Photo: Ryan Grant leadsSponsorship from major consumer food brand Mi Sedaap has confirmed the growing status of New Zealand 's Formula S KartSport Pro Kart series which kicks off in Wellington this weekend.
Created and managed by the Formula S KartSport club to foster competition in the premier gearbox-equipped KZ2 category, the series has gone from strength to strength over the past three years, hence the interest in naming rights for this year's series from instant noodle brand Mi Sedaap.
Mi Sedaap heads an 80-strong list of sponsors and supporters spread across the KZ2 (Senior) and new KF3 (Junior) support class.
This weekend's opening Mi Sedaap Pro Kart series round is being run in conjunction with the annual CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Eyede NZ meeting at KartSport Wellington's CRC Raceway at Kaitoke and has attracted a 25-strong field in the KZ2 class and a record 19-strong field in KF3.
Befitting the status of the meeting each class has attracted entries from across the Tasman, with Mattie Hayes in KZ2 and Ricky Capo in KF3. The manufacturers and their local distributors are also playing a key role with representation from Italian marques Maranello, Tony Kart and CRG, and Australian counterparts Arrow and Monaco .
Driver-wise defending KZ2 class champion Ryan Grant from Auckland faces competition from all comers this weekend with last year's series runner-up Graeme Smyth set again to be a top contender along with experienced Wellingtonian Karl Wilson and the drivers who finished fourth and fifth respectively last season, Aucklanders Jason Farmilo and Richard Moore.
Masters (40+) champ Leo Bolt too faces a number of serious and well-credentialled challengers, amongst them series regulars Steve Brown, Snow Mooney, John Steward, category returnees Tom Curren and Rick Huston, and top Nelson driver Grant Kugener.
In the KF3 category, meanwhile, defending series title holder Arie Hutton, back racing under the Super Freight banner, will have his work cut out with Bradley Hicks and Tokoroa’s Andy Schofield determined to make an impression from the very first corner.
This weekend's 2010 CIK Trophy of New Zealand presented by Eyede NZ meeting is one of the biggest and most prestigious on KartSport New Zealand 's annual calendar. The KZ2 and KF3 classes will contest their respective CIK Trophy of NZ titles with Challenge Cups going to the winners of the four support classes.
Previous winners at the annual CIK Trophy of New Zealand meetings include 2003 World Karting Champion Wade Cunningham, former A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Team.NZL drivers Jonny Reid and Chris van der Drift, Red-Bull-backed Formula 1 test driver Brendon Hartley and rising V8 Supercar series star Shane van Gisbergen.
