Armstrong Encouraged By Testing Pace
| press release | 3 September 2014 |
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Fast-rising young Kiwi karter Marcus Armstrong had a good test at France's Salbris track last weekend and is focused on another strong showing at the final round of this year's Rotax Max Euro Challenge there this weekend.
"I really like the circuit and our pace was encouraging," he said this morning. "You can never guarantee a result in Europe but I think I've learnt more in this (European) season than I have in my whole karting experience."
Above: Top New Zealand karter Marcus Armstrong in Spain in July
pic - Fast Company/RGMMC
Armstrong, from Christchurch, has been the big mover in the Junior class over the three rounds of the series already run, ultra-quick single-lap pace in qualifying and an ability to make passes cleanly and efficiently in the races culminating in a heat win and third in the Pre-Final and sixth in the Final at the penultimate round in Spain in July.
That result saw the just-turned 14-year-old move from 15th to ninth overall in the series points standings with a top six result this weekend enough to elevate him to the top six overall.
His increasing pace and racecraft is also showing at home where he holds a good lead in the Junior class in New Zealand's own Rotax Max Challenge series.
That pace has not gone unnoticed on the world scene either, the youngster shoulder-tapped by Italy's Kosmic team to contest the World KFJ Championship meeting in Essay, France, in three weeks time.
This will be the first time in the contemporary era that a young New Zealand karter has competed at a World Junior Championship meeting, an achievement in itself but before then Armstrong says he has unfinished business with the Rotax series.
"At the last two rounds I have been a heat winner and qualified top three but unfortunately the final result hasn't quite come together so this weekend I want to stay out of trouble and have a clean run because that's the only way to be at the front in the Finals."
It is shaping up to be a big weekend around the world for New Zealand karters with Armstrong flying the flag at the final round of the Rotax Max Euro Challenge and 12 of his fellow Rotax category front-runners contesting Australia's annual Rotax Nationals meeting at Ipswich in Queensland.
2014 Rotax Max Euro (Kart) Challenge
Points after Rnd 3 of 4
1. Dean MacDonald (GBR/Strawberry Racing) 244 points
2. Richard Verschoor (NLD/Team TKP) 231
3. Max Timmermans (BEL/Dan Holland Racing 228
4. Thomas Preining (AUT/Team TKP) 225
5. Alex Quinn (GBR/Coles Racing) 212
6. Dave Wooder (GBR/Dan Holland Racing) 192
7. Leonard Hoogenboom (NLD/Dan Holland Racing) 187
8. Dzianis Slavinski (BLR/M-Racing) 184
9. Marcus Armstrong (NZL/Dan Holland Racing) 181
10. Jack McCarthy (GBR/Strawberry Racing) 176
