CIK Trophy of New Zealand Meeting

CIK Trophy of New Zealand Meeting - 2006

KARTSPORT NEW ZEALAND

Media Release

For immediate release

* 2006 CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Karcher

RV Wholesale Supplies Raceway

Airport Road Hamilton

January 20/21/22

2006

EVENT REPORT

22-01-06

KART-TURNED-CAR STAR WADE CUNNINGHAM RETURNS TO CLAIM THIRD CIK TROPHY

New Zealand's most successful Kartsport racer, 2003 World Karting Champion Wade Cunningham, claimed an unprecedented third CIK Trophy of NZ at the 2006 CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Karcher meeting at Hamilton's RV Wholesale Supplies Raceway this weekend.

Cunningham, 20, who went on to forge an equally successfull car career in the United States after winning the World Karting Championship title in Italy in 2003, made no race of his international-level return to his karting roots, setting the fourth fastest time in qualifying on Saturday and winning two of the three heats, the Pre-Final (the race that determines grid positions for the Final) and the Final - the latter from Auckland driver Paul Cameron and the Manawatu's Andrew Hoare.

In doing so he beat the cream of New Zealand's Formula 100 class talent as well as fellow kart-turned-car racing rising star Chris Vander Drift, who qualified on pole and won the second heat but did not finish the Final, and highly rated Australian karter Jason Burns.

Cunningham won his first CIK Trophy of New Zealand in 2001 and his second in 2003 but he will not have much time to savour the pleasure of his latest win - on Tuesday he heads back to the United States to prepare to defend his 2005 Menards Infiniti Pro Series title.

Incredibly, Cunningham has had little time behind the wheel of a kart since he moved to the United States to race cars, only doing one major meeting - just before Christmas - before kitting up for this weekend's CIK Trophy of NZ presented by Karcher one at Hamilton.

Despite that he was immediately competitive and said that title number three came easily.

"I thought I qualified well, though the other guys (Vander Drift, Cameron and Simon Evans) went a little bit faster, but the difference I think was that I was able to hold that pace all day, even towards the end of the Final when the tyres were well past their best."

Australian Matthew Wall made it two CIK Trophy of New Zealand meeting wins in two years (last year he won the F100 title) in the ICC class, albeit only after heat and Pre-Final winner Ryan Grant was relegated to the back of the grid for the Final over a technical infringement in the Pre-Final.

Despite the handicap Grant scythed through the field, crossing the line in second place just two seconds behind Wall, who in Grant's absence had led from start to finish.

Third in the ICC class was Australian CIK series champion Bart Price, fourth Taranaki driver Nik Kiser with Lee fifth and Ryan Grant's brother Matthew sixth.

The Junior ICA class was a Tyler Richardson benefit after the young Waikato driver qualified fastest then won all three heats as well as the Pre-Final and Final. Second in the Final, in his best placing yet at national level was Henry Thomas-Kircher, third James Stead and fourth Mathew Kinsman.

Another young Hamilton Kart Club member, Matthew Wooding, also put in a standout performance, clean-sweeping both the Rotax Max and Senior 100cc Yamaha Light classes.

The teenager, who has just moved up to the Senior classes after winning the Junior category of the 2005 Rotax Max Challenge and representing New Zealand at the final in Malaysia in November, was the fastest qualifier and won every race - heat, Pre-Final and Final - he started over the two days to claim the top spot on the podium in both classes, an incredible achievement given the quality of the competition.

Second in Rotax Max was former New Zealand champion Fiona Hamilton, third young Auckland driver Mike Male.

Second in Senior 100cc Yamaha Light was Deon Forrest, third, one of the other female drivers competing at the meeting, 2005 North Island champion Lydia Dickinson.

In the Junior 100cc Yamaha class Auckland's Graeme Smyth qualified fastest and won the three heats and Pre-Final.

Junior 100cc Restricted was arguably the closest fought class, with local hero Brandon Rogerson setting the fastest lap time in qualifying but having to share heat race wins (he won the second) with Auckland's Nick Cassidy and Wanganui's William Bamber.

Levi Madsen-Prinn won the Pre-Final from Arie Hutton and Bamber, but it was Nick Cassidy who won the Final from the consistent Hutton and Bamber and New Zealand champion Mitchell Evans, with highly-rated young Australian visitor Warren White Jnr fifth.

Meanwhile victory in the Cadet class went to Bradley Hicks after a Matthew Wooding-like performance in which he qualified on pole then won all three heats, the Pre-Final and the Final.

Second in the Final was Aaron Wilson, third Joel Herbetr, fourth Stephen Kelly.

