KARTSPORT NEW ZEALAND - Media Information
- For immediate release
* 2008 Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand Rnd 4 (Final)
2008 Counties Commercials Shifter Series Rnd 5 (Final)
KartSport Auckland
The Pallet Company Raceway
Rosebank Domain
Auckland
Oct 04-05
2008
05-10-08
EVENT REVIEW
Auckland karter Ryan Urban will spearhead New Zealand's attack on the 2008 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final in Italy in November this year after sealing series victory in the Right Karts 125cc Rotax Max Light class at the Totalspan-backed final round of the 2008 Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand at KartSport Auckland's The Pallet Company Raceway on Sunday.
Though fellow Aucklander Kane Taylor qualified quickest and went on to win both heat races on Saturday then both the Pre-Final and Final on Sunday, second place in both the Pre-Final and Final was enough for multi-time New Zealand Sprint Kart class champion Urban, 25, to claim overall class victory in the four round series, and with it the opportunity to represent New Zealand at the Rotax Max category's annual Grand Final (where winners of the 55 national challenge series around the world meet eash year to contest a Grand Final) at the La Conca track in Italy between November 27 and 30 this year.
This year New Zealand was awarded four entries, two in the Senior classes (Rotax Max Light and DD2) and two in the Junior.
Joining Urban in the senior ranks, with a drive in the DD2 class, will be young Hamilton driver Ethan de Jong, who came through to claim second place in the series points standings in the 125cc Rotax Max Light class after thirds in both the Pre-Final and Final behind Taylor and Urban on Sunday.
It was close, with de Jong ending up with 320 points, just two more than fellow young gun Daniel Dufty from the Bay of Plenty, but de Jong had the better final round, qualifying fifth, then finishing fourth in the first heat, second in the second, then beating Dufty to the line in both the Pre-Final and Final (Dufty was sixth in the Pre-Final and Final).
In the Arai Helmets Formula Junior class, eventual series winner Nick Cassidy and former Hamilton, now Gold Coast, Australia-based youngster Scott McLaughlin, went into the weekend's series final tied on the same number of points with the advantage to McLaughlin on countback, but Cassidy turned that around with quickest time in qualifying then wins in the two heats and the Pre-Final.
McLaughlin found himself on the back foot after qualifying fourth but remained a title threat until a tangle with another competitor put him out of the Pre-Final and on the back row of the starting grid for the Final.
His drive to the front - he won the Final after a late-race battle with Cassidy - was one of the highlights of that race but with no points from the Pre-Final the class title, and with it the series win was Cassidy's for the taking.
All was not lost for McLaughlin however as by finishing second the season second overall he also earned a trip to the Grand Final with overall winner Cassidy.
In the other support class on the Rotax Max roster, 125cc Rotax Max Heavy, victory went to Hamilton's Michael Grimshaw after early season points leader Brendon Hart from Palmerston North struggled with carburettor problems.
Young gun Grimshaw qualified quickest and won both heats as well as the Pre-Final and Final to claim series victory from Hart and Aucklander Garry Claxton.
Also contested at the meeting was the final round of the 2008 Counties Commercials' Shifter Series where Auckland's Ryan Urban and Pukekohe's Daniel Eggleton again dominated proceedings.
Both proved unbeatable in their respective classes, Ryan qualifying quickest and winning all five KZ2 class races and Eggleton doing the same in F125S.
Eggleton also enjoyed the distinction of winning the day-ending Shifter Series Grand Prix from Jason Farmilo and Shane Hodgson.
Auckland's Daniel Bray shadowed Grant in qualifying and followed him home in each KZ2 class race with Taranaki's Michael Kiser third and finishing the heats in third but slipping to fourth in the Pre-Final and 11th in the Final.
In his absence Alex McLennan came forward to claim third place in the Pre-Final while in the final that position went to a resurgent Jason Farmilo from Shane Hodgson and Ashley Johnson.
Second place in F125S meanwhile went to Mark Swetman after a meeting-long battle with Snow Mooney.
Ends
2008 Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand/Counties Commercials Shifter Series Final Round Sat-Sun October 04-05 The Pallet Company Raceway Rosebank Domain Auckland
Right Karts 125cc Rotax Max Light
Qualifying
1. Kane Taylor 30.256; 2. Daniel Dufty 30.322; 3.Ryan Urban 30.313; 4. Matthew Griffin 30.351; 5. Ethan de Jong 30.351; 6. Paul Cameron.
Heat 1
1. Kane Taylor; 2. Ryan Urban; 3. Matthew Griffin; 4. Etah de Jong; 5. Daniel Dufty; 6. Paul Cameron
Heat 2
1. Kane Taylor; 2. Ethan de Jong; 3. Paul Cameron; 4. Ryan Urban; 5. Daniel Dufty; 6. Niki Urwin
Pre-Final
1. Kane Taylor; 2. Ryan Urban; 3. Ethan de Jong; 4. Paul Cameron; 5. Matthew Griffin; 6. Daniel Dufty
Final
1. Kane Taylor; 2. Ryan Urban; 3 Ethan de Jong; 4. Matthew Griffin; 5. Paul Cameron; 6. Daniel Dufty
Final Championship point
1. Ryan Urban 343 points; 2. Ethan de Jong 320; 3. Daniel Dufty 318; 4. Kane Taylor 314; 5. Paul Cameron 312; 6. Niki Urwin 299.
