Caleb Aims To Step Into Dad's Shoes
Caleb Aims To Step Into Dad's Shoes
When he was growing up in Nelson, top New Zealand kart and more recently car racer Hamish Cross made the annual Sunbelt Sprint Kart Championship meeting at Queen's Birthday weekend his own.
Now his 12-year-old son Caleb is helping him keep a proud family tradition alive.
In a competitive career spanning 25 years, the 36-year-old Rangiora garage proprietor won nine Sunbelt titles: four in a row as an under-16-year-old in the Junior Yamaha class, four more as a teenager and young adult in Senior 100cc Yamaha Light, and the final one more recently - when he made a brief return to the sport after years racing cars - in 125cc Rotax Max Light.
This weekend, however, his focus and that of long-time Nelson mentor Graham Wehner will be on Caleb, one of more than 70 karters from all over New Zealand set to contest the 28th two-day Sunbelt meeting in Nelson and Blenheim.
Unlike other big regional KartSport meetings, the Sunbelt is raced at two tracks - the KartSport Nelson club's Classic Hits Kart Raceway in the Redwood Valley near Richmond on Saturday, and KartSport Marlborough's 100 Per Cent Herkt Appliances track on the Wither Rd extension on the outskirts of Blenheim on Sunday.
Each track presents a different set of challenges - and it is this, says Hamish, that gives the Sunbelt a character all its own.
"You can be on fire at one track and struggling to get into the top three or four at the other. You really have to be on top of your game to be in the frame at both, making it even sweeter if you do get a win."
Having seen his son win first time up in the Cadet class two years ago, Hamish has high hopes for Caleb, the current New Zealand Junior Restricted class champion, this year.
"Last year Caleb had just moved up to JR (junior restricted), so it was a bit of a learning experience for him, but this year he's right at home - so yes, all other things being equal, we're looking for a good result."
This year each Sunbelt event will also carry points for the new Mainland Kart Series, another reason why it has attracted such a strong field.
Caleb Cross is one of several reigning New Zealand and/or South Island sprint kart class champions who will be competing.
Others include Christchurch drivers Jacob Mitchell in Cadet, Marcus Armstrong in Formula Junior and Michael Collins in 125cc Rotax Max Heavy, and Dyson Freeman from Dunedin in KZ2.
Among the local drivers to look out for are David Pinkerton, Matt Butchart and veteran Grant Kugener in KZ2, Liam Lotter, Kevin Barker and Teneill Rasmusssen in 125cc Rotax Max Light, and Jarrod Fisher in Junior Restricted 100cc Yamaha.
Article Via The Nelson Mail