Bay of Plenty Kartsport is going to have their track ready just in the nick of time for the Debonair Tilling North Island Sprint Championships this weekend after facing flooding earlier this month.

This Labour weekend – from today, October 21 to October 23 – BOP Kartsport will host the sprint championships at their track in Te Puke, seeing more than 120 racers compete.

Club president Daniel Samuelson says 20 of his fellow BOP club members will race and he's optimistic on how they
will fare.

'There's definitely three or four of our clubbies that will have a good shot at being , if not winning it,” says Daniel. 'But it could be anyone – it all comes down to the final race on a Sunday afternoon.”

Flooding disaster

Kartsport BOP was set to host the third round of The Top Half Series at the start of the month, however disaster struck after heavy rainfall caused one of the track's water pipes to burst – flooding the track.

'We turned up here for a club day and down the track was flooded so the next week we changed everything around and moved The Top Half over to be raced in Hamilton,” says Daniel.

The club, alongside their sponsors, have been furiously cleaning up and fixing the track so it is ready to host the championship this weekend.

'Bay Civil has been out here for the last two weeks with their diggers getting the track back to spec…everyone's chipped in, which is awesome,” says Daniel, who gives special thanks to the club, its sponsors, Kartsport New Zealand and his family.

Ready to race

Daniel himself, who has been racing on and off for 20 years, will compete in the Direct Drive 2 category of the championships this weekend. His game plan is simple: 'Foot to the pedal and go for it'.” Daniel says hosting the championships at BOP Kartsport's track is what he's most looking forward to this weekend.

'It's our backyard so our local drivers have an inside on the track, so it gives them a bit of extra advantage.” He adds that seeing his own club members come away with a win is always a highlight too. 'If you can win it on your home track, I think it's even better.”

Free entry

'As long as everyone leaves on Sunday night happy as and everyone's done their best with major damage or injuries, then it's a good weekend,” says Daniel.

The North Island Sprint Championship 2022 is at BOP Kartsport's track at 154 Alley Road, Te Puke, from today, October 21 through to October 23. Action starts 10am, with free entry for spectators and hot kai available. For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/BayOfPlentyKartClub