Raceway in Hastings on Saturday 26th September delivered a mix of fortunes for drivers looking to secure championship wins after the last round at Hamilton in late August.

Ryan Grant, KZ2 winner
Photo: Championship Digital

Strong performances over most of the four previous rounds should have made racing at the final round this weekend something of a formality for young Auckland driver Arie Hutton.

But he saw his Formula Junior championship win slipping away during the Final race when an ambitious passing move by visiting Australian driver Ricky Capa put them both onto the grass.

Hutton only had to finish fourth or better during the Final to win the series, and was looking comfortable in second place until the second-to-last lap when he tangled with Capa going into the hairpin.

Arie Hutton, Formula Junior winner
Photo: Championship Digital

“I was a bit angry at [Capa] but that’s what racing’s all about...managing your cool is what separates a professional racing driver from a good racing driver,” said Hutton. who was able to quickly recover and finish fourth to indeed take the series title ahead of fellow KartSport Mt. Wellington driver Bradley Hicks and Formula S club member Mitchell Brown.

In the senior classes (racing with 6-speed gearbox engined karts), results were thankfully less dramatic for Bay of Plenty driver Mark Swetman, who showed impressive skill by winning all four of his Formula 125S races over the weekend.

“We won the first few (rounds of the Championship), and then we struggled in the next two or three and had a couple of bad ones, so coming into the Final we were actually in second place," he said. "We knew we had to qualify well and win to take out the series and that’s what we’ve done.”

Swetman's win comes ahead of Auckland drivers Kevan Storr and Snow Mooney who finished with 539 and 528 points respectively.

Mark Swetman, Formula 125S winner
Photo: Championship Digital

With a field of 14 drivers, the KZ2 class has been the most popular of the Shifter series, with drivers and fans alike.

Given the quality of competition, series winner Ryan Grant has had his work cut out for him, and has been fielding ever increasing pressure from fellow Auckland driver and team-mate Graeme Smyth over the season.

Grant won three of his five races this weekend, finishing behind Smyth in the 12 lap second heat and 20 lap Final.

Grant’s overall points score of 554 proving enough to Smyth on 526, and Wellington’s Karl Wilson who finished the series in third place with 523 points.

With a successful season of racing under their belts, drivers will be looking forward to kicking off the 2010 Shifter Series at KartSport Wellington’s track on the weekend of the 13th and 14th February 2010.

The 2009 Shifter Series is made possible with generous help from title sponsor Steward Motors (Howick), and associate sponsors Auto Super Shoppes, DesignSteel, EvoLine® Port Pop-Up Power Points, F40 Motorsport, Good Water, Lancer Aluminium (Henderson) Metro Glasstech, MFI Engineering Ltd., Northbridge Signs, Porsche New Zealand, Pro-Drill (Auck) Ltd, Rural Direct Ltd, Sandfield Information Systems, Spark Racing Engines, Tony Kart Racing Team New Zealand, Oceania Helicopters Tauranga Ltd., UTI New Zealand Ltd, Vantage Aluminium Joinery, Water Projects Ltd, West City Holden, Whitehaven Wine Company, and Winger Suzuki.

2009 Steward Motors Shifter Series - ZM Raceway, Royshill, Hastings.
26th September 2009.
(Provisional results)

Formula Junior
1. Bradley Hicks (Auckland) 5 points (lowest wins round)
2. Arie Hutton (Auckland)13 points
3. Andy Schofield (Hamilton) 20 points

Formula 125 S
1. Mark Swetman (Bay of Plenty) 5 points (lowest wins round)
2. Snow Mooney (Auckland) 11 points
3. John Steward (Auckland) 17 points

KZ2
1. Ryan Grant (Auckland) 7 points (lowest wins round)
2. Graeme Smyth (Auckland) 14 points
3. Richard Moore (Auckland) 20 points

Championship results

Formula Junior
1. Arie Hutton (Auckland) 437 points
2. Bradley Hicks (Auckland) 435 points
3. Mitchell Brown (Auckland) 410 points

Formula 125 S
1. Mark Swetman (Bay of Plenty) 545 points
2. Kevan Storr (Auckland) 539 points
3. Snow Mooney (Auckland) 528 points

KZ2
1. Ryan Grant (Auckland) 554 points
2. Graeme Smyth Auckland) 526 points
3. Karl Wilson (Wellington) 523 points.

This report prepared by Andrew Bright/Championship Digital on behalf of the 2009 Steward Motors Shifter Series. For more information please contact Andrew Bright on 029 200 1977 or andrew@championshipdigital.com or club president Steve Brown on 021 918 270 or steve.stemic@xtra.co.nz