Back for more at the opening rounds of the 2021 HSD Building Developments Ltd Mainland (Kart) Series at Invercargill and
Dunedin this weekend are three drivers who competed at the pre-COVID-19 Lockdown meeting at Invercargill in 2019; Zach
Tucker (now competing in the Vortex Mini ROK class), Jacob Douglas (still in Rotax Junior) and James Watson (ClubSport
LO206 Light). Photo credit: Fast Company/KartSport NZ archive
It’s a case of ‘what a difference a year makes’ as far as KartSport’s Mainland Series is concerned with over 60 karters
signed up to contest the three weekend/six-round HSD Building Contractors Ltd-sponsored sprint kart racing series which
kicks off at Invercargill and Dunedin this weekend.
After steadily building momentum over the previous 3-4 years the pan-South Island kart series was – unfortunately – one
of the first victims of last year’s first major COVID-19 Lockdown.
This year though, it is back, with a new naming rights’ sponsor in Queenstown-based quality home builder, HSD Building
Contractors Ltd, a prize pool valued at over $10,000 and a series’ entry list across 8 classes of 66.
“Which really is a fantastic result, particularly considering the distances most of those who have signed up to do all
six rounds of the series have to cover,” says KartSport NZ National President Graeme Moore.
A change in date – as well as season – this year sees the HSD Mainland Series kick-off at the first round of the
KartSport Southland and KartSport Dunedin clubs’s jointly organised ‘Southern Series,’ which traditionally has been run
in late winter.
However, by bringing forward the dates the two clubs have been able to host the opening two rounds of the HSD Mainland
Series at the end of what is now considered as ‘motorsport month’ in the Deep South.
The 125cc Rotax Max Light Senior class has attracted the most entries (15) across the 8 classes being contested with
Southland’s Luca Burns and Mosgiel’s Jaxon Harvey two of a number of top-line Mainlanders expected to shine this
weekend.
Top-level Christchurch-based international Jacob Douglas, meanwhile, will be the driver to watch among the 13 teenagers
who have signed up in the Rotax Max Junior class, with competition expected to come from James Black from Dunedin and
Ollie Workman from Nelson.
Fellow Nelson ace Kevin Barker is expected to be back on – or very near – the top in 125cc Rotax Max Heavy, while in the
Vortex Mini ROK class it is going to be hard to look past Christchurch’s Zach Tucker, Blenheim’s Arthur Broughan and
Southlander Robbie Batt.
With a fresh influx of keen pre-teens since the last Mainland Series concluded in 2019 it is hard to get a handle on who
will be the driver to beat in the Cadet ROK class. That said in last weekend’s KartSport Canterbury club champs Henry
Fisher won the class Final so he should feature at Invercargill and Dunedin this weekend as well.
With 8 entries across the two (Light & Heavy) weight divisions the Briggs & Stratton 4-stroke engine-based ClubSport LO206 classes will provide some of the best actual racing at all six rounds,
and with the fields set to be supplemented by as many as 12 other local drivers at the 3rd and 4th rounds of this
season’s HSD Mainland Series (at Nelson and Blenheim), Tony Dyer (Lights) and Anton Rasmussen (Heavy) will have their
work cut out getting to and staying in front.
After this weekend’s Southern Series rounds in Invercargill and Dunedin, it is then the turn of the KartSport
Marlborough and KartSport Nelson clubs to host the 3rd and 4th rounds of the 2021 HSD Mainland Series at their annual
two-day/two-venue Sunbelts meeting over Queen’s Birthday weekend (June 05-06)
The final two-day round will then be hosted by the Christchurch-based KartSport Canterbury club at its long-running
Garden City Championships two-day meeting at its Carr’s Rd kart track in late September (Set 25-26).