Ends

2006 CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Karcher RV Wholesale Supplies Raceway Airport Road Hamilton January 20/21/22 2006

Formula 100

Qualifying

1. Chris Vander Drift 37.398

2. Paul Cameron 37.525

3. Simon Evans 37.573

Heat 1

1. Paul Cameron

2. Wade Cunningham

3. Phillip Watkins

Heat 2

1. Chris Vander Drift

2. Wade Cunningham

3. Phillip Watkins

Heat 3

1. Wade Cunningham

2. Jason Burns

3. Mitch Cunningham

Pre-Final

1. Wade Cunningham

2. Phillip Watkins

3 Paul Cameron

Final

1. Wade Cunningham

2. Paul Cameron

3. Andrew Hoare

4. Phillip Watkins

5. Charles Hoare

6. Simon Hunter

7. Trent Ingham

8. Aaron Adcock

dnf Mitch Cunningham, Nik Kiser, Karl Wilson, Jason Burns, Chris Vander Drift, Simon McLennon, Josh Hart, Simon Evans, Jessica Golding, Daniel Bray.

ICC

Qualifying

1. Jason Lee 36.021

2. Ryan Grant 36.436

3. Matthew Wall 36.693

Heat 1

1. Ryan Grant

2. Jason Lee

3. Dan Smith

Heat 2

1. Ryan Grant

2. Matthew Wall

3. Jason Lee

Heat 3

1. Ryan Grant

2. Matthew Wall

3. Jason Lee

Pre-Final

1. Ryan Grant

2. Matthew Wall

3. Jason Lee

Final

1. Matthew Wall

2. Ryan Grant

3 Bart Price

4. Nik Kiser

5. Jason Lee

6. Matthew Grant

7. Scott Harrison

8. Dan Smith

9. Michael Wheaton

10. Tim Hartley

JICA

Qualifying

1.Tyler Richardson 39.159

2. Jamie McNee 39.254

3. Martin Short 39.344

Heat 1

1. Tyler Richardson

2. Mathew Kinsman

3. Ben Dallas

Heat 2

1. Tyler Richardson

2. Mathew Kinsman

3. Ben Dallas

Heat 3

1. Tyler Richardson

2. Martin Short

3. James Stead

Pre-Final

1. Tyler Richardson

2. Mathew Kinsman

3. James Stead

Final

1. Tyler Richardson

2. Henry Thomas-Kircher

3. James Stead

Rotax Max 125

Qualifying

1.Matthew Wooding 39.365

2. Jayden Hughes 39.52

3. Fiona Hamilton 39.567

Heat 1

1. Matthew Wooding

2. Fiona Hamilton

3. Mike Male

Heat 2

1. Matthew Wooding

2. Fiona Hamilton

3. Michael Grimshaw

Heat 3

1. Matthew Wooding

2. Fiona Hamilton

3. Michael Grimshaw

Pre-Final

1. Matthew Wooding

2. Fiona Hamilton

3. Mike Male

Final

1. Matthew Wooding

2. Fiona Hamilton

3. Mike Male

Senior 100cc Yamaha Light

Qualifying

1. Matthew Wooding 40.195

2. Deon Forrest 40.448

3. Matt Bambery 40.787

Heat 1

1. Matthew Wooding

2. Deon Forrest

3. Lydia Dickinson

Heat 2

1. Matthew Wooding

2. Deon Forrest

3. Lydia Dickinson

Heat 3

1. Matthew Wooding

2. Deon Forrest

3. Lydia Dickinson

Pre-Final

1. Matthew Wooding

2. Deon Forrest

3. Lydia Dickinson

Final

1. Matthew Wooding

2. Deon Forrest

3. Lydia Dickinson

Junior 100cc Yamaha

Qualifying

1.Graeme Smyth 40.444

2. Elliot Andrew 40.498

3. Chris Hanley 40.832

Heat 1

1. Graeme Smyth

2. Chris Hanley

3. Todd Sherley

Heat 2

1. Graeme Smyth

2. Elliot Andrews

3. Chris Hanley

Heat 3

1. Graeme Smyth

2. Chris Hanley

3. Hayden Williams

Pre-Final

1. Graeme Smyth

2. Todd Sherley

3. Elliot Andrews

Final

Result to be advised.

