20th June 2011

Hutton makes big impression at Australian kart meeting - from KartSport NZ

Auckland karter Arie Hutton finished a close fourth in the Prolight/KF1 class at the third round of Australia's CIK Stars of Karting series in Melbourne over the weekend. Pic: Fast Company/AF Images

Aucklander Arie Hutton made a big impression in his debut Australian drive at the third round of the 2011 CIK Stars of Karting Series in Melbourne over the weekend.

The 16-year-old three-time New Zealand sprint class champion ended up fourth overall in the premier Prolight/KF1 class after running as high as second in the Final which was won by top local driver Cian Fothergill.

Hutton didn’t have the best of starts to his meeting, ending up at the back of the Prolight/KF1 grid after fouling a spark plug in qualifying.

Howeve after working his way forward in two of the three heats, to 11th place in the first then to eighth in the third he got to start the Pre-Final (the race which determines the grid for the Final) from the 14th spot in the grid.

From there he made it to sixth, and it was from sixth that he made it up to second place early in the Final. Eventually (on the 16th of 27 laps) he was shuffled back to third, then later on to fourth, though it remained a close-run thing until the chequered flag came out.

Hutton was one of two Kiwis competing at the meeting, the other – 15-year-old Wanganui driver Aaron Marr – was the fifth fastest qualifier in the KF3 junior support class before claiming two fourths and a tenth in the heats then 10th in the Pre-Final and eighth in the Final.

The KF3 class was won by Pierce Lehane, KZ2 by David Sera.

This year’s CIK Stars of Karting series presented by Castrol Edge is the strongest held in Australia in a number of years with over 80 competitors contesting the three core CIK classes (Prolight/KF1, KZ2 and KF3) and another 50 competing in the two support classes, Clubman and Junior National.