Hello from our family to yours,

What a fantastic month of motorsport March has been & even better April it is going to be!

We saw drivers from BOP head across the ditch to compete in the Australian Kart Championship in Coffs Harbour, NSW (13th March). A big well done to Van Merrett and Nico Thomasen for competing in the Cadet 12 class — awesome effort.

Another huge congratulations goes to Charlie Clarke in VMR for setting a new track record of 1:00.042 at Kartsport Rotorua — outstanding driving, Charlie!

Now, all eyes turn to the Rotorua Nationals this coming weekend. With entries reaching 210 — the highest in 16 years — and oversubscribed fields in Rotax Max Junior and Rotax Max Light, the finals are shaping up to be epic.

If you’re not racing, head along to Kartsport Rotorua, Amoore Rd, follow the signs, and soak up the action. There will be plenty of food and drink, and Rotorua always puts on a great show. See you there!

Kartsport BOP proudly acknowledges our drivers representing the club:

VMR: Nixon Boshier, Charlie Clarke, Murphy Dobson, Cole Hills, Van Merrett, Nico Thomasen, Joey ZhouRMJ: Atto Bailey, Patrick McDonaldRMH: Adam BellDD2: Kahli Samuelson, Alexis NeuhoffKZ2: Blake Corin, Mitchell Corin

Good luck to you all — we can’t wait to see how you go!

We’d also like to thank our amazing officials for giving up their Easter weekend to support the event:Eddie Donnelly (Chief), Todd Adlam (Tech), Graham Knight (Lights), Daniel Samuelson (Assistant Convenor). Your time and effort are greatly appreciated.

Race Day Tips for New Drivers:

If you are new to the sport, please take note of the following:

• If you are X-rated, collect your white card from the Tech Shed and have your kart scrutineered by Todd or Pete. This must be signed off before proceeding.
• Head to the Stewards (clubrooms) to sign in.
• Then see Jo (Race Secretary) for confirmation.
• Please remember to enter via Sporty prior to the event. If you forget, don’t worry — just see Jo and we’ll sort it out.
• A drivers briefing will be held on the dummy grid (fine weather) or in the clubrooms (wet weather). Attendance is mandatory for all drivers and guardians. Random checks may be carried out.

If you’re unsure about anything, please ask a KSBOP member or committee — we’re here to help.

We also send our deepest condolences to the Donnelly family following the passing of Lenny Donnelly on Saturday 14th March. Lenny supported our club for over 40 years and will be sadly missed by Max, Eddie, and the wider karting community.

That’s a wrap for March!

Kartsport BOP wishes all competitors the very best of luck for the Easter Weekend Kartsport New Zealand National Event hosted by Kartsport Rotorua. This is an event not to be missed — come along, support the drivers, and enjoy the action.

Don’t forget to register for Club Champs on 26th April 2026.

Catch you all trackside!

KSBOP Committee