03-05-19
After lap records tumbled at the second round of the 2018/19 Manawatu & TRC Toyota WPKA Goldstar KartSport Series in Hawke’s Bay in March the smart money is on a similar thing happening at
the third round in Wellington this weekend,
On his home track at Hastings, Zach Zaloum, was one of two drivers to set new class benchmarks in the Open class Grand
Prix race, leaving the Rotax Max Heavy class record for the 678 metre Carter’s Tyres Raceway at Roys Hill at just 32.448
seconds.
New Plymouth driver Brad Still also set a new track lap record for the new Vortex ROK DVS Senior class in the same race,
leaving it at just 31.997 seconds.
The new records were two of four set in hot, dry conditions at the track.
ClubSport LO206 class ace Brent Melhop from Wellington also lapping the Fernhill, Hastings circuit quicker than anyone
else ever has (37.429) in a 4-stroke-powered Briggs & Stratton-engined kart, on his way to a win in his class Grand Prix race. While Hamilton-based Junior Clay Osborne
re-set the 125cc Rotax Max Junior class record in the Junior GP race with a time of 31.798 seconds.
Zaloum, Still and Melhop also dominated the heat races in their respective classes earlier in the day to claim round
wins and therefore start as favourites in their particular classes at Wellington on Sunday.
Other class wins of note at the Hawke’s Bay meeting went to Ben Stewart from Wellington (Vortex ROK DVS Junior) and Tom
Bewley from Havelock North (Vortex Mini ROK), with Stewart, in particular keen to press home his local track advantage
on Sunday.
Ends