New Plymouth youngster Thomas Boniface is the latest Kiwi karter set to compete across the Tasman, the 9-year-old heading to Melbourne with his family next week to compete in the Oakleigh Go Kart Racing Club’s annual Junior Top Guns meeting.

Last year Thomas won his class at both the CIK Trophy of New Zealand and New Zealand Schools Championship meetings here in New Zealand and his father Robert says that contesting this year’s Akebono Brakes-sponsored Junior Top Gun meeting in Melbourne is the ideal ‘next step’ in his son’s fast-rising driving career.

“The event offers Thomas exposure to the Australian karting scene plus invaluable experience racing in fields of up to 36 karts with the idea that if he acquits himself well we will return (to the Oakleigh track) for the Victoria State Championship meeting in March.”

Size and performance-wise there is little difference between the Cadet class karts Thomas races here and the Comer SW80-engined Tony Kart Rocky chassis he will run in Melbourne.

“Getting to grips with the different chassis will be the biggest challenge,” says Robert. “That and the fact that over there the Cadet class karts run hydraulic (rather than mechanical) brakes and adjustable front end geometry and ride height.”

The Junior-only meeting is being run over two days, Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th of January, and has attracted entries across eight Junior classes from all over the State (Victoria) as well as interstate and now New Zealand.

Thomas and his family would like to thank Grandad Barney, Plant & Platform Consultants, Hydraulink NZ, Rotech Automotive, The Sign Shop, Barry & Corrine Boniface and Supreme Kart Supplies for their support of the trans-Tasman venture.