2012 KartSport New Zealand National Schools' Championships

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* 2012 KartSport New Zealand National Schools' Championships
In association with KartSport Wellington & Hutt International Boys School
KartSport Wellington CRC Raceway
Kaitoke, Upper Hutt
July 07-08
2012

08-07-12

EVENT REVIEW

THIRD KARTSPORT SCHOOLS' TITLE FOR PALMERSTON NORTH BOYS HIGH

Palmerston North Boys High School is New Zealand's top KartSport school for a record third time thanks to the efforts of students Josh Drysdale and Scott Blummont at this year's National Schools' Championship meeting in Wellington over the weekend.

Former North Island champion and current CIK Trophy of New Zealand class title holder Drysdale spearheaded the challenge with a win in the Junior 100cc Yamaha class while Blummont backed it up with a close second in Senior 100cc Yamaha Light.

In a double celebration for the Manawatu region, the Primary/Intermediate title also went to a Palmertson North school, College Street Normal School, this time thanks to students Jacob Cranston (who finished second in the Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha class), and Tom Greig who finished fourth in Cadet.

This year's National Schools' Championship meeting was hosted by the KartSport Wellington club and Hutt International Boys School at the club's CRC Raceway at Kaitoke near Upper Hutt, attracting 100 entries representing schools from Dunedin in the south to Auckland in the north.

Heading into the meeting Palmerston North Boys High was one of three schools (the others were Auckland's St Kentigern College and Christchurch's St Andrew College) to have won the Secondary title twice.

Now it is the first to have claimed it for a third time.

This year's two-day meeting was held in cool and - on Sunday - changeable wet/dry conditions.

As well as anchoring the winning Palmerston North Boys High School team Josh Drysdale was also the only driver over the weekend to claim more than one class title, winning Junior 100cc Yamaha on Saturday and Formula Junior on Sunday.

Other class winners were Marcus Armstrong from Christchurch (Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha), Rhys Tinney from Hamilton (Senior 100cc Yamaha Light), Matthew Payne from Waiau Pa (Cadet), and Andy Schofield from Cambridge (125cc Rotax Max Light).

By winning the best supported classes at the meeting Drysdale and Schofield also won Bruce McLaren KartSport Awards.

Presented each year in association with the Bruce McLaren Trust and Formula Challenge the awards go to the winners of the best supported Junior and Senior classes, giving the recipients the opportunity to drive a Formula Challenge racing car.

Before either can take up the opportunity, however, each has to produce and present a project at his school on the career, achievements and values demonstrated by the driver the award honours, New Zealand racing great Bruce McLaren.

Since the inaugural event in Auckland in 2003 the Secondary Schools' title has been held by six schools, Auckland's Rangitoto College (2003), St Kentigern College (2004 and 2007) and Auckland Grammar School (2011), Christchurch's St Andrews College (2008 & 2009), Palmerston North Boys High School (2005, 2010 & 2012) and Nelson's Waimea College (2006).

Ends

CAPTIONS
Winners on Sunday at KartSport NZ's National Schools' championship meeting in Wellington were Josh Drysdale (#2), Andy Schofield (#32) and Matthew Payne (#96). Photo Credit: Fast Company/Hagen Hopkins

Results
2012 KartSport New Zealand National Schools' Championships in association with KartSport Wellington & Hutt International Boys School
KartSport Wellington CRC Raceway Kaitoke, Upper Hutt July 07-08 2012

Secondary Schools
Palmerston North Boys High School
Josh Drysdale & Scott Blummont

Primary/Intermediate Schools
College Street Normal School, Palmerston North
Jacob Cranston & Tom Greig

Bruce McLaren Award
Josh Drysdale and Andy Schofield

Classes
Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha
1. Marcus Armstrong (ChCh) 5 points; 2. Jacob Cranston (Mwtu) 8; 3. Dylan Smith (Auck) 13; 4. Jai Buckley (ChCh) 19; 5. Thomas Batt (Wgtn) 21; 6. Jared Parker (Wgtn) 22

Junior 100cc Yamaha
1. Josh Drysdale (Mwtu) 6 points; 2=. Scott Manson (ChCh) 8; 2=. Jordan McDonnell (ChCh) 8; 4; Maddison Wise (HB) 14; 5. Matthew Podjursky (Tara) 24; 6. Dylan Drysdale (Mwtu) 25.

Yamaha 100cc Light
1. Rhys Tinney (Ham) 7 points; 2. Scott Blummont (Mwtu) 8; 3. Sam Sarcich (Wgtn) 15; 4. Shaun Grocock (Mwtu) 20; 5. Logan Boyde (Tara) 21; 6; Charlotte Oram (Mwtu) 24.

Cadets
1. Matthew Payne (Ham) 9 points; 2. Kaleb Ngatoa (Mwtu) 13; 3. Samuel Wright (Ham) 13; 4. Tom Greig (Mwtu) 15; 5. Hunter Cheetham (BoP) 16; 6. Thomas Boniface (Tara) 24.

Formula Junior
1. Josh Drysdale (Mwtu) 5 points; 2. Maddison Wise (HB) 6; 3. Mitchell Turner (HB) 10; 4. Oscar Grant (Mt Well) 17; 5. Logan Brown (Mt Well) 17; 6. Dillon Drysdale (Mwtu) 24

125cc Rotax Max Light
1. Andy Schofield (Tok) 8 points; 2. Paul Blomqvist (Mt Well) 11; 3. Rhys Tinney (Ham) 11; 4. Sam Sarcich (Wgtn) 14; 5. James Penrose (ChCh) 19; 6. Faine Kahia (Rot) 22.

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