Karting: New class brings new luck

Hawke's Bay's Tom Bewley (4) on his way to a second placing in the Vortex Mini Rok class. Photo/Warren Buckland

For Hawke's Bay karter Shaun Hibbs it was a case of "new class and new luck" during the weekend's Blossom Meeting in Hastings.

"I had a bit of bad luck at my previous Blossoms in two different classes, senior Yamaha Light and Racket 120s, but I was pretty happy in this entry level Briggs class," Hibbs said after last night's prizegiving for the 50th annual Blossom Meeting which attracted 70 drivers from throughout the country to the Roy's Hill track.

Hibbs, 43, who has had five years of racing off and on as he had a break to support his son Benjamin who is now temporarily retired from karting, won nine of his 11 races in the six-strong class where fellow Bay starter Stu Sowersby was fourth.

"Everyone in this class are very even so it is a lot of fun. The home track advantage certainly helped this weekend too," Hibbs said.

This was the first time the Briggs class had been catered for at Blossom and Hibbs had a consistent build-up with second placings at the Hawke's Bay and Palmerston North rounds of the Gold Star Series.

Hibbs next major meeting will be an Enduro event in Wellington where he and clubmate Jonathan Pearson will attempt to retain their title. Hibbs was one of three Hawke's Bay drivers to win class titles at the weekend.

One of the host club's most experienced drivers, Zac Zaloum, celebrated his return to major meetings with a title in the Rotax Max Heavy class. Pearson and his brother Willie produced a Hawke's Bay quinella in the ClubSport 120 class where fellow Bay driver Matt Saunders finished fifth.

Regular second placegetter at national, North Island and provincial level, Tom Bewley again finished second when he tackled the Vortex Mini Rok class for the first time. The Te Mata School year 5 student also finished second in the grand prix for his class.

Clubmate Stuart Baker finished fifth in the 10-strong class and fourth in the grand prix. Hawke's Bay's Jack Halpin was sixth in the grand prix.

The Hawke's Bay pair of Ronan Murphy and Zac Stichbury were fifth and sixth respectively in the 19-strong Junior Rotax class. Stichbury and Murphy were fourth and fifth respectively in the 21-lap grand prix for their class.

Stichbury also picked up a second placing in the five-strong Junior Yamaha class.