Auckland international Daniel Bray made good on the pace he showed at the first round of this year’s Logitech Rotax Max Challenge with a win in the DD2 class at the second in the Hawke’s Bay over the weekend.
Bray was quick on debut in the new Rotax category at the opening series round at Rotorua earlier in the month, but had to work his way through the field in the Final (finishing second) after being forced out of the Pre-Final by a radiator issue.
He didn’t have things go all his own way this weekend – a flat tyre putting him out of the first heat after qualifying on pole – but Bray won the second heat, finished third in the Pre-Final (after starting 11th) won the Final from first round winner Daniel Kinsman and Jonathan Buxeda.
The result is that Bray has moved from fourth equal to second in the series points standings, with Kinsman – who qualified third then claimed second place finishes in both heats as well as the Pre-Final and Final – still leading (by nine points) and Buxeda now third.
Young gun CJ Sinclair again impressed with his speed in the new DD2 class, splitting Bray and Kinsman for second in qualifying before winning the first heat and the Pre-Final to start the Final from pole.
Unfortunately that’s as far as he got after an engine miss on the warm up lap saw him slow off the rolling start and hit from behind, ending up the race’s first retirement.
Cambridge driver Andy Schofield, meanwhile, was the big mover in the 125cc Rotax Max Light class, shadowing defending class title holder and New Zealand rep Mathew Kinsman in qualifying before winning the second heat, finishing third in the Pre-Final then scoring a breakthrough win in the Final from Daniel Connor from Auckland, Rhys Tinney from Hamilton and Mathew Kinsman.
Schofield wasn’t the only driver upsetting the established class order either. Christchurch driver Scott Manson was third quickest in qualifying, then finished third in the second heat and won the Pre-Final only to lose a chain in the Final.
Points-wise second place in the Pre-Final and sixth in the Final was enough for former globe-trotter Josh Hart from Palmerston North to retain the lead in the series standings but the round win saw Schofield move up from fourth to second while second place was enough to elevate Daniel Connor from outside the top six to third.
Defending title-holder Ryan Urban remained the man-to-beat in the Masters category within the DD2 class, the Auckland ace again qualifying quickest and being first Master home in both heats as well as the Pre-Final and Final.
Josh Hart’s older brother Fraser retained second place in the series’ class points standings with second spot in qualifying then in the heats, Pre-Final and Final.
Callum Orr and Australian driver Scott Howard also had good weekends while top female driver Tiffany Chittenden put in one of the drives of the day to finish third in the Final.
The former UK Rotax series champion qualified fourth and claimed top six finishes in the heats only to dnf the Pre-Final when a bolt holding her kart’s ignition module broke.
That meant she had to start the Final from the back of the grid but a spirited charge saw her make it to third by the time the chequered flag came out.
In the Junior Max class defending class title-holder Dylan Drysdale from Palmerston North spent the weekend battling top qualifier – and eventual Final winner – Liam Lawson from Auckland.
Lawson won both heats from Drysdale and Matthew Payne but Drysdale was back in front in the Pre-Final.
Drysdale also led the lion’s share of laps in the Final but late in the race the advantage turned Lawson’s way, albeit by just 0.0307 of a second at the finish line with Matthew Payne third, Jacob Cranston fourth and Reece Hendl-Cox fourth.
Points-wise Drysdale retained his series class lead but the win gave Lawson a leg-up from sixth to second equal with Payne.
This year’s Logitech New Zealand Rotax Max Challenge Series is again twinned with the KZ2-based ProKart Series, with over 100 karters from as far afield as Dunedin and Whangarei making the trip to Hawke’s Bay to compete over the weekend.
Both series resume over the May 09-10 weekend at Holsters TradeZone Raceway in Tokoroa.
