New Schools Added To Kartsport NZ Honours Board
| press release | 13 July 2015 |
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Christchurch's St Thomas of Canterbury College and Dunedin's Balmacewen Intermediate have joined KartSport New Zealand's National Schools' Championship honours board after student success at this year's Automec Air-sponsored event in Dunedin over the weekend.
Schools from Invercargill in the south to Auckland in the north were represented at the 13th annual National Schools' event, hosted this year by Otago club KartSport Dunedin at its Silverstream Raceway near Mosgiel.
Just over 60 students from over 40 schools contested the event in cool, dry conditions and convenor Neil Shearer says he is 'very happy' with the way everything panned out.
Above: Vortex Mini ROK class winner Ryan Wood (#NS) leads Zac Christensen (#21) in a heat race on Saturday
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Fast Company/John Cosgrove
In the days leading up to the event the surrounding area was blanketed in snow, but the weather had cleared by the weekend.
"We had issues with frost at the top end of the track which made driving conditions challenging, particularly early in the day, " says Shearer, "but with everyone's understanding and cooperation we worked it out."
Five class titles were up for grabs at the meeting with the winners spearheaded by Wellington driver Ryan Wood, 11, who successfully defended his 2014 title in the Vortex Mini ROK class.
Wood was the class of the big Vortex Mini ROK field, winning three of the five heat races. Second overall was local driver Alex Patrick who won one of the other heat races, and William Exton from Blenheim was third.
It was a big win for Wood in more ways than one; with it he has earned free entry and the use of a kart and engine at the ROK Cup International Final event in Italy in October.
Above: Christchurch's Ayden Polaschek took out Formula Junior
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Fast Company/John Cosgrove
South Island class title holder Ayden Polaschek, 16, was the other class winner on Saturday, finishing one point ahead of fellow Christchurch driver Lewis Ball in the Formula Junior class.
Both claimed a pair of heat wins apiece but Polaschek also had two second place finishes compared to a second and a third for Ball.
Polaschek and Ball also contested Junior 100cc Yamaha on Sunday but the results of that class remain unconfirmed due to a pending appeal.
In the other classes, Mason Porter, 9, won a three-way battle against fellow Aucklander Liam Sceats and Christchurch young gun Louis Sharp to take Cadet ROK honours, while another Auckland driver, James Blair, 16, won the 125cc Rotax Max class title by the narrowest of margins from Christchurch ace Ryan Yardley with the other heat winner, Kieran Woods, also from Christchurch, third.
Above: Mason Potter (#47) on his way to Cadet ROK class victory in Sunday
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Fast Company/John Cosgrove
The Automec Air 2015 KartSport New Zealand National Schools' Championship hosted by KartSport Dunedin & Kings High School Silverstream Raceway Milners Rd North Taieri Dunedin Sat-Sun July 11-12 2015
125cc Rotax Max Light
1. James Blair (Mt Wgtn, St Kentigern); 2. Ryan Yardley (ChCh, Burnside High); 3. Kieran Woods (ChCh, Chch Boys High); 4. Ben Carter (Dn, Waitaki Boys High); 5. Alex Fraser (Dn, Kings High); 6. Robert Burrowes (Wgtn, Wellington College).
Above: Auckland's James Blair (#9) won 125cc Rotax Max Light
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Fast Company/John Cosgrove
Formula Junior
1. Ayden Polaschek (ChCh, Hillmorton High); 2. Lewis Ball (ChCh, St Thomas of Canterbury); 3. Rianna O'Meara-Hunt (Wgtn, Aotea College); 4. Reuben Adams (ChCh, Shirley Boys); 5. Jarod Fisher (Nelson, Nelson College); 6. Josh Bethune (Dn, Balmacewen Int)
Vortex Mini ROK
1. Ryan Wood (Wgtn, Hutt Int. Boys School); 2. Alex Patrick (Dn, Balmacewen Int); 3. William Exton (Blen, Tua Marina School); 4. Connor Davison (Ham, Newstead Model Country School); 5. Callum Hedge (Mt Wgtn, St Kentigern); 6. Thomas Boniface (NP, Highland Int)
Cadet ROK
1. Mason Potter (Mt Wgtn, Mangawhau Primary); 2. Liam Sceats (Mt Wgtn, St Heliers Primary); 3. Louis Sharp (ChCh, St Josephs); 4. James Black (Dn, St Brigids); 5. Kaden Probst (Mt Wgtn, Red Beach Primary); 6. Jaxon Harvey (Dn, Silverstream School)
KARTSPORT NZ NATIONAL SCHOOLS' CHAMPIONSHIPS
SECONDARY SCHOOL HONOURS BOARD
2003 Rangitoto College, Auckland
2004 St Kentigern College, Auckland
2005 Palmerston North Boys High, Palmerston North
2006 Waimea College, Nelson
2007 St Kentigern College, Auckland
2008 St Andrews College, Christchurch
2009 St Andrews College, Christchurch
2010 Palmerston North Boys High, Palmerston North
2011 Auckland Grammar School, Auckland
2012 Palmerston North Boys High, Palmerston North
2013 Burnside High School, Christchurch
2014 Palmerston North Boys High School, Palmerston North
2015 St Thomas Of Canterbury College, Christchurch
PRIMARY/INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS HONOURS BOARD
2003 Rangeview Intermediate, Auckland
2004 Waimea Intermediate, Nelson
2005 Marina View School Auckland
2006 Russley Primary & St Kentigern Intermediate ChCh & Auckland
2007 Albany Primary, Auckland
2008 Waikari School and Kaikorai Valley College, Dunedin
2009 Newbury School, Palmerston North
2010 Taradale Intermediate, Napier
2011 Windsor Primary/Chisnell Wood Intermediate, Christchurch
2012 College Street Normal School Palmerston North
2013 Medbury School, Christchurch
2014 Palmerston North Normal Intermediate/Newbury Primary School, Palmerston North
2015 Balmacewen Intermediate, Dunedin
