Photo: 2010 winning Palmerston North Boys High student Scott Blummont It's National Schools' Championship time again for the country's karters, the KartSport Hamilton club and Hamilton Boys High School hosting the A1 Dezine-sponsored ninth annual KartSport New Zealand-sanctioned schools' event at the club's Airport Rd track this weekend.
Drivers compete for school honours in two categories, Secondary and Primary/Intermediate, the two-day event attracting a bumper 150 entries with drivers representing schools from Auckland in the north to Dunedin in the South.
Last year, when the event was held in Nelson, Scott Blummont and Josh Drysdale won the premier Secondary Schools' title for Palmerston North Boys' High, with Maddie Wise and Jakob Flynn winning the Primary/Intermediate title for Hawke's Bay's Taradale Intermediate.
Since the inaugural event in Auckland in 2003 the New Zealand Secondary Schools title has been held by five schools, Auckland's Rangitoto College (2003) and St Kentigern College (2004 and 2007), Christchurch's St Andrews College (2008 and 2009), Palmerston North Boys High (2005 and 2010) and last year's host school, Nelson's Waimea College, (2006).
A special feature of the popular annual Schools' event are the Bruce McLaren KartSport Awards presented in association with the Bruce McLaren Trust and Formula Challenge.
Two are awarded each year and this year they will go to the winners of the two most popular eligible classes.
However, before they receive their awards - and with it the opportunity to drive a Formula Challenge racing car - each driver will have to produce and present a project to his school peers on the career, achievements and values demonstrated by McLaren throughout his career.
Gates open at KartSport Hamilton's track at Airport Rd today for practice with racing proper beginning on Saturday. Three class titles will be contested each day, Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha, Junior 100cc Yamaha and 100cc Yamaha Light on Saturday, and Cadet, Formula Junior and 125cc Rotax Max Light on Sunday.
