Record sixth national karting title for PNBHS
Palmerston North Boys’ High School claimed a record-extending sixth secondary schools karting title at the national championships in Blenheim on Saturday.
Boys’ High first won the secondary schools title in 2005, then again in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 and now this year.
It is a record unmatched by any other school.
Only two others over the 15 years the annual event has been running have won the title more than once, Auckland’s St Kentigern College (2004 and 2007) and Christchurch’s St Andrew’s College (2008 and 2009).
This year the title was successfully defended by students Jacob Cranston, the winner of the 125cc Rotax Max Light class, Jackson Rooney, who claimed runner-up spots in both the Rotax Max Junior and Junior 100cc Yamaha classes, and Riley Jack, who finished 12th in Rotax Max Junior.
St Kentigern College was second and Lincoln High School was third.
There is a new name on the primary-intermediate schools trophy in Havelock North’s Te Mata School/havelock North Intermediate.
The Bewley brothers, Tom and Harry, won the title for their school with second spot in Cadet ROK (Tom) and 14th in Vortex Mini ROK (Harry).
The championships were held in cool, but dry conditions.
This year there were 68 entries representing eight secondary schools and four primary/intermediate ones.
Palmerston North’s Whakarongo School (Kiahn Burt and Blake Dowell) was second and Medbury School of Christchurch third.
Individual class titles went to Cranston (Palmerston North, 125cc Rotax Max Light), Sam Wright (Auckland Rotax Max Junior), William Exton (Picton, Junior 100cc Yamaha), Emerson Vincent (Pukekohe, Vortex Mini ROK), and Louis Sharp (Christchurch, Cadet ROK).
The Bruce Mclaren Kartsport awards were presented to Cranston and Sam Wright from St Kentigern College.
The event also hosted the final round of the ROK Cup New Zealand.
ROK Cup New Zealand is a multi-round series for young drivers contesting either Vortex Rok-engined class, Cadet ROK (for 6-11 year-olds) or Vortex Mini ROK (for those 9 to 12).
The first-and-second-placed competitors in the Vortex Mini ROK class earn entry to the annual ROK Cup international finals meeting in Italy later this year, while the overall series winner in the Cadet ROK class gets a new Vortex Mini ROK engine.
Levin’s Logan Manson successfully defended his series lead to claim the class win and with it a trip to Italy for the finals meeting in October.
There, he will be joined by series runner-up Asten Addy, from Hamilton.
Reigning South Island and New Zealand champion Louis Sharp, from Christchurch, made it a title trifecta in the Cadet ROK class, winning every race he started to add the New Zealand schools title to his island and national pair.
In doing so, he took out the series prize of a new Vortex ROK engine.