Fast-rising young karters Liam Lawson from Auckland and Ryan Wood from Wellington were the big winners at the Lightning Race Gear-sponsored 47th annual Blossom Sprint kart meeting in the Hawke’s Bay over the weekend.

Both dominated their respective classes, Lawson winning seven of his eight 125cc Rotax Max Junior class races, Wood winning seven out of his eight races in the new Vortex Mini Rok class. Second in Rotax Max Junior was Kaleb Ngatoa from Palmerston North (the only other driver to win a heat), third Dylan Smith from Auckland and fourth Jarod Fisher from Nelson.

Second behind the rampant Ryan Wood in Vortex Mini Rok, meanwhile, was Callum Hedge from Mount Maunganui, the only other driver to win a race in that class over the two days.

Though both Junior classes (Rotax and Yamaha) were run together, they were scored separately, with Taupo’s Trey Nairn earning Junior 100cc Yamaha class honours with four heat wins and able to sit out the final comfortable in the knowledge his score couldn’t be beaten.

Jacob Cranston from Hamilton, who was one of two other heat race winners, was second, with Michael McCulloch from the Kapiti Coast third and former V8 Supercar ace Greg Murphy’s son Ronan Murphy fourth.

It was Murphy Jnr’s first appearance at a major regional meeting having only taken up the sport since his family’s return to New Zealand earlier this year.

Also notable at the meeting was another win in the Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha class for top female driver, Rianna O’Meara-Hunt from Wellington who won her class in the WPKA Championship earlier this year.

She ended up tied on points with Auckland’s Sam Wright but took the win (following a great head-to-head battle with Wright in the eighth heat) on count back thanks to her superior win count, three to Wright’s one.

It was also close in 125cc Rotax Max Light where Hamilton’s Rhys Tinney was one of five different heat race winners with Brad Still the runner-up and third-through-fifth placegetters Jack Bridgman, Corey Green and John Wallace.

Other class winners over the weekend were Blake Evans (Cadet Raket), Jackson Rooney (Cadet ROK), Dean Oliver (Clubsport 120) and Mark Elder (Open).

Jackson Rooney was another driver to completely dominate his class and like Trey Nairn he sat out the final heat in his class knowing no one could beat him to the class event win.