In a dazzling display of grit, horsepower and composure, Hamilton racer Dylan Bryant, 24, roared his way into motorsport history when he claimed the NZ Super Kart title in Manfeild.
A familiar face in karting and Speedway, Bryant has been carving up tracks since he was a child. However, hedidn’t expect a top podium placement at the championships held over the weekend of July 19-20.
“I went down to Manfeild hoping for fourth or fifth, but yeah... came back winning,” Bryant told Waikato’s All Sports Breakfast.
He said the win was “unreal” and catapulted him from a quiet contender to the fastest kart racer in the country.
Superkarts isn’t for the faint of heart - Think Formula 1 meets fighter jet, Bryant said.
“I can feel it hitting sometimes,” he said, with the calm of someone who races on the edge.
With no mirrors and only the rumble of engines and the occasional bump to signal a challenger, superkarting is all about instinct.
“You can feel the bump-drafting. Peripheral vision and quick decisions are everything.”
Racing was nose-to-tail, a blur of strategy and adrenaline where even a late turn-in could determine the podium.
Hamilton racer Dylan Bryant just won the NZ Super Kart title in Manfeild.
Bryant’s kart weaponry includes a 125cc motor running on a 42-tooth gear set tailored for Manfeild’s high-speed nature.
“Sprint tracks chew up more rubber. These longer circuits are smoother, more consistent,” he said.
Bryant’s achievements are all the more impressive considering his battle with type 1 diabetes.
“Technology’s come a long way. I’ve got my glucose tabs and jet planes ready, it usually stays pretty stable throughout the race,” he said.
A big support throughout his sporting journey had been his family - his parents, Wayne and Yvonne, as well as his uncle Jason, of GlamaCoat, who is a sponsor.
“There’s heaps of people who help us get to where we are. [I] couldn’t have done it without them.”
