Kiwi karters Ryan Wood and Louis Sharp acquitted themselves well at the big City of Melbourne Titles event in Australia over the weekend.
Wood, 12, from Wellington finished third overall in the Cadet 12 class, Sharp, 8 from Christchurch, third in Cadet 9.
The pair earned their drives in Tony Karts at the annual meeting by winning their classes (Wood Vortex Mini ROK, Sharp Cadet ROK) in the Bayley’s-backed, Wellington Provincial Karting Association-run Goldstar series.
The prizes were organised by Maurice Frost of Supreme Kart Supplies in New Plymouth and Brendon Hart of Manawatu Toyota in Palmerston North.
Sharp raised eyebrows when he claimed pole position in qualifying – some feat at a track he had never raced at before and because of a local rule was not allowed to practise on on Friday – and after contact and a dnf (did not finish) in the first heat bounced back to finish fourth in the second heat and third in both the Pre-Final (which he started from P10 on the grid) and Final.
It was very much a case of what-might-have-been for the diminutive Cantabrian too…he was leading the Final before being hit from behind and sent back to a distant third before closing the gap back on the leading pair with what laps he had left.
Ryan Wood, who recently successfully defended his National Vortex Mini ROK class Schools’ title here in New Zealand, qualfied sixth in the Cadet 12 class and after finishing fifth in the first heat, won the second before crossing the finish line in third place in both the Pre-Final and Final.
