More Kiwi karters will compete across the Tasman this weekend, with four top Juniors – Callum Hedge from Tauranga, Thomas Boniface from New Plymouth, Josh Donohue from Wellington and Joshua Parkinson from Auckland – contesting this year’s Victorian Sprint Kart Championship meeting at Oakleigh in south-east Melbourne.

The four are part of a 300-strong entry in the event which will be conducted over three days from Friday – and in a sign of the times only Josh Donohue will be making his Australian debut at the meeting.

Reigning New Zealand and 2012 North Island Cadet class champion Callum Hedge contested the big Coates Hire Race of Stars at Pimpama event on the Gold Coast in October last year, finishing ninth in the Cadet class final, 2013 New Zealand Schools’ Cadet class champion Thomas Boniface qualified on pole, won his class (Cadet) on the first day and finished fifth overall at the Akebono Brakes Junior Top Guns meeting at the Oakleigh track in January this year, and 2013 North Island Cadet class champion Joshua Parkinson made his Trans-Tasman debut at the opening round of the 2013 Victorian Karting Series at the Oakleigh track last weekend (at which Callum Hedge also competed).

Parkinson and Boniface will both compete in the Cadet class this weekend while Hedge and Donohue run in Rookies.

The entry list for this year’s Victorian Championships event is dominated by drivers from the home state with the likes of 15-time Australian champion David Sera and his cousin James Sera featuring in the Senior classes.

An indication of the meeting’s importance in the overall scheme of things across the Tasman, however, can be gauged by the fact that former class winners include V8 Supercar drivers Jamie Whincup, Mark Winterbottom, Will Davison and Scott McLaughlin.

Practice for the event begins today (Wednesday March 5) ahead of qualifying on Friday and racing on Saturday and Sunday.