Karting: Sportsmanship blossoms

Hawke's Bay cadet class driver Tom Bewley prepares for another race with assistance from parents Dwayne and Kirsty at the weekend. Photo / Duncan Brown

A terrific act of sportsmanship cost Hawke's Bay driver Tom Bewley the cadet class title at the Hawke's Bay Karting Club's Blossom Meeting during the weekend.

Bewley, 8, finished second in his 15-strong class by one point to New Zealand Schools champion Logan Manson of Manawatu at the 49th annual Lightning Race Gear-sponsored meeting, which attracted 90 drivers from around the country to the club's Roy's Hill base.

His mother, Kirsty, said he would have won the class had he not opted to encourage a Wellington newbie, Kerr Botha, out on to the track after he missed a start.

"We have no doubt Tom would have won the class, had he just focused on his game. But there was plenty of good sportsmanship throughout the weekend and, on a couple of occasions, some of Tom's older clubmates had a Go Bewley sign up at the fence when Tom was racing," she recalled.

A third-generation racer, Bewley is the son of Dwayne Bewley, who also raced touring cars.

The Te Mata Primary School pupil has been racing for two years and the weekend event was his second Blossom meeting.

In the race he helped Botha out in, he finished sixth and he also finished second in the 28-lap grand prix for his class from the back of the field to end up as the best of the Bay drivers across all classes at the meeting.

Last year he finished 14th at the Blossom Meeting.

"I made up 12 places from last year," the delighted Bewley told his parents as they packed their trailer after the weekend.

Hawke's Bay Junior Rotax driver Cameron Spargo will be forgiven if he decides to give next year's Blossom Meeting a miss.

Last year he broke his leg at the Blossom and, during this weekend's meeting, one of his first since returning to racing, he broke his wrist.

He was one of three second-generation Hawke's Bay drivers in the class. Ronan Murphy, the son of Kiwi motor racing legend Greg Murphy, was seventh and Zac Stichbury, the son of the late Ashley Stichbury, achieved his goal of a top-10 finish in their 24-strong class.

Frank May was the best of the Bay starters in the class with a fifth.

Jono Pearson did the best of the host club drivers in the 12-strong open class with a fifth placing.

Meeting convenor Alan McNicol was rapt with the success of the event and said the 28-lap grand prix for each class was well received.

"We did them at this meeting for the first time as a trial for the North Island champs we will host at Labour Weekend.

"While there was some top-notch racing at the weekend, the North Islands will be up another level again," McNicol said.