Four karters - William Exton from Blenheim, Jason and Kayden Richards from Nelson and Izaak Fletcher from Christchurch –
successfully completed rare winning doubles at this year’s KNXTRA Garden City Championships kart race meeting in
Christchurch over the weekend, claiming class victories with wins on both days.
Several other kart clubs around the country run two-day/double-header meetings. But the club behind the long-running
Garden City Championships meeting, KartSport Canterbury, is one of the few with a track able – and officially licenced –
to be run in both directions.
Any class win at a major regional meeting like the annual Garden City titles one, which this year attracted over 80
entries from all over the South Island, is considered a major achievement. But to win your class on both days, the first
with the Carrs Rd track run in its usual (anti-clockwise) direction, then again on the second day with the track run in
the opposite - clockwise – direction is an altogether harder nut to crack!
William Exton further distinguished himself by qualifying quickest and setting the fastest race lap in all eight Open
class races driving a 6-speed/125cc KZ2 kart. The 15-year-old also finished a close second to reigning class South
Island champion Chris Cox in the 125cc Rotax Max Light class, after finishing second to Cox on Saturday then beating him
to the top spot on Sunday!
Jason and Kayden Richards claimed their ‘doubles’ in the ClubSport LO206 4-strokc classes, Jason dominating the Light
weight category, Kayden the Heavy one.
Izaak Fletcher, capped off a successful season in the Cadet ROK class, meanwhile, by leading home fellow KartSport
Christchurch club members Zach Tucker and Jackson Culver.
Other Garden City Championship class winners crowned on Sunday were;
• Chris Cox (Rangiora) – 125cc Rotax Max Light
• Kevin Barker (Nelson) – 125cc Rotax Max Heavy
• Alex Patrick (Dunedin) – Rotax Max Junior
• Ollie Workman (Nelson) – Vortex Mini ROK