Arai Formula Junior
Qualifying
1. Nick Cassidy 31.099; 2. Daniel Kinsman 31.465; 3. Andy Schofield 31.465; 4. Scott McLaughlin 31.566; 5. Tom Blomqvist 31.616; 6. Paul Blomqvist 31.674
Heat 1:
1. Nick Cassidy; 2. Andy Schofield; 3. Scott McLaughlin; 4. Daniel Kinsman; 5. Tom Blomqvist; 6. Paul Blomqvist/
Heat 2
1. Nick Cassidy; 2. Daniel Kinsman; 3. Andy Schofield ; 4. Scott McLaughlin; 5. Tom Blomqvist; 6. Paul Blomqvist.
Pre-Final
1. Nick Cassidy; 2. Andy Schofield; 3. Tom Blomqvist; 4. Daniel Kinsman; 5. Aaron Hodgson; 6, Matt Hollier. (10. Scott McLaughlin)
Final
1. Scott Mclaughlin; 2. Nick Cassidy; 3. Andy Schofield; 4. Tom Blomqvist; 5. Aaron Hodgson; 6. Paul Blomqvist
Final championship points
1. Nick Cassidy 335 points; 2. Scott McLaughlin 329; 3. Tom Blomqvist 329; 4. Daniel Kinsman 315; 5. Andy Schofield 309; 6. Aaron Hodgson 286
125cc Rotax Max Heavy
Qualifying
1. Michael Grimshaw 31.417; 2. Garry Claxton 31.482; 3. David Waldmeyer 31.677; 4. Brendon Hart 31.736; 5. Peter Wrightson 31.830; 6. Phil Saunders 31.873.
Heat 1
1. Michael Grimshaw; 2. David Waldmeyer; 3. Phil Saunders; 4. Peter Wrightson; 5. Garry Claxton; 6. Brendon Hart
Heat 2
1. Michael Grimshaw; 2. Garry Claxton; 3. Phil Saunders; 4. Peter Wrightson; 5. David Waldmeyer; 6. Brendon Hart
Pre-Final
1. Michael Grimshaw; 2. Phil Saunders; 3. Garry Claxton; 4. Brendon Hart; 5. David Waldmeyer; 6. Peter Wrightson.
Final:
1. Michael Grimshaw; 2. Phil Saunders; 3. Brendon Hart; 4. Garry Claxton; 5. Peter Wrightson; 6. David Waldmeyer
Final championship points
1. Michael Grimshaw 343 points; 2. Brendon Hart 334; 3. Gary Claxton 319; 4. Phillip Saunders 243; 5. Kevin Bailey 239; 6. Jared Richardson 148
KZ2
Qualifying
1. Ryan Grant 28.422; 2. Daniel Bray 28.823; 3. Michael Kiser 29.010; 4. Alex McLennan 29.027; 5. Jason Farmilo 29.262; 6. Shane Hodgson 29.290
Heat 1
1. Ryan Grant; 2. Daniel Bray; 3. Michael Kiser; 4. Alex McLennan; 5. Ryan Belworthy; 6. Shane Hodgson.
Heat 2
1. Ryan Grant; 2. Daniel Bray; 3. Michael Kiser; 4. Alex McLennan; 5. Ryan Belworthy; 6. Jason Farmilo
Heat 3
1. Ryan Grant; 2. Daniel Bray; 3. Michael Kiser; 4. Alex McLennan; 5. Jason Farmilo; 6. John Lovich
Pre-Final
1. Ryan Grant; 2. Daniel Bray; 3. Alex McLennan; 4. Michael Kiser; 5. Jason Farmilo; 6. Ashley Johnson
Final
1. Ryan Grant; 2. Daniel Bray; 3. Jason Farmilo; 4. Shane Hodgson; 5. Ashley Johnson; 6. Michael Pulman.
Formula 125S
1. Daniel Eggleton 29.117; 2. Mark Swetman 29.463; 3. Snow Mooney 29.526; 4. Kevin Storr 29.615; 4. Craig Toy 29.709; 6. Nick Vallance 29.744
Heat 1
Daniel Eggleton: 2. Mark Swetman; 3. Craig Toy; 4. Rick Huston; 5. Snow Mooney; 6. Kevin Storr.
Heat 2
1. Daniel Eggleton; 2. Mark Swetman; 3. Rick Huston; 4. Snow Mooney; 5. Nick Vallance; 6. Mike Browning
Heat 3
1. Daniel Eggleton; 2. Mark Swetman; 3. Craig Toy; 4. Snow Mooney; 5. Rick Huston; 6. Kevin Storr.
Pre-Final
1. Daniel Egglton; 2. Mark Swetman; 3. Snow Mooney; 4. Kevin Storr; 5. Rick Huston; 6. Steve Purcell.
Final
1. Daniel Eggleton; 2. Mark Swetman; 3. Snow Mooney; 4. Craig Toy; 5. Kevin Storr; 6. Mike Browning.
Prepared by FAST COMPANY on behalf of the Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand. To find out more about the Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand contact Ross MacKay on 021 677 919 or via e-mail on ross@fastcompany.co.nz
Editor's Note: Hi-resolution photographs are available upon request
