Region’s Karters Step Up at Goldstar Round

With the Level 3 COVID-19 Lockdown Auckland-based series regulars all agreeing to sit out the second round of the 2020/21 Manawatu & TRC Toyota-backed Wellington Provincial Karting Association’s (WPKA) Goldstar Series at the KartSport Wellington club’s Gazley Raceway at Kaitoke in Upper Hutt last weekend the spotlight was well and truly on the drivers from the regions the long-running annual inter-club competition was originally set up to cater for.

They didn’t disappoint either.

Class winners on Saturday included;

• Jacob Bellamy from New Plymouth (Vortex ROK DVS Junior),
• Jenson Bate from Palmerston North (Rotax Max Junior), and
• Regan Scoullar from Wellington (Briggs LO206 ClubSport Light).

And class winners on Sunday included;

• Riley Jack from Palmerston North (Open)
• Brad Still from New Plymouth (Vortex ROK DVS Senior) and
• Ashley Higgins from Palmerston North (125cc Rotax Max Heavy).

Over the past few years the series which covers the lower North Island areas from Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay in the north, the Manawatu in the middle and down to Wellington in the south has also started to attract a regular following of karters from the upper half of the South Island plus – of course – karters from the likes of Hamilton, the Bay of Plenty, and Auckland.

While the travel restrictions associated with the Level 3 Lockdown kept those from Auckland at home isolating in their bubbles, those living  under Level 2 made the most of their opportunities.

Other class winners  over the two days, for instance, were;

• Steve Muggeridge from Whakatane (ClubSport 120)
• Jackson Culver from Christchurch (Cadet ROK)
• William Exton from Blenheim (125cc Rotax Max Light) and
• Arthur Broughan also from Blenheim (Vortex Mini ROK).

Longer, standalone ‘GP’ races all also a unique part of both the appeal and indeed the folklore that has grown up around the Goldstar Series in the 61-years it has been going.

Over the weekend only six drivers were able to win their class AND the class GP race.

Those six were Steve Muggeridge (ClubSport 120) and Jacob Bellamy (Vortex ROK DVS Junior) on Saturday, and Riley Jack (Open), Jackson Rooney (KZ2), William Exton (125cc Rotax Max Light) and Ashley Higgins (125c Rotax Max Heavy) on Sunday.

The other GP race winners over the two days, meanwhile, were  Ian Smith from Wellington (Briggs LO206 Light), Kiahn Burt from Marton (Rotax Junior), Henry Fisher from Christchurch (Cadet ROK), Judd Christiansen from Palmerston North (Vortex Mini ROK) and Jamie van den Berk (Vortex ROK DVS Senior) from the Hawke’s Bay.

The winning margins were particularly close in two of the GPS, with Henry Fisher getting the Cadet win by just 0.211 of a second over Luke McMillan from the Hawke’s Bay and Ian Smith denying class winner and fellow KartSport Wellington club member Regan Scoullar the GP double in the Briggs LO206 class by just 0.262 of a second!

There was also a rare dead heat for third place in the Vortex Mini ROK GP race on Sunday with Zach Tucker form Christchurch and class winner Arthur Broughan credited with the exact same race time, both crossing the finish line exactly 2.489 seconds behind race winner Judd Christiansen with Izaak Fletcher from Christchurch second.

COVID-19 situation-willing the KartSport Hawke’s Bay club is set to host the third (final) round of the 2020/21 Manawatu & TRC Toyota-backed Wellington Provincial Karting Association’s (WPKA) Goldstar Series in early May and KartSport Manawatu the annual stand-alone ‘WPKA Championships’ event in June 2021.

2020/21 WPKA Manawatu & TRC Toyota Goldstar Series Rnd 2
KartSport Wellington Gazley Raceway Kaitoke Wellington Sat/Sun March 06/07 2021

RESULTS

Saturday classes

ClubSport 120
Steve Muggeridge; 2. Cole Horgan; 3. Scott Dalley; 4. Cliff Walsh; 5. Brent Robinson; 6. Tim Allen.

