2014 CIK Trophy of New Zealand Cancelled

The 2014 CIK Trophy of New Zealand has been cancelled due to insufficient entries as at Early Closing Date (27 December 2013). While this cancellation is very disappointing for all concerned, especially those who had entered on time and also for the host Club, KartSport Wellington and the KartSport New Zealand Officials who had volunteered 4+ days of their time to attend, it is important to recognise some facts:

For the event to run the rules require at least one of the three CIK Trophy classes to meet the minimum entry number by Early Closing Date. Despite extensive and repetitive direct emailing to potential competitors by KartSport Wellington plus a reminder in E-Line #79 on 13-12-13 and media releases from KartSport Wellington on the KartSport New Zealand website, the entries as of 3-1-14, when a decision was made to cancel the event, were as follows:

KF3                         5 (including 1 from Australia)
KF2                         1
KZ2                          2
Cadet                       7
JR                            10
Junior Yamaha         6
Rotax Max Junior     5
Yamaha Light           3
Yamaha Heavy         0
Rotax Max Light        6
Rotax Max Heavy      0
KZ2 Masters              1

Total 46

Following the tabling of a Notice of Motion to the 2013 National Conference by KartSport Canterbury the KartSport New Zealand President made a commitment to Clubs that he would not use his discretion, as he had done on a number of previous occasions, to permit a (hosted Championship) class or event to run with less than the required number of classes/entries as at Early Closing Date.

The rules for this event have remained essentially the same for many years with the key change being the 2009 transition from JICA and ICA/F100 to follow the corresponding replacement CIK classes KF3 and KF2 in Australia and other countries around the world from 2007. The change from JICA/F100 to KF3/KF2 was a decision made by Clubs at the 2007 National Conference. Entries in 2008 (contested in Hamilton) were JICA – 9 and F100 – 7. By 2010 (Wellington) KF3 entries had grown to 18, higher than best JICA year (16 at Hamilton in 2007). However KF2 has struggled to gain traction and only ran once (2012 in Wellington with 8 entries). ICC/KZ2 entries peaked at 22 at Hamilton in 2006.

Over the years the number of Challenge Cup classes able to be offered by the host Club has been increased/changed at the request of competitors/Clubs. Event entry numbers have been up and down since the event’s inception. The event did not run in 2000 and 2004. To see event entry history since 1988 by class CLICK HERE.

When applications to host the 2014 CIK Trophy of NZ event closed on 1 November 2012 only KartSport Wellington had applied to host the event. The Executive delayed a decision regarding announcing the hosting the 2014 event and actively investigated the event being hosted by a Club north of Taupo. The Executive was very aware of the possible consequences of the 2013 CIK Trophy of NZ, 2013 NZ Sprint, 2013 NI Sprint and the 2014 CIK Trophy of NZ all being hosted by KartSport Wellington despite the excellent events hosted by KartSport Wellington over recent years. As there were no viable alternatives the event was awarded to KartSport Wellington on 2-2-13. Options for hosting the 2015 event, at a venue north of Taupo, is a current project. KartSport Wellington has not applied to host the 2015 event.

This event has traditionally been run on either Auckland or Wellington Anniversary Weekends depending on which end of the NI it was held. This enabled travelling competitors and Officials to travel home on their respective Monday holiday. The event previously attracted good numbers of Australians being prior to the Australian season which kicks off with the Victorian Open in early March. The 2014 AKA CIK Series starts on 28 March. Three CIK Trophies of NZ have been won by Australian drivers (in 2005, 2006 & 2012).

In recent years this event has been Round 1 of the ProKart Series. For 2014 this is not the case with the ProKart Series choosing to contest its first Round 1 ¾ hours further north at KartSport Manawatu on 22-23 February instead. This decision effectively resulted in the 2014 CIK Trophy of NZ becoming a seventh event for regular ProKart participants.

The CIK Trophy of NZ event has been a cost effective event to televise because all the Pre-Finals and Finals are contested on the one day. In previous years the cost of television production has been met through sponsorship/grants. At the time the 2014 event was cancelled production had not been commissioned nor television airtime booked as sufficient sponsorship had not yet been secured.

Should you have any specific questions regarding the cancelling of this event that you would like to raise, please forward your questions to the Executive by email: admin@kartsport.org.nz