Schofield Joins Golstar Series And Wins

KARTSPORT NEW ZEALAND
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* 2014/2015 Bayley's WPKA Goldstar Series
Rnd 3
Todd Energy Raceway
Waitara
Taranaki
Sat/Sun
March 07-08
2015

REVIEW

11-03-15

SCHOFIELD JOINS GOLSTAR SERIES AND WINS

Andy Schofield made his presence felt on his debut drive in this season's Bayley's WPKA Goldstar Series at the third round in Taranaki over the weekend, taking round honours over series points leader Brad Still in the 125cc Rotax Max class and winning the Senior Grand Prix.

The Cambridge driver has been a front runner in the 125cc Rotax Max class for several years now, but has hit a real purple patch of late, his win at KartSport Taranaki's Todd Energy Raceway at Waitara on Sunday coming on top of his class win at the second round of this year's Logitech Rotax Max Challenge in Hastings at the end of February.

Heading into the meeting, the third of four in this year's new-look Bayleys-backed WPKA Goldstar Series in the lower North Island, local hot shot Brad Still led the points standings from class South Island champ Chris Cox and Hawke's Bay driver John Wallace who were tied for second.

As it turned out Schofield's win had little real impact on the points standings, bar Cox easing ahead of Wallace and Hawke's Bay's Jack Bridgeman and Wellington's Zach Thompson taking advantage of Michael McCulloch's no-show to move up to fourth and fifth respectively.

After the first two rounds of this season's series Zach Zaloum from the Hawke's Bay, and Jordan McDonnell from Christchurch were tied for the lead in 125cc Rotax Max Heavy. But Zaloum owned the Taranaki round, winning four of the five heats very much as he liked with McDonnell the only other driver to win a heat second for the round and back to second overall.

Local driver Aaron de Ridder was third, Palmerston North driver Quin Clark fourth and the first of the Masters class competitors, Wellington's Brent Melhop, fifth.

Zaloum also led the Rotax Heavy class contingent home in the Senior Grand Prix at the end of the day.

Winning the round made a big difference to the series points situation, meanwhile, in the 120 ClubSport class, with John Paddy earning enough points - one - to turn the tables on previous points leader and KartSport Manawatu clubmate Brent Robinson.

That sets the pair up for an epic final round, Paddy now first with 175 points with Robinson second on 174 and their other clubmate, Braden Parsons third just three points further back.

In the Junior ranks Palmerston North pair Jacob Cranston and Kaleb Ngatoa remained the class of the Formula Junior field, Cranston winning three of the five heats to retain his series points lead over Ngatoa with Auckland driver Lee Zeltwanger third on the day and overall.

The Junior Yamaha class races, meanwhile, were all about New Plymouth's Jury brothers, Brendon winning three of the heats and Ryan two to finish first and second for the round with Madeline Stewart third and Ronan Murphy fourth.

Murphy now leads the series points, however, albeit, again, by just the solitary point from Palmerston North's Bayley Walker with Taranaki driver Robbie Johnson fifth on the day but third overall, just three points back from Walker.

The class' National Schools' title holder, Ryan Wood from Wellington, managed to retain his series lead in the Vortex Mini ROK class but only just - like the other classes there's just a solitary point in it - after Palmerston North's' Tom Greig stormed to a round win on Sunday.

Greig won two of the five heats to lead home top local driver Thomas Boniface and Wood on the day but Wood retained his series points lead from Greig and Riley Jack.

Christchurch youngster Louis Sharp continues to impress in the Cadet ROK class, though this time the series points leader had to accept second place on the day behind Tauranga visitor Blake Austin who won all five class heats.

Sharp got his revenge in the Cadet Grand Prix, with a close win over Logan Manson and Austin.

The weekend's round was the third of four series rounds with the fourth in Hastings over the May 02-03 weekend and a final - stand-alone - 'championship meeting' in Wellington on May 30 and 31.

Further information is available on facebook ‘GoldStar Series’ and at www.wpka.org.nz

Ends

2014/2015 Bayleys WPKA Goldstar Series Rnd 3 Todd Energy Raceway Waitara Taranaki Sat/Sun
March 07-08

125cc Rotax Max Light
Round
1. Andy Schofield; 2. Brad Still; 3. Jack Bridgman; 4. Campbell Joyes; 5. Chris Cox; 6. Zach Thompson

Points after Rnd 3 of 4
1. Brad Still (Tara) 176; 2. Chris Cox (Hbay) 168; 3. John Wallace (Mwtu) 166; 4. Jack Bridgman (Hbay)165; 5. Zach Thompson (Wgtn) 159; 6. Ashley Higgins (Mwtu) 155

125cc Rotax Max Heavy
Round
1. Zach Zaloum; 2. Jordan McDonnell; 3. Aaron de Ridder; 4. Quin Clark; 5. Brent Melhop; 6. Brent Jeffares

Points after Rnd 3 of 4
1. Zach Zaloum (Hbay) 178; 2. Jordan McDonnell (Wgtn) 176; 3. Aaron de Riddder (Tara) 171; 4. Brent Melhop (M) (Wgtn) 166; 5. Quin Clark (Mwtu) 110; 6. Karl Cameron (M) (Wgtn) 109

