Championship wraps up Goldstar series

With the WPKA Goldstar karting series decided, the standalone WPKA Championship attracted excellent fields to Palmerston North during King’s Birthday weekend.

The Goldstar series was established in the 1960s to help as a stepping-stone from clublevel events and through to national-level competition for gaining race craft and experience.

The three rounds of the series finished at Hawke’s Bay in May, with the drivers switching their focus to the weekend’s event at the Manawatū & TRC Toyota Raceway.

It attracted 110 athletes, with most of the successful karters in the series also chasing championship honours.

Taranaki’s Jayden Buttimore dominated the Cadet ROK class, winning four of the five heats to top the points, and claim the Grand Prix in a superb weekend.

Manawatū ’s Benji Bellamy was second overall with four podiums, just ahead of Taranaki’s Ryan Healey, who picked up a win and was runner-up in the Grand Prix.

It was just as emphatic with the in-form national champion Kiahn Burt (Palmerston North) in a class of his own in Rotax Max Junior, winning every heat and the Grand Prix.

Fellow Manawatū karter Amelia Phillips was impressive with four second placings and runner-up in the Grand Prix to complete an excellent weekend.

It was a similar story in the Vortex DVS Junior, where series winner Blake Corin (Tauranga) grabbed four heat wins and the Grand Prix to take the honours ahead of Taranaki’s Jack Amon, who was on the podium in every race, to edge out Hawke’s Bay karter Daniel Mcmillan.

Vortex Mini ROK attracted the biggest field with 27 starters, where Manawatū ’s Aryan Lala claimed three heat wins to lead overall points from Bay of Plenty’s Aston Walker and Manawatū ’s Jack Phillips.

Lala has continued to perform strongly in his backup wheels after his main kart was stolen on the eve of the National Sprint Championships at Easter.

Auckland’s Braden Watson took advantage of the ace draw in the Grand Prix, holding off the charge from Lala and Walker to take the victory.

In-form Hawke’s Bay karter James van den Berk dominated the Vortex DVS Senior category with four heats wins, while Manawatū ’s Riley Jack was unbeaten in the Open class, and picked up the combined Grand Prix honour.

There was a healthy field in the Clubsport 120, where Manawatū ’s Scott Dalley prevailed overall with three heat wins from Manawatū ’s Logan Howard, who won the Grand Prix from grid three.

The Briggs LO206 Light was dominated by provisional Goldstar champion James Hadley with four wins, although his charge from the back of the field in the Grand Prix after an early spin fell just short, with fellow Wellington karter Yoshi Comeskey claiming the honours.

1. The Latin phrase ‘‘panem et circenses’’ is most commonly translated as what?

2. Which of the following countries is not a member of the United Nations? a) Afghanistan, b) Vatican City, c) Brunei.

3. Aqueous humour is found in which part of the body?

4. Which novel begins with a series of letters sent by an explorer named Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret Saville?

5. Ted Kaczynski was known by which pseudonym prior to his arrest?

6. Which of the following films was directed by Steven Spielberg? a) Reservoir Dogs, b) The Karate Kid, c) Jaws.

7. Ray Henwood and Judge Carolyn Henwood are among the founding members of which Wellington theatre company?

8. Which US president declared ‘‘Ich bin ein Berliner’’ when confronted with the Berlin Wall?

9. The Statue of Liberty was gifted to the US by which country?

10. Which French composer is best known for Clair de lune, the third movement of his piano suite, Suite bergamasque?