The opening round of the Manawatu and TRC Toyota WPKA Goldstar Series produced a mix of proven performers and those on
the rise at KartSport Taranaki’s Todd Energy Raceway in Waitara.
The Goldstar Series has three rounds in Taranaki, Wellington and Hawkes Bay ahead of the WPKA Championship final in
Manawatu over King’s Birthday weekend.
Crucially the WPKA Goldstar Series, celebrating its 63rd year, was established in the 1960s to help as a stepping-stone
from club-level events and through to national-level competition, in terms of gaining racecraft and experience.
Homegrown talent Jayden Buttimore controlled the Cadet ROK class, winning two heats and on the podium in the rest,
including winning the final and the standalone Grand Prix. He topped the points from the Manawatu pair of Benji Bellamy
and Oliver Fage.
Vortex Mini Rok, the biggest class with 25 drivers competing, provided some close racing with Palmerston North’s Jack
Phillips prevailing overall. Consistency proved the key, with four straight podiums before Phillips won the final to
head the points from Waikato’s Braxton Kraayvanger and Waiuku’s Zach Hemphill. The Grand Prix was won by Canterbury’s
Jackson Culver.
Vortex ROK DVS Junior was dominated by local Taranaki karter Jacob Bellamy, who won three of the four heats, and the
final to finish ahead of Daniel McMillan, who podiumed in each race, and Waverley’s Jack Amon. Bellamy also prevailed in
the combined Grand Prix.
The Rotax Max Light Senior racing was won by Auckland’s George Sampson who won two heats, podiumed the other two, to
just pip Wellington’s Michael McCulloch, who won the final.
Wairarapa’s Sam Thomson prevailed in Rotax Max Junior, winning two heats and on the podium in the rest to best the
points from Amelia Phillips from Manawatu and Jamie Thompson from Auckland. The Final was won by national champion Kiahn
Burt from Palmerston North, making up for a tricky weekend.
The Vortex ROK DVS Senior honours went to Taranaki’s Lydia Dickinson with also won the final, edging out Jack Strand
from Paraparaumu. For Dickinson, it marked an incredible comeback to the series after 15 years away from the sport.
Sam Jones from Palmerston North dominated the Open class with two wins and the final.
The growing Briggs LO206 and Clubsport categories proved popular. Seth Frost from close by the track in Waitara won four
of the five heats including the final to finish ahead on points from Masterson’s Logan Howard, who also won the Grand
Prix.
The Briggs Light racing had a runaway winner in Marlborough’s Riley Price who won three heats, the final and the Grand
Prix to finish ahead of Wellington’s James Hadley and Ian Smith.
The series picks up in the New Year with the next round in Wellington on 4-5 March, Hawkes Bay on 6-7 May and concluding
with the standalone Championship round at Manawatu on 3-4 June.
Caption: Action from the WPKA Goldstar Series opener in Taranaki included local racer Lydia Dickinson (No. 75) in Vortex
DVS Senior; fellow Taranaki karter Jayden Buttimore (No 3) who won the Cadet Rok class; Briggs LO206 winner Riley Price
from Marlborough (No. 97) and Vortex Mini Rok winner Jackson Culver (No. 96) from North Canterbury. (Credit: Cookies
Motorsport Photography).
Details: www.kartsport.org.nz