NG Racing | Rnd 1 Rotax Max Challenge – Rotorua, Waitangi Weekend

Waitangi Weekend had us racing at KartSport Rotorua for Rnd one of the Rotax Max Challenge. The Mamaku is usually wet and pretty unpredictable, so having three full days of sun was a nice change and made it a good weekend to get solid running done.

Friday was a full day of practice, mainly focused on getting used to the new Mojo tyres. With consistent conditions, we could work through setup changes and slowly build things up without the weather getting in the way.

Saturday started with tuning runs before qualifying. I qualified 13th out of 38, which was solid in a really competitive field. Race One didn’t go to plan after a messy start with a few karts ahead, which made it hard to settle into a rhythm. Race Two was still a bit of a struggle as I couldn’t quite find the pace I was chasing.

Sunday’s Super Heat was tough. I picked up a 2-second pushback penalty and the pace still wasn’t quite where we needed it. Starting Grid 16 for the Final, the kart felt a lot better. I was able to have a cleaner run and move forward, finishing 11th, which was a good way to end the weekend.

Overall, it was a really valuable practice weekend heading into Nationals at Easter. Racing against some of the best drivers in New Zealand is always good experience, and spending the weekend with the Energy Corse NZ team made it even better.

Big thanks to Mason Armstrong and Ryan Crombie for having me dialled in all weekend, and to Ryan Urban for an awesome motor. Huge thanks to my sponsors, J.A. Russell Ltd, Ambius Lighting, Marley NZ and Stang Media NZ Ltd.