Kaleb eyes international race career

SEEMLESS: Marton teeanger Kaleb Ngatoa is making a smooth transition from karting to single seater racing and is already second in the Manfeild Formula First winter series in his loan car.

Marton youngster Kaleb Ngatoa is making an almost seemless transition from karting to single seater racing.

The 15-year-old Rangitikei College student already has the North Island, National Schools and the New Zealand karting titles in the trophy cabinet, but since being loaned a car Ngatoa has made major inroads into the world of Formula First single seater competition.

In race one of round one in the Manfeild Winter Formula First Series Ngatoa claimed pole position and posted the fastest lap time to end up finishing third.

In round two Ngatoa again won pole and the first race before finishing second in the remaining two events run on the day. He is currently running second in the series, 17 points adrift of leader Callum Crawley.

Ngatoa is racing against last season's Formula First series runner-up Bramwell King, son of Steve King, owner of Daytona Raceway in Palmerston North. Another rival, SpeedSport Scholarship driver Dylan Smith from Auckland, has Whanganui connections. He is grandson of veteran Whanganui race driver Bob Smith.

Ngatoa's father Robbie Ngatoa, who runs a mechanical services business in Marton, said his son's talents behind the wheel had attracted the attention of some serious judges, including Steve King.

"Steve has loaned Kaleb the car Bramwell finished second in at last year's Formula First Championship," Robbie Ngatoa said.

"We plan on selling all the karting gear and making a real go of it in Formula First at this stage, but already Kaleb is looking further afield."

Ideally, Ngatoa would love to follow the same path as ex-pat Whanganui racer Earl Bamber and Manawatu driver Brendan Hartley, both of whom are on the Porsche payroll as factory drivers and competing at top international level, including success in the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race.

'Some of the karting trophies Kaleb has won have Earl Bamber and Brendan Hartley's names on them. But for now we'll concentrate on Formula First and complete the winter series. The winter series is the lead up to the national championship during summer.

"Fortunately we have the loan car and mentoring from Steve and Bramwell King to help along the way," Ngatoa snr said.