Can Anyone Beat Ryan Grant This Weekend?
| press release | 7 March 2013 |
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Aucklander Ryan Grant has been the dominant figure in the premier KZ2 class since New Zealand's Formula S KartSport club first set up its successful ProKart Series. And the question heading into the second round of this year's series at Rotorua this weekend is, can anyone beat him?
The obvious candidate is fellow Auckland-based gearbox class international Daniel Bray. But this weekend Bray - by way of a change before he heads back overseas - is driving a 125cc Rotax Max Light kart in the YÖGG Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand series being run at the same meeting.
Above: 2012 Mi Sedaap ProKart Series KZ2 class winner Ryan Grant seen here leading former class title holder Daniel Bray and 2012 series KZ2 class runner-up Matthew Hamilton.
pic - Fast Company/Greg Henderson
That's a big plus for Grant, though Bray's teammates, Christchurch pair Matthew Hamilton and Matt Williams, have been getting quicker and quicker and this weekend's round also sees the return of Grant's Auckland team mate Graeme Smyth.
Reigning South Island KZ2 class sprint champion Chris Cox from Rangiora, and Aucklanders Shaun Grocock and Scott Reddish should also figure in the top six. Though it is going take a major shift in the balance of power to unseat Grant, who at the opening round of the 2013 Formula S ProKart Series won the premier Mi Sedaap CIK Trophy of New Zealand senior title for a record sixth time.
In the two other ProKart Series classes, KF3 and KZ2 Masters the pecking order is not quite so clear-cut, with Palmerston North's Dylan Drysdale again expected to give the winner of the KF3 class at the opening series round in Wellington, Mitchell Turner from Hawke's Bay, a good run for his money and KZ2 Masters class winner at Wellington, Aucklander Snow Mooney, set to face intense pressure from fellow class stalwarts Steve Brown and Mark Lane.
For good reason too.
At season's end the names of the top six finishers in each class will go into a draw to win one of three trips to the 17th annual SuperKarts USA (SKUSA) SuperNationals meeting in Las Vegas in November.
This weekend's round of the 2013 Formula S ProKart Series is the second of six with subsequent rounds at Te Puke, Tokoroa, Hawke's Bay and Auckland.
The round is being held in conjunction with the 2013 YÖGG Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand series with Time Trials (qualifying) and the first heats on Saturday, then the remaining heat/s, Pre-Finals and Finals on Sunday.
