Wellington karter Karl Wilson was very much the man of the match at the 43rd annual Blossom Sprint Meeting in the Hawke's Bay over the weekend, completely dominating the Open class and ending up a close second in Senior 100cc Yamaha Light.
Wins don't get much better than Wilson's Open class one, the experienced and adaptable driver qualifying quickest and not only winning every race he started but also setting the fastest lap in each of those races.
The Wellingtonian also dominated the first day of competition in Senior 100cc Yamaha Light and won two of that class's heat races on Sunday before dropping to ninth place after contact in the Pre-Final and eighth (again after contact) in the Final.
This was Wilson's first competition as a Yamaha Light class driver for some years, having more recently been competing in Senior 100cc Yamaha Heavy.
Despite Sunday's Pre-Final and Final results he still managed to hang on to second place overall in that class - a result that was all the more impressive considering how many different variables were involved.
One which Blossom meetings regulars are used to is the direction of racing, the track one of the few in the country licensed to run in both directions. On Saturday race direction was clockwise, on Sunday anti-clockwise.
This year the Hawke's Bay Kart Club also used a similarly distinctive event format, running each day as a separate event with day winners plus an overall class meeting winner.
Class by class the overall meeting winners were Wilson (Open), James Gorham (Senior 100cc Yamaha Light), Shaun Reay (Senior 100cc Yamaha Heavy), Brent Robinson (Clubsport 120), Scott Manson (Junior 100cc Yamaha), Jordan McDonnell (Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha) and Matthew Podjursky (Cadet).
The meeting attracted a strong entry of almost 100 karters with a large contingent from earthquake-ravaged Canterbury .
Ironically it was one of the most successful meetings for the Mainlanders with Andy Knight finishing second to Karl Wilson in Open, Scott Manson winning Junior 100cc Yamaha, Jordan Macdonnell Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha and Caleb Cross finishing a close second to Taranaki's Matthew Podjursky in Cadet.
Podium finishes were also recorded by Cody McMaster, Jayden Dodge and Thomas Pooley.
Results
Open
1. Karl Wilson; 2. Andy Knight; 3. Jonathan Pearson; 4. Nicholas Heywood; 5. Chris Cox; 6. Anthony Wanoa
Senior 100cc Yamaha Light
1. James Gorham; 2. Karl Wilson; 3. Cody McMaster; 4. Scott Blummont; 5. Brad Still; 6. Matthew Bufton
Senior 100cc Yamaha Heavy
1. Shaun Reay; 2. Zach Zaloum; 3. Hayden Sarcich; 4. Aaron de Ridder; 5. Scott Hatton; 6. Michael Grimshaw
Clubsport 120
1. Brent Robinson; 2. Natasha Porteous; 3. Shaun Clark; 4. Steve Halpin; 5. Tracey Nielsen; 6. Alastair Hay
Junior 100cc Yamaha (subject to appeal)
1. Scott Manson; 2. Aaron Marr; 3. Jayden Dodge; 4. Jaden Hardy; 5. Scott Williams; 6. Josh Drysdale
Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha
1. Jordan McDonnell; 2. Campbell Joyes; 3. Maddison Wise; 4. James Webb; 5. Thomas Joyes; 6. Trey Nairn
Cadet
1. Matthew Podjursky; 2. Caleb Cross; 3. Thomas Pooley; 4. Thomas Batt; 5. Jakob Flynn; 6. Zachary Thompson
