OzRacingWrap

Interest in the first Rotax Pro Tour of the year at the Todd Road Karting Complex has far exceeded everybody’s expectations, with the total number of entries now reaching 174 across six classes, buoyed on by Australia’s recent success at last year’s Rotax World Finals.

Rotax Pro Tour Todd Road will see the 174 drivers converge across five states to the popular Melbourne venue for round two of the 2011/12 Rotax Pro Tour. The interest has also spread across the Tasman with two drivers from New Zealand coming across the ditch to compete against Australia’s best. Todd Road will feature six classes including Rotax Light, Rotax Heavy, Junior Max, Rotax Over 40s, DD2 and DD2 Masters. Of the six classes, Rotax Light is the most subscribed with 52 entered, followed by Junior Max with 39 and Rotax Heavy on 35. DD2 and DD2 Masters sees their popularity continue to climb with total entries reaching 18 and 13 drivers respectively, whilst Rotax Over 40s sees 17 drivers entered this weekend.

There will also be a fair deal of interest on the drivers competing this weekend, most notably those that represented Australia at the last year’s World Finals in Dubai. Looking at stamping their mark include Junior Max World Final runner-up, Joseph Mawson, who’ll race in Rotax Light along with Pierce Lehane, Josh De Maio, Renee Gracie and Rotax Light World Final runner-up and 12-time Australian champion, David Sera. Current Australian champion, Troy Woolston, will also be in the mix as he competes in two categories in Rotax Heavy and DD2.

Also in the mix will be Carrera Cup rising star, Queensland’sNick Foster. A multiple state karting champion, runner-up in the CIK Trophy of New Zealand and recent graduate of the Australian Formula Ford Championship, Foster will race in Rotax Light in the kart Daniel Rochford used at last year’s Rotax Nationals and prepared by Pau Gallo and Kristian Hanley. He will also use Todd Road to ‘blow off the cobwebs’ before he begins his assault on the 2012 Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia Championship.

Practice begins on Friday with qualifying and heat racing commencing from on Saturday and the Pre-Finals and Finals on Sunday, all starting from 9am. Entry is free to the general public. A free spit roast will be hosted by IKD, the promoters of the Rotax Pro Tour, today from 5pm