Karting: Cadet driver Bay's best

BAY'S BEST: Cadet Rok class driver Tom Bewley (4) did the best of the Hawke's Bay drivers at the North Island champs. PHOTO/WARREN BUCKLAND

IF there were such things as motor racing gods and Hawke's Bay karter Tom Bewley could ask a question of them it would be an obvious one.

What does he have to do to win a title? The cadet rok class driver has finished second in his last two major meetings, the Blossom Meeting in September and the Tremains Real Estate North Island sprint champs which finished at his Hawke's Bay club yesterday.

While the Te Mata School pupil struggled to hide his disappointment there was a huge smile when it was pointed out he did the best of the 12 Hawke's Bay starters at the three-day meeting which attracted 88 competitors.

"I've got to be happy with that. It's an early birthday present," Bewley, who turns 9 on Wednesday, said.

While an act of sportsmanship cost Bewley a title at the Blossom Meeting when he opted to encourage a newbie out on to the track after he missed a start yesterday it was the variable weather conditions which played havoc with his chances.

"In saying that it was the same for all of us," Bewley said.

One of 12 drivers in his class, Bewley, who has raced two for two-and-a-half years, opted for dry tyres for his 18-lap pre-final which was raced in wet weather. He started off grid two and finished third. The two drivers who finished ahead of him both used wet tyres.

"I switched to wets for the 28-lap final and finished second from grid three. Adjusting to changing weather conditions is definitely a learning experience,' Bewley said.

Manawatu's Kiaihn Burt won the class and Aucklander Kaden Probst was third. An indication of the quality in the class was the fact National Schools champion Logan Manson of Manawatu finished fifth.

In the wake of his success Bewley, who recorded the fastest lap time for his class with a 36.4s effort, has decided to race at the Invercargill-hosted nationals at Easter. His next major meeting will be the November 20 first round in the Gold Star series at Taranaki.

The next best of the Hawke's Bay starters was 14-year-old Lindisfarne College year 9 student Frank May. He finished third in the 23-strong 125cc Rotax Max Junior class and fifth in the 10-strong Junior 100cc Yamaha class.

A sixth-year racer, May, finished fourth from grid 17 in his Rotax Max Junior class final but was promoted to third on a technicality when initial third placegetter Jaden Ransley of Christchurch was disqualified. Another Bay driver who tackled the same two classes as May, Zac Stichbury, the son of the late Ashley Stichbury, was eighth in the Rotax Max Junior class and ninth in the Junior 100cc Yamaha class.

Bewley's brother Harry finished 13th in the 24-strong Vortex Mini Rok class after qualifying on the back row. Fellow host club driver Stuart Baker was 16th in this class.
Hawke's Bay's Nick Heywood was ninth in the 125cc Rotax Max Light class.

Ronan Murphy, the son of Kiwi motor racing legend Greg Murphy, was 11th in the 125cc Rotax Max Junior class. His clubmates Jackson Whitfield and Dylan Anderson were 15th and 22nd respectively.

There were no Hawke's Bay starters in the seven-strong open class which was won by Aucklander Mark Elder. Taranaki's Aaron Marr and Manawatu's Ashley Higgins were second and third respectively.