Junior Restricted

Qualifying

1. Brandon Rogerson 41.846

2. William Bamber 41.919

3 Warren White Jnr 42.094

Heat 1

1. Nick Cassidy

2. Levi Madsen-Print

3. Arie Hutton

Heat 2

1. Brandon Rogerson

2. Arie Hutton

3. Warren White Jnr

Heat 3

1. William Bamber

2. Arie Hutton

3. Nick Cassidy

Pre-Final

1. Levi Madsen-Prinn

2. Arie Hutton

3. Mitchell Evans

Final

1. Nick Cassidy

2. Arie Hutton

3. William Bamber

Cadet

Qualifying

1. Bradley Hicks 45.598

2. Aaron Wilson 45.566

3. Alex Cassidy 46.312

Heat 1

1. Bradley Hicks

2. Aaron Wilson

3. Alex Cassidy

Heat 2

1. Bradley Hicks

2. Stephen Kelly

3. Alex Cassidy

Heat 3

1. Bradley Hicks

2. Aaron Wilson

3. Alex Cassidy

Pre-Final

1. Bradley Hicks

2. Aaron Wilson

3.Alex Cassidy

Final

1. Bradley Hicks

2. Aaron Wilson

3 Joel Herbert

Prepared by FAST COMPANY on behalf of KartSport New Zealand. To find out more about the KartSport New Zealand 2006 CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Karcher contact Ross MacKay on 021 677 919 or via e-mail at ross@fastcompany.co.nz

KARTSPORT NEW ZEALAND

Media Release

For immediate release

* 2006 CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Karcher

RV Wholesale Supplies Raceway

Airport Road Hamilton

January 20/21/22

2006

DAY 1 REPORT

21-01-06

KIWIS ON TOP AT KARCHER KART MEETING

The Kiwi karters held the upper hand after the first day of competition at a distinctly Trans Tasman-flavoured 2006 CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Karcher kart meeting at Hamilton's RV Wholesale Supplies Raceway today.

Home-town hero Chris Vander Drift, a multi-time former New Zealand kart champion and now a rising racing star on the European motor racing scene, was the stand-out performer in the blue-riband Formula 100 class, claiming pole position for today's heats and coming back from a 16th place finish in the first (after a tyre split while he was in the lead and forced him to slow) to win the second from fellow former kart and now single-seater motor racing star Wade Cunningham and top Wellington driver Phillip Watkins.

Aucklanders Jason Lee and Ryan Grant also proved the men to beat in the ICC class, Lee qualifying fastest with Grant winning both heat races, the first from Lee and Hamilton's Dan Smith, the second from the first of the Australian drivers, Matthew Wall, and Lee.

Wall was the quickest of the nine Australian competitors who crossed the Tasman for the meeting, setting the third fastest ICC class qualifying time and finishing the first heat in fifth place and the second just behind Grant.

Reigning Australian CIK series ICC champion Bart Price was a little further back, qualifying seventh and finishing the first heat eighth. Western Australian Paul Williams qualified tenth but did not feature in the top six in either heat.

The big surprise in the Formula 100 class was the performance of Aucklander Paul Cameron, whose previous success has largely been in the Rotax Max class.

He qualified second fastest and won the first race from Wade Cunningham (who qualified fourth fastest) and Phillip Watkins then finished sixth in the second race behind Vander Drift, Wade Cunningham, Watkins, Australian Jason Burns and Mitch Cunningham.

Jason Burns set the seventh fastest time in qualifying and finished fifth in the first race.

The Junior ICA class looks set to be a Tyler Richardson benefit after the young Waikato driver qualified fastest and won both heats from young Aucklanders Mathew Kinsman and Ben Dallas.

Another young Hamilton Kart Club member, Matthew Wooding, was also a standout performer, qualifying fastest then winning the three heat races in both Rotax Max and Senior 100cc Yamaha.

In Rotax Max he led home former New Zealand champion Fiona Hamilton and in Senior 100cc Yamaha, Aucklander Deon Forrest and one of the other top female competitors at the meeting, Lydia Dickinson.

Auckland's Graeme Smyth was another driver unbeaten on the first day of competition, setting the fastest Junior 100cc Yamaha time in qualifying then winning all three heats, the first and third from local driver Todd Sherley, the second from Wellingtonian Elliot Andrew.

The spoils were shared in Junior 100cc Restricted with three different heat winners. Nick Cassidy won the first heat from Levi Madsen-Prinn and Arie Hutton, Brandon Rogerson the second from Hutton and young Australian visitor Warren White Jnr while Wanganui's William Bamber won the third from Hutton and Cassidy.

Cassidy's younger brother Alex featured the the Cadet class qualifying third fastest behind Bradley Hicks then finishing third in each heat race.

Hicks won each race, the first and third from Aaron Wilson, the second from Stephen Kelly.

The 2006 CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Karcher meeting is the second run with the support of Karcher Ltd, one of KartSport New Zealand's new corporate partners.

Ends