Defending KZ2 class champion Daniel Bray and 2009 title holder Ryan Grant spearhead a 20-strong premier class entry for the opening round of the 2011 Mi Sedaap Pro Kart Series at KartSport Hawke's Bay's Royshill ZM Raceway this weekend.
In its third year the Mi Sedaap series pitches drivers of the country's fastest sprint karts against each other in a multi-round title fight over five rounds around the North Island.
This year's series sees a influx of new drivers and chassis manufacturers with works or works-supported entries from no fewer than seven marques, Arrow, Exprit, Intrepid, Tony Kart, Sodi, GP and Maranello, as well as the introduction of a separate KZ2 masters class.
Looking set to take the battle to GP Kart rep Bray and Maranello men Grant and Graeme Smyth in the KZ2 Open class are Arrow driver Ryan Urban, Intrepid man William Thomason and Sodi Kart's Mathew Kinsman.
It will also be interesting to watch the progress of several teenagers who have moved up to KZ2 Open after impressing in the KF3 (Junior) support class last year. This group is headed by last year's KF3 champion Bradley Hicks and includes Aaron Wilson, Mitchell Brown and Jamie Lane. With Danielle Colville and Nick Cassidy they will be vying for a new award this season, the President's Cup for under 18-year-olds.
With Hicks, Wilson, Brown and Jamie Lane graduating to the Senior ranks, the KF3 Junior support category is harder to pick though having impressed at the recent CIK Trophy of New Zealand - presented by Paymark meeting in Wellington, young Auckland driver Luke Dobbs could well be the paceman with competition expected from Emily Wright and Joel Herbert.
There will be action on the track in Hawke's Bay on both days with practise, qualifying and at least one of the class heats on Saturday and the rest of the heats, the Pre-Final and Final on Sunday.
Competitors will then have just over a month to prepare for the second round of the 2011 Mi Sedaap series at Tokoroa over the April 02-03 weekend with subsequent series rounds to be held in Auckland in May, Te Puke in August and Hamilton in September.