Briggs LO206 Light
Regan Scoullar; 2, Shaun Croskery; 3. Sean Lockyear; 4. Brent Melhop; 5. David Sharp; 6. Ian Smith.

Rotax Junior
Jenson Bate; 2. Kiahn Burt; 3, Hayden Lines; 4. Ryan Hancock; 5. Ollie Workman; 6. Sam Thomson.

ROK DVS JNR
Jacob Bellamy; 2. Tom Bewley; 3.. Daniel McMillan; 4. Lily Rose Taylor.

Cadet ROK
Jackson Culver; 2. Luke McMillan; 3. Henry Fisher; 4. Levi Trotter; 5. Jack McGrath; 6. Aston Walker.

GPs

CLubSport 120 14 laps

1. Steve Muggeridge 9:40.410
2. Nathan Bengston +14.660
3. Cliff Walsh +15.793
4. Wayne Clark +24.685
5. Tim Allen +27.090
6. Malcolm Bruce +28.122

Briggs LO206 Light

1. Ian Smith 9:53.764
2. Regan Scoullar +0.262
3. Sean Lockyear +2.035
4. Shaun Croskery +5.026
5. David Sharp +6.519
6. Brent Melhop +15.811

Rotax Junior GP 14 laps

1. Kiahn Burt 8:39.592
2. Ryan Hancock +0.529
3. Hayden Lines +4.822
4. Blake Knowles +5.062
5. Zak Surtees +6.900
6. Daniel Pye +6.985

Vortex ROK DVS Junior

1. Jacob Bellamy 8:40.202
2. Lily Rose Taylor +15.508
3. Daniel McMillan + 1 lap

Cadet ROK GP 14 laps

1. Henry Fisher 9:33.743
2. Luke McMillan +0.211
3. Jackson Culver +6.314
4. Aston Walker +6.390
5. Levi Trotter +12.986
6. Jack McGrath +17.901

Sunday classes

Open
Riley Jack; 2. Daniel Hall; 3. Luca Burns.

ROK DVS Senior
Brad Still; 2. Chris Cox; 3. Ayrton Williams; 4. Jamie van den Berk; 5. Tyler Edney; 6. Darren Walker

RotaxMax Light
William Exton; 2. Logan Manson; 3. Jacob Cranston; 4. Regan Scoular; 5. Dylan Anderson; 6. Stirling Hughes.

Rotax Max Heavy
Ashley Higgins; 2. Dominic Williams; 3. Simon Wilcox.

Vortex Mini ROK
Arthur Broughan; 2. Judd Christiansen; 3. Zach Tucker; 4. Izaak Fletcher; 5. Grayson Stowe; 6. Ethan Sayer.

GPs

Senior 20 laps

1. Riley Jack 11:58.128
2. Jackson Rooney +3.664
3. Daniel Hall +11.490
4. William Exton +22.180
5. Jamie van den Berk +22.232
6. Ashley Higgins+23.445

Vortex Mini ROK 14 laps

1. Judd Christiansen 9:17.684
2. Izaak Fletcher +1.661
3. 3=. Zach Tucker & Arthur Broughan +2.489
   5. Jacob Pye +7.101
   6. Cooper Prout +8.511

CALENDAR

2020/21 Manawatu & TRC Toyota WPKA Goldstar Series

• Rnd 1 Nov 28-29 2020 Todd Energy Raceway Waitara Taranaki
• Rnd 2 March 06-07 2021 Gazley Raceway Kaitoke Wellington
• Rnd 3 May 01-02 2021 Carter’s Tyres’ Raceway Roy’s Hill Hastings Hawke’s Bay
• 2021 WPKA Championships round June 05-06 2021 Manawatu Toyota Raceway Palmerston North Manawatu