KARTSPORT NEW ZEALAND

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For immediate release

 

 

The annual Top Half series in the upper North Island has again provided an excellent 'form guide' as far as emerging KartSport drivers are concerned.

 

At the final round of the 2005 series at KartSport Auckland's Pallet Company Raceway at the Rosebank Road Domain Tokoroa 18-year-old Bradley Tyrrell confirmed his status as one of the country's most exciting young talents by claiming series victory in two classes, Rotax Max Light and Senior 100cc Yamaha Light.

 

He did it in style too, jetting in overnight from Australia, where he had been one of the pace-setters at the latest round of the MotorSport News KartStars series at Ipswich in Queensland, then finishing third on the day behind fellow Arrow drivers Paul Cameron and Kane Taylor who tied for final round victory with 222 points, just five more than Tyrrell.

 

Victory at the first and second rounds made sure Tyrrell took the overall Top Half series win however, his final points tally 816 to Kane Taylor's 819 and Tauranga driver Niki Urwin's 778.

 

Tyrrell had it just as tough in Senior 100cc Yamaha Light, but again, consistent speed at all four rounds gave him the overall win from final round winner Lydia Dickinson.

 

Dickinson, fast assuming the mantle of the country's top female karter (now that Christchurch's Fiona Hamilton has moved to the Toyota Racing Series) beat Tyrrell fair and square at the first, had a second round to forget then came back to tie with Tyrrell for class victory at the third then win the final to finish the series with 803 points, just eight less than Tyrrell.

 

Senior Rotax Max Heavy proved to be a happy hunting ground for Mt Wellington's Bradley Alexander who won all but one of the rounds (Round 2) to collect 848 points, 50 more than Gemma Olsen and 65 more than Grant Aitken (both Hamilton).

 

Senior 100cc Yamaha Heavy was closer with the Kendall brothers, Leyton and Dion finishing first and third respectively. Splitting them was fellow Aucklander Royce Rollinson. A technical disqualification at round four cost former national champion Darren Aislable a top position. 

 

Open class was a three-way fight from beginning to end with Dan Smith finally triumphing over Hayden Norton and Scott Harrison.

 

In the Junior classes victory in Junior 100cc Yamaha went to Graeme Smyth from fellow Aucklanders Ben Dallas, Michael Burdett and Mathew Kinsman, while Junior National went to Mt Wellington's Jayden Hughes from Taupo's John Bassick and fellow Mt Wellington karters Ryan Hellier, Richard Andrews and Jake Pascoe.

 

Tom Blomqvist, son of famous Swedish rally driver Stig, made a big impact at the final round, winning the Junior 100cc Yamaha Restricted class by the closest of margins (one point) from James Stead and three other impressive youngsters, Richard Moore, Brandon Rogerson and Levi Madsen-Prinn.

 

However it was Stead who claimed the overall series prize by a margin of 10 points from fellow Aucklander Nick Cassidy.

 

Meanwhile National Champion Arie Hutton bade farewell to the Cadet class in the best possible way by claiming the overall series win by nine points from Bradley Hicks with final round winner Kieron Rollinson third overall.

 

Ends

 

 

1. Arie Hutton 817 points; 2. Bradley Hicks 808; 3. Kieron Rollinson 790, 4. Shaun Nicholson 774; 5. Paul Blomqvist 768; 6. Aaron Wilson 735.

1. James Stead 823 points; 2. Nick Cassidy 813; 3. Richard Moore 805; 4. Tom Blomqvist 796; 5. Brandon Rogerson 766; 6. Levi Madsen-Prinn 748.

1. Jayden Hughes 828 points; 2. John Bassick 811; 3. Ryan Hellier 799; 4. Richard Andrews 795; 5. Jake Pascoe 792; 6. Michael Grimshaw 757.

1. Graeme Smyth 748 points; 2. Ben Dallas 741; 3. Michael Burdett 735; 4. Mathew Kinsman 711; 5. David Meszaros 703; 6. Tyler Richardson 699.

1. Bradley Tyrrell 811 points; 2. Lydia Dickinson 803; 3. Jason Catley 786; 4. Mathew Bufton 753; 5. Paul Fowler 752; 6. Michael Pulman 712.

1. Leyton Kendall 799 points; 2. Royce Rollinson 792; 3. Dion Kendall 790; 4. Gerald Barlow 766; 5. Clinton Fell 766; 6. Aaron Cunningham 765.

1. Bradley Tyrrell 816 points; 2. Kane Taylor 809; 3. Niki Urwin 778; 4. Mike Male 741; 5. Clayton Merz 737; 6. Slade Young 721.

1. Bradley Alexander 848 points; 2. Gemma Olsen 798; 3.Grant Aitken 783; 4. Darren Blackmore 739; 5. Stuart Kilgour 734; 6. Nick Vallance 692.

1. Dan Smith 803 points; 2. Hayden Norton 783; 3. Scott Harrison 773; 4. Michael Pulman 744; 5. Mark Swetman 698; 6. Bruce James 610.