After a lengthy period shrouded in uncertainty, the 2020 Top Half Karting Series has been cancelled amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Organisers of the four-round series took to social media today to announce the news.
“It is with sadness we announce that the 2020 Top Half series is officially cancelled for this year,” read the statement.
“As much as we want to be on track, we believe it’s in the best interests of the sport and series to cancel this year.
“The current Covid-19 global pandemic has put a lot of pressure on the race calendar for the remainder of the year. Cancelling our series allows the space for the other series and events that have already started to be completed. It also takes pressure off our long and loyal list of sponsors in the current economic environment.
“We will now put our energy and focus into next year’s series and hopefully come back bigger and better.
“We look forward to seeing everyone in the near future when we get back to the sport we all love.”
Run for more than 25 years, the Top Half series was founded by the Auckland, Mt Wellington and Hamilton Kart clubs.
Each year the series is operated between these three clubs and their partner clubs in a North Island only event.
The series has seen the likes of Formula E winner Mitch Evans, Super Formula champion Nick Cassidy and ex-Supercars journeyman Ritchie Stanaway all pass through its programme.
Earlier in the year, both 2020 Sprint Championships and Nation Schools competitions were postponed until 2021. Meanwhile, the Mainland and Sunbelts series have also been axed amid the pandemic.