The top three in the feature race and adults' class at Eastland Kart Club's Anzac Champs meeting were (from left) Shaun Barwick, champion Oscar Murrell and Shane Murrell. Photo / Barry Irvine
The top three in the feature race and adults' class at Eastland Kart Club's Anzac Champs meeting were (from left) Shaun Barwick, champion Oscar Murrell and Shane Murrell. Photo / Barry Irvine
Gisborne-connected Aucklander Oscar Murrell led a family 1-2-3 in the feature race of Eastland Kart Club’s Anzac Champs.
Sunday was the last meeting of the 2025-2026 season on the club’s Te Maanga Rd track.
The 12-lap feature final produced lightning-fast racing as 12 karts took the track.
Oscar Murrell carries the checkered flag during his victory lap after winning the feature race at Eastland Kart Club's season-ending Anzac Champs. Photo / Barry Irvine
Oscar Murrell wonwith Shaun Barwick second, Shane Murrell third, Vinzent MacGregor fourth, Daniel Taylor fifth and Harley Davis sixth.
Auckland-based Oscar is the son of Shane while Barwick is his nephew.
The champs started with drivers doing timed laps to decide the composition of the groups - Group A were the fastest, followed by Group B and Group C.
Drivers could go up or down groups, depending on results over the day.
The aim was to make the 12-kart final comprising the top six from Group A, top three from Group B, top two from Group C and the winner of the repechage.
In Group A racing, Oscar Murrell had two wins and Barwick one win. Ian McGrory, Oscar Murrell and Barwick had a second each, and Barwick, Harley Davis and Shane Murrell shared the third placings.
Group B wins went to Lincoln Pearson (Tauranga), Shane Murrell and McGrory. Glenn Harrison, Daniel Taylor and Vinzent MacGregor had second placings, and Barry Irvine Roger Moss and Dallas Wanoa third placings.
Group C winners were Moss, Jack Jobberns and Tessa Irvine. Mike Vita, Liam Nicol and Dion Lund had second placings, and Lund, Logan Irvine and Pyper Irvine thirds.
The junior drivers who made the podium as the overall top three at Eastland Kart Club's Anzac Champs were (from left) Asha Hughes, champion Kolten Irvine and Conor Harrison. Photo / Barry Irvine
Nicol drove what several club members described as “the best I have seen him drive” to win the repechage from Vita and Jobberns.
The kids’ classes featured four points heats with front, middle and back starts.
In the juniors, Kolten Irvine won all four races while Asha Hughes had four seconds.
The rookies (ages 5 to 8) featured two wins apiece to Asher Davis and Lennox McIndoe, second placings to McIndoe, Davis, Julian Harrison and Chloe Hughes, three thirds to Hughes and one third to Max Archer.
Best times of the day were recorded by McGrory (adults) 21.281s; McIndoe (rookies) 27.085s; and Kolten Irvine (juniors) 24.469s.
Oscar Murrell was the overall winner in the adults’ class from Barwick and Shane Murrell.
The top three rookies (ages 5 to 8) whipped around the Eastland Kart Club track with no fear. From left are Chloe Hughes, champion Lennox McIndoe and Julian Harrison. Photo / Barry Irvine
Kolten was the overall junior division winner from Asha Hughes and Conor Harrison.
McIndoe won the rookies’ overall title from Chloe Hughes and Harrison.
Spot prizes were put up by Repco and Shane Murrell, 44 Creations made the sashes and sponsors for the meeting were Cherrywood Joinery and Repco.
The club gave “a huge thank you” to volunteer Pita Raloka, who has been in the timing box all season, and Ashleigh Taylor, who came out for the day to help Raloka.
