Race For Rotax Max Grand Final Places On Again

2009 Kartstars Gen-I Rotax Max Challenge Of New Zealand
For immediate release

2009 KartStars Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand
Rnd 1
Kart in the Dark meeting
Manawatu Toyota Raceway
Shirriffs Rd
Palmerston North
Sat
Feb 21
2009

18-02-09

Rnd 1 Preview

Race For Rotax Max Grand Final Places On Again

The race for a place on the New Zealand team at the annual Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final is on again with KartSport Manawatu hosting the first round of the 2009 Kartstars Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand at its annual Kart in the Dark afternoon and evening meeting on Saturday (February 21).

Over 50 KartSport racers from as far afield as Whangarei and Dunedin will converge on KartSport Manawatu's Manawatu Toyota Raceway on Saturday for the first of five rounds of the 2009 New Zealand Challenge series.

Each year thousands of drivers from over 60 countries around the world compete in local Challenge series like the Gen-i-backed New Zealand one to select drivers to send to the Grand Final. New Zealand has been represented at the event since its inception (in 2000) with a best placing, by Wanganui's Earl Bamber, of third in the Junior class at Lanzarote in 2004.

For the past three years New Zealand has sent two Senior and two Junior drivers. But this year Rotax has offered three Senior spots, one for the winner of the TotalSpan Lights class, one for the runner up and one for the winner of the Spamguard Heavies class. They will join the winner (and possibly one other) of the Arai Formula Junior class at the Grand Final.

The opportunity to host a Grand Final event is eagerly sought after by karting bodies with previous events held in Italy (2008), the United Arab Emirates ('07), Portugal ('06) and Malaysia ('05).

This year's Kartstars Gen-i New Zealand Rotax Max Challenge has attracted one of the strongest entries in recent years with defending Lights champion Ryan Urban set to be challenged not only by former New Zealand representative Matthew Hamilton but also by current New Zealand Formula Ford championship points leader Richie Stanaway and fellow kart-turned-car racers Simon Evans and Chris Cox.

The move by Stanaway, Evans and Cox to return to their karting roots to stay race fit over the winter months is a significant one. However they will have to beat the best of the current crop of karters - a list which includes defending title holder Ryan Urban, Matthew Griffin, Richard Oxton, Charles Hoare, Niki Irwin, Tim Vickers, John van Bommell, Jake Pascoe and Matthew Kinsman - to stand any chance of claiming a place on the New Zealand squad at this year's Grand Final.

Defending Arai Formula Junior title holder Nick Cassidy is another young karter returning to the Challenge series to stay race fit between single-seater car commitments, and he is the obvious favourite in the Junior class over Aucklanders Daniel Kinsman and Aaron Hodgson, and young Waikato driver Andy Schofield.

It will also be interesting too, to see how Palmerston North's Bramwell King and Christchurch's Tom Alexander go.

In the Spamguard Heavies support class defending title holder Michael Grimshaw returns as favourite from fellow 2008 podium placegetters Brendon Hart (second) and Gary Claxton (third). This year sees a much stronger Heavies entry however with other drivers to look out for including former class front runners Bradley Alexander, Brent Murgatroyd and Peter Wrightson from Auckland, Nick Rodgers from Wellington and Paul Booth from Dunedin.

The 2009 Kartstars Gen-i Rotax Max Challenge is brought to you with the support of Gen-i, TotalSpan, Arai Helmets, Spamguard and Right Karts.

Ends

2009 Kartstars Gen-I Rotax Max Challenge Of New Zealand
Calendar
Rnd 1 Feb 21 Manawatu Toyota Raceway Palmerston North
Rnd 2 April 25-26 Fagan's Valley Raceway Bay of Plenty
Rnd 3 May 23-24 The Pallet Company Raceway Auckland
Rnd 4 August 29-30 RV Wholesale Supplies Raceway Hamilton
Rnd 5 September 26-27 Rotorua Karters CIK Cicuit Mamaku Rotorua

ENDS

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