Series returnee Graeme Smyth had the pace but it was early season standout Daniel Bray who won an all-action KZ2 class final at the third round of this year’s Pro Kart Series at Hamilton on Sunday.

After missing the first round of the series and having mechanical issues at the second, Smyth had ground to make up. Make it up he did, though, qualifying quickest and setting a new KZ2 class lap record on his way to winning the first heat.

He won the second as well, bounced back to win the Pre Final after a mechanical dnf in the third heat, then led all but four laps of the Final before – literally – being pipped by fellow Aucklander Bray at the post.

The margin was less than a kart length – just 0.0035 of a second – but it was more than enough for Bray, who has now won his class at all three Pro Kart Series rounds held so far this year and has a 20 point lead in the series points standings at the half-way point over Rangiora’s Chris Cox.

“I got a better run onto the start/finish straight and crossed Graeme over as I went up the hill,” he said this morning. “Normally you’ve got to brake for the first corner at Hamilton before the start/finish line but this time I didn’t – or at least I didn’t till I saw Graeme brake – and that’s what made the difference.

“I still managed to pull it up in time but it was close.”

With points from all races counting, Smyth’s dnf (did not finish) in the third cost him two places in the round points standings with consistent Rangiora driver Chris Cox second, Gold Coast-based Jaxon Evans third, Smyth fourth and class young guns Mitch Osborne and Luke Dobbs fifth and sixth respectively.

Cox and Evans were also close in the KZ2 Final, with Evans closing down Cox’s early lead but unable to find a way past – despite the gap at the finishing line being down to just 0.0168 of a second!

There was a numbers boost, meanwhile, for the new KZ2 Restricted class with one of the newcomers, Aucklander Jared McKenzie, winning three of the five races – including the Final – but round victory still going to ever consistent early season pace-setter Garry Cullum, from McKenzie, Connor Adam, Gerhard Benadie, and new class lap record holder, Steve Brown.

Finally, former class champion Tom Curran from the Hawke’s Bay again proved the man to beat in KZ2 Masters.

Curran qualified quickest and won all five class races – despite the best efforts of Aucklanders Mark Lane and Leo Bult who claimed the other podium positions for the round.

Fast-improving ex Stockcar ace Graeme Lambert from Mangakino, also had another impressive weekend, qualifying fourth quickest and claiming a best finish of second in the Pre-Final.

The weekend’s Pro Kart Series round was the third of six with KartSport Bay of Plenty hosting the fifth at Fagan’s Valley Raceway neat Te Puke over the June 07/08 weekend.