American driver dominates karts

Press, 25 February 1987, Page 43

American driver dominates karts

Matt Melby demonstrated why he is the American national karting champion by winning five heats in as many starts at the Radio Avon international meeting on the Carrs Road raceway on Sunday.

However, one of his race wins was taken off him after a protest. Melby had unintentionally taken a short cut, having four wheels off the track, and was relegated one place. The field of 29 karts for the main event boasted one of the best line-ups of top drivers — four Americans, one each from Britain and Australia, plus the best the North Island could offer. The South Island drivers were not considered to be in the top 10, but consistency and determination by the Christchurch drivers, Nigel Wilkinson and Murray Davies, paid off handsomely. Wilkinson was the driver to really surprise. A first and a third in the first two races gave him the inspiration he

needed, and his results got better.

Auckland’s Kerry Moore chased Melby hard in the final two heats, but failed to dislodge Wilkinson from second place. / The international series was marred by two spectacular accidents. In the second heat, Hamilton’s Jon Wright was involved in a skirmish when five karts tangled. Wright’s kart, at speed, hit the back of the near-station-ary karts and went into the air, doing five complete rolls before the driver fell out of his kart.

Amazingly, he was unhurt, but did not take any further part in the competition. In the second accident, a number of karts spun across the track. Grant Clearwater, from Gore, suddenly had no room and hit a spinning kart. He went over twice, then slid across the track. He raced in the last heat Results, with drivers from Christchurch unless otherwise stated, were:-

lOOcc international championship, five heats: Matt Melby (USA) 1, Nigel Wilkinson 2, Kerry Moore (Auckland) 3, Murray Davies 4, Richard Edgecombe (Palmerston North) 5, Kimball Williams (USA) 6, Mark Hill (Australia) 7.

lOOcc Junior: Brent Collison (Wellington) 1, Bryce Coulbeck 2, Brendon Smith (Auckland) 3, Kane Raisey (Napier) 4, Jason Dell 5. Midgets: Jason Richards (Nelson) 1, Lee Ciaughton 2, Myles Spicer 3.

Open' Class: Graham Stevens 1, Derek Wilson 2, Bob McWhinnie 3. Consolation Class: Allan Roberts 1, Barry Malaquinn 2, Wayne Jordan (Dunedin) 3.

Feature Races:— Handicap: Mark Coulbeck 1, Spicer 2, Adam Brook 3. Junior Grand Prix: Collison 1, Raisey 2, Smith 3. Flying farewell: Stevens 1, Wilson 2, Howie Idelson (USA) 3, Ray Hart (Palmerston North) 4, Williams 5.