Kartsport: Wilson's Winning Streak Continues

Wilson's Winning Streak Continues

The winning streak by Wellington karter Karl Wilson has continued, the 23-year-old claiming a third North Island title in as many months at KartSport New Zealand's annual North Island Superkart championship meeting on the Taupo Motorsport Park A1GP circuit on Sunday December16.

Wilson won two class titles at the North Island Sprint Championship meeting at Wellington's Lascom Kart Raceway at Labour Weekend and added the North Island Superkart one to his CV with two wins and two second places in the heats in the National class at Taupo.

In doing so he beat a number of Superkart specialists including eventual National class runner-up Robin Wooldrige. Wooldridge finished on the same number of points - four - but the title went to Wilson on countback.

Wilson looked set to win the National Grand Prix race too, until he was slowed then forced out when the gearbox linkage on his borrowed kart broke, leaving Ross Tait to win the International trophy and Rick Huston the National one.

Though it was not his first time in a kart on a full size motor racing circuit (having raced and won a Rotax class title at a North Island Road Race meeting several years ago) it was Wilson's first time in a fully-faired and wing-equipped Superkart, in this case the Kawasaki-powered Stockman owned by Superkart specialist Wayne Sproston.

"We loaned Wayne a kart to do some sprint racing in so he offered us his National kart for the North Islands," said Wilson. "I had my first drive in it on Friday at Manfeild but it kept cutting out so Wayne organised us a new coil and we fitted that on Saturday and raced on Sunday."

With one of the largest entries in years there was plenty of action in the other classes with Gerard Braakhuis winning the International class, Hawke's Bay's Gareth Playle scoring a popular win in 125cc Rotax Max Light, Taranaki-based engine builder Maurice Frost winning 125cc Rotax Max Heavy and Palmerston North's Ryan Bailey winning 100cc Yamaha.

2007 KartSport New Zealand North Island Superkart Championships Taupo Motorsport Park Sunday December 16
International
1. Gerard Braakhuis 3 points
2. Peter Baylis 6
3. Nick Petry 9

National
1. Karl Wilson 4 points
2. Robin Wooldridge 4
3. Mark Swetman 9
4. Ross Tait 11
5. Michael Wheaton 19
6. Richard Vickers 21
Rotax Max Light
1. Gaerth Playle 6 points
2. Ryan Urban 7
3. Charles Hoare 9
4. Ethan de Jong 9
5. Richard Moore 13
6. Matthew Newport 15

Rotax Max Heavy
1. Maurice Frost 3 point
2. Rex McDonald 5
3. Brent Murgatroyd 8
4. Jared Richardson 12
5. Nigel Hanley 15
6. Daryl Currie 16

Senior 100cc Yamaha Heavy
1. Ryan Bailey 4 points
2. Julia Huzziff 5
3. Donna Lee 7

Open Grand Prix - International
1. Ross Tait
2. Peter Baylis

National
1. Rick Huston
2. Andrew Hall
3. Karl Wilson

Prepared by FAST COMPANY on behalf of KartSport New Zealand.

ENDS

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