Six of the country’s top karters – the biggest group in the 15 year history of the event – jet off this weekend to contest the annual Rotax Max Challenge Grand Final event being held this year at an all-new track in Spain next week.

This year’s Grand Final meeting at the new Kartodromo Internacional Lucas Guerrero kart racing complex in Valencia, Spain, between Tuesday and Saturday November 25-29, will pit 288 winners and top finishers from over 80 national Rotax Max Challenge series around the world against each other across four classes from Junior to Masters.

The six Kiwis are brothers Mathew and Daniel Kinsman, Ryan Urban and Aarron Cunningham from Auckland, Dylan Drysdale from Palmerston North, and Tiffany Chittenden from Christchurch, each earning the right to compete at the Grand Final, with top placings in the six-round local Rotax Max Challenge series.

Mathew Kinsman will contest the Rotax Light class, Daniel Kinsman DD2, Dylan Drysdale Junior Max and Ryan Urban, Aarron Cunningham and Tiffany Chittenden DD2 Masters.

Four of the six have contested previous Grand Finals meeting, the Kinsman brothers and Urban after qualifying via the local Challenge, UK expat Chittenden the British one where she is a former DD2 class champion.

New Zealand has been represented at all 14 previous Challenge events and has a strong record with a second in the Rotax Light class in 2010 in Italy for Palmerston North driver Josh Hart and thirds for Christchurch’s Matt Hamilton in DD2 in Italy in 2010 and Wanganui’s Earl Bamber in Junior Max at Lanzarote in 2004.

This year’s is the biggest squad yet sent, says promoter Gavin Bright of New Zealand Rotax Max importer Right Karts, a reflection on the world-class standard of the local series.

“Year after year we have this amazing event held in all parts of the world and it is exciting for New Zealand to again compete at this prestigious event.

“This year will be our biggest team ever to contest the World Final. We have a great team to stamp New Zealand’s mark on the event, the facility is world-class and being a new track will make it a pretty even playing field for all the drivers, who will all race in identically supplied equipment, driver skill and kart set up being the key factors.”