Auckland brothers Daniel and Mathew Kinsman will spearhead the New Zealand challenge at this year’s Rotax Max Grand Final meeting in Portugal after locking out first and second places in class at the final round of the local series in Rotorua over the weekend.

Four places on the New Zealand team which will travel to this year’s Grand Final meeting at Portimao in the south of Portugal between November 28 and December 01 were up for grabs at the meeting, two in the premier Right Karts 125cc Rotax Max Light class and one each in Arai Formula Junior and the Masters division of Strata Networks 125cc Rotax Max Heavy.

Though it was Mathew Kinsman who was quickest in qualifying and won both heat races – the first from fellow Aucklander Kane Taylor and the second from his younger brother Daniel – it was Daniel who won both the Pre-Final and Final, the former from Taylor and Mathew, the latter from Taylor, Daniel Connor and top South Islander James Penrose.

Mathew was running as high as third in the Final only to hit a kerb and spin late in the race and end up back in 10th place at the flag.

That closed the points gap between he and Daniel Connor back up, albeit not quite enough to change the result, Mathew claiming second overall in the series points standings from Connor by four points with Taylor fourth and Penrose fifth.

The trip to a Grand Final will be the third for Daniel Kinsman – who finished 13th in the Junior class Final in Egypt in 2009 but didn’t make it past the heats and repechage at Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates last year – but it will be a first for Mathew.

The other drivers to earn a place on the New Zealand team this year are Scott Manson from Christchurch who won the Arai Formula Junior class, and Niki Urwin from Tauranga who won the Masters (over 32) division in Strata Networks 125cc Rotax Max Heavy.

Like Daniel Kinsman, Manson had a decent points lead heading into the penultimate round in Auckland in August but by beating him there Palmerston North driver Josh Drysdale reduced that to just six points. Manson didn’t have to win the Final at Rotorua to earn a place on the New Zealand team in Portugal this year, but he had to finish second if Drysdale did.

That is exactly what happened with Manson qualifying quickest and winning the two heats but ending up third behind fellow South Islander Jordan McDonnell and Drysdale in the Pre-Final then second behind Drysdale in the Final to claim the 2012 class title by two points from Drysdale with Aucklander CK Sinclair third and Jordan McDonnell fourth.

There were several permutations, meanwhile, in the Strata Networks 125cc Rotax Max Heavy class, with the overall class title battle between Zach Zaloum from the Hawke’s Bay and Shane Hodgson from Auckland, and Niki Urwin from Tauranga favourite to claim the Masters crown.

After two days of close, hard racing Zaloum did indeed claim the class title from Hodgson and last year’s class winner Aarron Cunningham. Urwin also got his Masters class win and with it the final berth on the New Zealand team heading to Portugal but round victory went to series newcomer, former rally ace Andrew Grant, who capped off a great debut year in the local Challenge by qualifying quickest and winning the first heat and the Final, the latter from Cunningham, Zaloum and Anthony Murch.