Kane Taylor was the big mover in the Motorex Rotax Max Light class at the third round of this year's Right Karts Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge in Te Puke over the weekend, the Auckland driver working his way forward in trying conditions to eventually win the Final from the Kinsman brothers, Daniel and Mathew.
At the first two rounds of this year's six-round Challenge series it has been former Arai Formula Junior class winners Daniel Kinsman and Cambridge's Andy Schofield who have proved the drivers to beat in the Motorex Rotax Max Light class.
At Te Puke, however, Taylor and former class champion and New Zealand representative Ryan Urban made their presence felt. Urban set the second quickest lap time in qualifying before winning both Heat races and the Pre-Final, while Taylor followed Urban home in the second heat and Pre-Final, then won the Final after an early race clash slowed eventual runner-up Daniel Kinsman and saw Urban slip back to sixth place after leading the second and third laps.
Rain lashed the Fagan's Valley circuit on Saturday and early on Sunday morning, with drivers only able to put their wet tyres away before the Pre-Finals late on Sunday morning and the Finals in the afternoon.
The wet-dry conditions also saw Aarron Cunningham come to the fore in the Strata Networks Rotax Max Heavy class, the Aucklander winning the second Heat and the Final, the latter from Steven Currie, Anthony Murch and local driver Arryn Hill.
Meanwhile, young Christchurch driver Scott Manson found himself with some competition in the Arai Formula Junior in which, so far, he has been the dominant figure.
In qualifying he was pipped for pole position by Palmerston North's Josh Drysdale and though he was back on top in the Final, Manson conceded the win in the Pre-Final to Auckland's Reid Harker.
The weekend's round was the third of six rounds of this year's Right Karts Kartstars Rotax Max Challenge with a early winter break now until KartSport Auckland hosts the fourth round at its Moselle Panel & Paint Raceway over the July 30/31 weekend.
Right Karts Kartstars 2011 Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand
(Please note) Results remain provisional pending a KartSport New Zealand Inquiry regarding technical issues with some karts.
Motorex Rotax Max Light
Final
1. Kane Taylor; 2. Daniel Kinsman; 3. Mathew Kinsman; 4. Mason Armstrong; 5. Andrew Hoare; 6. Ryan Urban
Strata Networks Rotax Max Heavy
Final
1. Aarron Cunningham; 2. Steven Currie 154; 3. Anthony Murch; 4. Arryn Hill; 5. Shane Hodgson; 6. Brendon Hart
Arai Helmets Formula Junior
Final
1. Scott Manson; 2. Reid Harker; 3. James Munro; 4. Maddison Wise; 5. Rhys Tinney; 6. Caleb Hartley
