Karters chase cash in Invercargill and Dunedin

The 2022 Tasman Karts Mainland Series draws to an exciting conclusion with trophies, and more than $9,000 in cash up for grabs over the final two-round Southern Series this weekend.

The penultimate round will be staged at KartSport Southland’s Invercargill Oil Shop Kart Raceway at Sandy Point on Saturday before competitors head 200kms north east to KartSport Dunedin’s home at Silverstream Raceway in North Taieri.

There are seven classes up for decision – with the two-day series offering Southern Series trophies and prizes, as well as deciding the overall six-round Mainland Series podiums.

The Rotax Max Heavy sees Dunedin’s Arron Black, fresh from the successful defence of the New Zealand Endurance Championship title, with a healthy lead from Derryn French (Nelson), with both drivers also in the Masters category.

Caption: National schools champion and South Island champion, Arthur Broughan (Marlborough), who is in contention in the Rotax Max Junior class in the Tasman Karts Mainland Series finale at Invercargill and Dunedin this weekend. Photo: Lloyd Palmer

There are 15 strong contenders in the Rotax Max Junior class where Canterbury’s Chris White holds a 30-point advantage over Nelson’s Ollie Workman and national schools champion and South Island champion, Arthur Broughan (Marlborough).

There’s a small but highly competitive line-up in Rotax Max Light where William McDonald has a healthy advantage over fellow Cantabrians Myles Findlay and Scott McLaren. But watch for another Canterbury karter in Caleb Cross, who bagged two wins in the last round.

Southland’s Taylor Gray heads Masters karter Sam Rook in the Briggs LO206 Heavy class, while Myles Findlay (Canterbury) has a 19 point lead over Scott McLaren (Canterbury) and Riley Price (Marlborough) in the Briggs LO206 Light category.

Canterbury’s Iver Spence carries a 22 point buffer into the final weekend for Cadet Rok racing but will need to hold off the national schools champion from Southland, Nixon Cripps.

High quality Canterbury karter Henry Fisher leads in the Vortex Mini Rok category, 28 points ahead of Dunedin’s Jack McGrath and Southland’s Robbie Batt, who will offer stern resistance.

There will be five heats in Saturday’s racing in Invercargill and four heats at Dunedin on Sunday.