Armstrong Trying for Rotax Grand Finals Seat
| press release | 21 October 2014 |
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Fast-rising young Kiwi karting ace Marcus Armstrong is back in Europe this week and weekend trying to earn back a place on the grid at this year's Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final in November.
The 14-year-old from Christchurch earned the right to represent New Zealand at the Grand Final in the United States last year by winning the Arai Helmets Junior Max class in the local Rotax Max Challenge series.
He was leading the points standings in the same class again this year after the penultimate round of the 2014 series - but was drafted into the works Kosmic team for the World Junior Kart Championship meeting in France the same weekend.
In his absence long-time rival Dylan Drysdale won the final round of the local Challenge series and claimed both the series' class win and the Junior class seat on the team to represent New Zealand at the 2014 Grand Final at Valencia in Spain between November 25 and 29.
Above: Marcus Armstrong - back racing karts in Europe this weekend
pic -
Fast Company/RGMMC
Armstrong, who this year contested both the New Zealand and European Challenge series, could still get to the Grand Final, however, if he does well at the International Challenge meeting at Zuera in Spain this weekend.
The event is basically invitation-only with 34 drivers hand-picked to contest each of the three Grand Challenge classes, Junior Max, Senior Max and DD2.
It's truly international in its scope, too, with over 30 nations represented. In Armstrong's class alone, drivers are coming from 16 countries - amongst them the UK, Russia, Mexico, Israel, Malaysia, Austria and Finland - to battle it out for one of a number of Grand Final seats up for grabs.
There are three per class (for the podium place-getters) plus an extra seat for the best Masters-age (32+) competitor in the DD2 class.
