Pitstop: It's Inver-kart-gill

Andy Greenslade. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

Karters from all over the country are converging on the MKart Raceway in Invercargill for the 52nd KartSport New Zealand National Sprint Championships over the Easter weekend. Heading the entrants is Matthew Hamilton, a multi-time New Zealand and South Island champion who has raced Formula Ford and Toyota Racing Series single-seaters as well as BMW Minis and V8 Supercars.

Greenslade set for finale

The IRC Series heads to Taupo this weekend for the finale of the 2010/11 championship for all the classes. In the GT1 class Andy Greenslade holds a slender 19-point advantage over the ex-V8 Supercar of Craig Corliss and Clark Proctor leads GT2 in his Ford Escort. Five drivers will be fighting it out in the SS2000 as will a number in the NZGT and other categories.

Vintage trophy date

There's vintage motor racing at Hampton Downs today, as part of the Roycroft Trophy. On show will be a large range of vintage cars, classic motorbikes, Formula Fords, Formula Juniors and Speedway midgets. The posh picnic group is coming, as are the steam and stationary engines.

TV3 'to put brakes on'

There are some pretty substantial rumours swirling around about the future of motor racing on TV3, whose handling of motorsport has had an air of "we can't wait to get rid of it". It could be about to happen. An Australian magazine has reported TV3's 'live' coverage, bar Bathurst, has been shelved for the rest of 2011.

Back to the future

The Historic Racing Club (HRC) has announced it will be promoting the new V8 SuperTourers class, which according to their releases, is the future of V8 racing in New Zealand. Not sure how old-school racing will help the future of V8 racing, as the demographics are different. Other new gigs will join the new V8 class for the HRC - Historic Muscle Cars and Allcomer Saloons.

Under the hood

Great news for Motorsport New Zealand's Elite Motorsport Academy - that's given us the likes of Brendon Hartley, Hayden Paddon, Mitch Evans and Shane Van Gisbergen - is yet another motor racing organisation has decided to follow its lead. Hot on the heels of the FIA in establishing an academy for young talented drivers to attend, the Force India F1 team has unveiled their own version.