Josh Hart and Caleb Huston share an early season lead in the 125cc Rotax Max Light class standings after a points tie at the opening round of the 2015 CRC Speedshow-sponsored Top Half kart series in Tokoroa on Sunday,
Typical of how close the racing was across all seven classes at the meeting the pair were just two of the four heat winners in the Rotax Light class.
Ethan Anderson claimed the first from Huston and Hart, Corey Green the second from Hart and Hamilton driver Rhys Tinney, and Huston the third from Green and Anderson before Hart found his rhythm and took the final two, the fourth from Tinney and James Higgins, the fifth from Huston and Tinney.
The result was a tie with Hart and Huston on 152 points and Tinney in third with 145.
The fast, flowing nature of the Holsters Trade Zone Raceway produced close racing across all classes, with the big news in the Junior classes, Wellington teen Rianna O'Meara-Hunt's breaththrough round win in Formula Junior.
She won the third heat from Matthew Payne and Cameron Hoskins and claimed a third and two fourths in three of the other four heats to top the points standings with 147 points, four more than Matthew Payne in second and five more than Alex Newlove in third.
In the other Senior classes, Open also ended in a points tie, in this case between Jonathan Buxeda from Tuakau and Mitchell Beach from Hamilton who both won heats (Buxeda the last two) and ended up with 150 points each.
Another Hamilton driver, Mike Grimshaw, returned to the track after several years away to take out 125cc Rotax Max Heavy with wins in two of the five heats. Second after winning two of the other heats was Darren Walker, third class regular Brendon Hart from Palmerston North.
Not surprisingly, no-one won all five heats in any class, though Stephen Muggeridge from the Eastern Bay of Plenty club at Edgecumbe came close, winning four and finishing second to Stephen Carter in the other.
Finally, as usual, you could have thrown a blanket over the top five or six in any Vortex Mini ROK or Cadet ROK heat.
There was only two points in it in Vortex Mini ROK after five frantic heats, round victory eventually going to Connor Davison with 152 points from Fynn Osborne on 150.
The margin was only one more in Cadet ROK where Asten Addy grabbed the early season initiative thanks to two heat wins to end the day on 148 points. Second was Logan Manson with 145, third Kaden Probst on 144.
The KartSport Whangarei club hosts the second round of this year's CRC Speedshow Top Half series on May 24 with subsequent rounds in Hamilton in June and Auckland in July.
Series sponsor, the CRC Speedshow is New Zealand's premier automotive and motorsport expo which this year will be held at Auckland's ASB Showgrounds over the July 18-19 weekend.