ClubSport 120
Round
1. John Paddy; 2. Braden Parsons; 3. Garth Lacey; 4. Brent Robinson; 5. Simon Frater; 6. Jim Thompson
Points after Rnd 3 of 4
1. John Paddy (M) (Mwtu) 175; 2. Brent Robinson (M) (Mwtu) 174; 3. Braden Parsons (Mwtu) 171; 4. Simon Frater (Hbay) 170; 5. Jim Thompson (M) (Mwtu) 163; 6. Kevin Groves (Mwtu) 159

Formula Junior
Round
1. Jacob Cranston; 2=. Kaleb Ngatoa & Lee Zeltwanger; 4. Suvarn Naidoo; 5. Maddy Stewart; 6. Joshua Donohue

Points after Rnd 3 of 4
1. Jacob Cranston (Mwtu) 176; 2. Kaleb Ngatoa (Mwtu) 172; 3. Lee Zeltwanger (Wgtn) 168; 4. Maddy Stewart (Wgtn) 167; 5. Josh Donohue (Wgtn) 166; 6. Rianna O'meara-Hunt (Wgtn) 106

Junior Yamaha
Round
1. Brendon Jury; 2. Ryan Jury; 3. Madeline Stewart; 4=. Ronan Murphy & Robbie Johnson; 6. Bayley Walker

Points after Rnd 3 of 4
1. Ronan Murphy (Hbay) 171; 2. Bayley Walker (Mwtu) 170; 3. Robbie Johnson (Tara) 167; 4. Jayden Smith (Tara) 161; 5. Nathan Cox (Tara) 160; 6. Brendan Jury (Tara) 120; 7. Ryan Jury (Tara) 116

Vortex Mini ROK
Round
1. Tom Greig; 2. Thomas Boniface; 3. Ryan Wood; 4. Samuel Wright; 5. Jackson Rooney; 6. Connor Davison

Points after Rnd 3 of 4
1. Ryan Wood (Wgtn) 175; 2. Tom Greig (Mwtu) 174; 3. Riley Jack (Mwtu) 168; 4. Jackson Rooney (Mwtu) 167; 5. Sam Wright (Mwtu) 165; 6. Louis Redshaw (Mwtu) 160

Cadet ROK;
Round
1. Blake Austin; 2. Louis Sharp; 3. Logan Manson; 4. Logan Smith; 5. Daniel Austin; 6. Liam Sceats

Points after Rnd 3 of 4
1. Louis Sharp (Wgtn) 176; 2. Logan Smith (Tara) 168; 3. Daniel Austin (Mwtu) 167; 4. Logan Manson (Mwtu) 165; 5. Jenson Bate (Mwtu) 159; 6. Harry Bewley (Hbay) 155

Cadet Raket
1. Jesse Free

Points after Rnd 3 of 4
1. Jesse Free (Wgtn) 180

Senior Grand Prix
125cc Rotax Max Light
1. Andy Schofield 19 laps; 2. Zach Thompson +03.278; 3. Brad Still +05.911; 4. Campbell Joyes +08.651; 5. Jack Bridgman +08.825; 6. John Wallace+10.805

125cc Rotax Max Heavy
1. Zach Zaloum 09:21.836; 2. Jordan McDonnell +02.030; 3. Aaron de Ridder +09.349; 4. Stephen Beck +15.977

Formula Junior Grand Prix
1. Jacob Cranston 15 laps; 2. Kaleb Ngatoa +02.765; 3. Lee Zeltwanger +05.950; 4. Maddy Stewart +06.386; 5. Joshua Donohue +07.449; 6. Suvarn Naidoo +09.621

Cadet Grand Prix
Cadet Rok
1. Louis Sharp; 2. Logan Manson +00.245; 3. Blake Austin +00.318; 4. Jenson Bate +03.020; 5. Logan Smith +3.226; 6. Daniel Austin +06.573
also
Cadet Raket
1. Jesse Free

CAPTIONS
Vortex Mini ROK class winner Tom Greig (#46) from Palmerston North. Formula Junior class winner and series points leader Jacob Cranston (#31) leading sixth placed Josh Donohue (#49). And 125cc Rotax Max Heavy Masters division winner Brent Melhop (#61) leads Brent Jeffares (#77 ). Photocredit: Fast Company/Vicky Jack

CALENDAR
2014/15 Bayleys WPKA Goldstar Series
Rnd 1 Nov 08-09 2014 Rnd sponsor Sparkarts Wynns Raceway Wellington
Rnd 2 Dec 06-07 2014 Rnd sponsors TK Manawatu & ORG Manawatu Toyota Raceway Palmerston North
Rnd 3 March 07-08 2015 Rnd sponsor Supreme Kart Supplies Todd Energy Raceway Waitara
Rnd 4 May 02-03 2015 Rnd sponsor Total Karting Chemz Raceway Hastings
Championship round May 30-31 2015 Rnd sponsor Kartworks Wynns Raceway Wellington

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