The fifth annual instalment of KartSport New Zealand’s National Endurance Championship was hosted by KartSport Marlborough this past weekend, with a record number of 24 teams entering. The event, backed by High Rev Motorsport, sees competitors from a wide range of classes take part in a four-hour, three-driver race utilizing the Briggs LO206 classes. Both a Light and Heavy class were available, with Masters and Legends age category titles also on the line.

A total of 17 teams entered the Lights class, with some exciting and unique line ups. In what’s likely a first for the sport, a father and two sons Hamish, Caleb and Luke Cross entered as a team hoping to add another National title to their ever-expanding portfolio. Also, in a brilliant show of the growth of Legends racing in karting, those aged 60 or over, a local team of three Legends in Blake Greenfield, Peter Richardson & Graham Sims also entered in the Lights class.

For the event, it was the second time being held in the South Island, having last year been hosted by KartSport Nelson after moving from its launching location of KartSport Wellington, who hosted the first three editions. As a one-day event, teams had the opportunity for an hour of practice before heading into a single-driver qualifying session, with the four-hour race then getting underway from lunch time. Throughout the race, teams must make a minimum of four pit stops of a set duration, with each driver needing to complete at least one hour of racing.

In qualifying, just half a tenth of a second separated the first three teams in Briggs Light, with the Pikeville Panthers taking pole from Dwight Yoakam Racing Team 1 and Tip of the Spade Racing. In Briggs Heavy, reigning champions Wilford Motorsport got off to the perfect start leading the class by nearly two tenths, ahead of the teams of Triple Bypass and 4 Tugs.

After formalities and pre-race checks had been complete, action got underway for the National title race. A clean start by all teams saw the initial laps tick away without major issue, with only the team named Master Class suffering mechanical issues and pulling to the infield. This would cost the team 15 minutes before they were able to rejoin the action. For the team of Fugs Fellas, a post-qualifying penalty saw them start rear of the 24-kart field. However, with their lightest driver in the seat for the first stint, it only took seven laps for them to hit the front and lead the initial stage of the race.

Several lead changes took place throughout the race, with a wide mix of drive through penalties and safety kart periods challenging all teams. When the four hours were complete, a total of 285 laps had been run by the winning overall team, with Tip of the Spade Racing taking out both the overall and Light class honours. Consistency in the front pack was the key, with the team only taking their first stint in the lead on lap 149. Finishing in second overall and in Lights was the family trio of Cross Aluminos Racing, who led more than 100 laps of the race but were caught out at various points by the Safety Kart. Rounding out the podium were the pole sitting Pikeville Panthers, two laps off the lead.

In the Heavy class, it was a case of finishing off the job for two-time defending champions Wilford Motorsport as they converted their top qualifying spot to a third straight National Championship. It was a stressful start early with the team picking up two drive through penalties, which swung the advantage to UMG 23 Racing. However, they too would suffer both a drive through penalty and then a stop and hold penalty for being slightly short on their required minimum pit times. In the end, they’d have to settle for second with 4 Tugs rounding out the heavy class podium.

When it came to the additional classification of the Masters and Legends titles, where all team members must meet the age criteria, the initial heartbreak of the Briggs Heavy runner-up spot for UMG 23 Racing was replaced with the joy of being crowned Masters Champions for the class. While in Briggs Light, Ram Raid, who finished ninth overall, took away a well-deserved Masters Championship.

An incredible story to follow, and an impressive on-track performance was unfortunately dampened in the Legends classification, with the aptly named Crowd Favourite team suffering a clutch related disqualification in post-race tech. However, the result shouldn’t diminish their overall impact on the event both now and in the future, with their performance and positive aura acting as a brilliant advertisement of one of the greatest qualities of the sport – it’s ever-widening age spectrum and motivations for competing.

 

With the fifth edition of the event deemed a success, teams will now start planning strategies and driver line ups for the 2024 National Endurance Championship to be held in Christchurch in November.

RESULTS:

Overall and Briggs Light:

1^st - Tip of the Spade Racing: Kevin Barker, Riley Price & Jeremy Ryan.

2^nd - Cross Aluminos Racing: Caleb Cross, Hamish Cross & Luke Cross.

3^rd - Pikeville Panthers: Dylan Jessop, Shane Madsen & Scott Manson.

Briggs Heavy:

1^st – Wilford Motorsport: Brent Melhop, Shaun Croskery & Thomas Batt.

2^nd - UMG 23 Racing: Brendon Gridley, Ryan Urban & Matt McConway

3^rd - 4 Tugs: Daniel Bell, Kyle Rankin & Ryan McPherson

Masters Champions:

Briggs Light: Ram Raid: Andrew Lucas, Scott Bishell & Blair Wratt

Briggs Heavy: UMG 23 Racing: Brendon Gridley, Ryan Urban & Matt McConway

Photos: Kelvin Patterson

Article added: Wednesday 22 November 2023