Karting: Photo-finish in 2014 cadet raket title race

GREAT RACE: Blake Evans (left), Billy Frazer and eventual winner Asten Addy in a thrilling finish to the Cadet Raket final in Rotorua yesterday.PHOTO/GARY HAMILTON-IRVINE 241014KART

If you blinked you would have missed it. Literally.

Only 0.05 seconds separated the first three drivers across the finish line yesterday, during the first final of the 2014 North Island Sprint Championships in Rotorua.

Three young drivers - Asten Addy (Hamilton), Billy Frazer (Auckland) and Blake Evans (Rotorua) - were nose-to-tail all the way to the last corner in their cadet raket class final.

Blake, 10, led into the final corner but the trio went three-wide across the finish line, with Asten, 10, winning by the slightest of margins after 16 laps.

The entire crowd was abuzz after the race, with many spectators calling it the closest finish they had seen.

It sets up a great weekend of racing at The Rock FM Raceway, near Mamaku, during an historic event for KartSport Rotorua.

KartSport Rotorua's $3.5 million track was opened in March 2012 with the goal of hosting big national and international events.

The 2014 North Island Sprint Championships is the biggest event to be held at the new track to date.

Young driver Asten, who is a member of KartSport Rotorua despite living in Hamilton, said he was happy to win his first North Island title yesterday.

"I can't believe I came first, because those two are pretty much the best drivers in the world [for our class]," he said.

Going into the final corner he had not led during the race and was sitting in third place.

"I went on the outside and everyone else went on the inside."

Asten's entire family, including aunties and uncles, were on hand to congratulate him after the race.

Despite the close winning margin, he said he knew he had won the race when he crossed the finish line.

Billy finished second and local boy Blake came third, after just losing the lead in the last couple of metres.

Other classes being contested on the day included Junior 100cc Yamaha, 125cc Rotax Max Junior and KZ2.

The North Island champs will continue today and tomorrow near Mamaku and locals are encouraged to go up and enjoy the racing on Amoore Rd.

About 190 drivers have entered the event this year, making it the biggest KartSport New Zealand event in about a decade.