In a weekend filled with mixed weather, cold frosts, and tight racing, karters from across the country converged on the Waipa Civil Raceway in Tokoroa to kick off their 2026 Top Gear Top Half season.
The Top Half series is unique in the way that drivers total points are counted over four race weekends, with no dropped races – meaning every result, good or bad, counts to their overall season total. Drivers also have to consider a two set tyre limit, and randomised starting grids.
It is not only series honours on the line – courtesy of Toyota Gazoo Racing, the winners of the Rotax Max Junior and Rotax Max Light classes also win a half-day test in the Toyota TR86 car, as raced in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Trophy Series. All drivers also have the chance to win spot prizes such as free entries, tyres, vouchers, and Makita tools.
TCB Motorsport – Cadet Rok
The fifteen kart Cadet Rok field provided great, close action. The weekend ended up being a tie between the #3NZ of Sebastian Grant and Buddy Murch, with both drivers on 240 points each. On place countback, Grant sealed the overall win with two firsts, a third, a fourth, and a sixth. Faelan O’Hara finished third on 238 points, with Charlie Brant and Zack Smith both finishing on 233 points each – however, on place countback, Brant finished fourth for the round, and Smith fifth.
N-Zed Motorsport – Vortex Mini Rok
A packed twenty-five kart field of Vortex Mini Rok drivers resulted in Niko Hewson taking comfortable round honours with three wins, a third, and a fourth. The #3NZ of Joey Zhou finished in second with 228 points, marginally ahead of the new National Schools champion of Max Gosling taking third. Dominic Evers finished fourth on 218 points, one point ahead of Murphy Dobson – who brought home 217 points. The track record was also able to be broken on multiple occasions, with Van Walker eventually setting the new record with a 39.731.
International Kart Supplies – Rotax Max Junior
Aryan Lala was able to seal the round victory with two wins, a third, a fifth, and a seventh, leaving him on 238 points. Closely behind followed Zach Hemphill on 232 points, with Brae Milne taking third on 227 points, barely ahead of Tyler Kilip on 226 points. The #2NZ of Indi Urwin finished fourth on place countback, with Flynn Pocock taking fifth overall, with both on 218 points.
Urban Performance – Rotax Max Light
Thirty Rotax Max Lights drivers took to the track for their first round – and the large grid certainly provided thrilling viewing from the sidelines. Cy Finnemore in the #96 kart won the first round of the season with two wins, a third, a fifth, and an eleventh – meaning he was able to bring home 234 points. Finnemore finished ahead of the experienced Graeme Smyth on 229 points, with Jamie Thompson taking third with 225 points, Seth Comer finishing fourth on 220 points, and Mitchell Corin bringing home fifth for the round with 218 points.
JW Group – Rotax DD2
Kane Adamson took a dominant win in his #51 Energy Corse kart, taking three wins, a second, and a third to start his 2026 Top Half campaign in a nearly perfect fashion. Adamson finished ahead of the experienced duo of Jason Lee and Ryan Crombie, with Lee and Crombie both taking a win each to finish on 236 and 234 points respectively. Ryan Higgins and Simon Moseby both tied on points by the end of the final with 232 points each, with Higgins taking fourth ahead of Moseby on place countback.
After a thrilling weekend of action, drivers now have to prepare for what is almost certainly going to be a mixed weather weekend in Te Puke, at the Apparelmaster Raceway on the 22nd and 23rd of August.
