There is a wealth of young talent coming through the New Zealand karting ranks who are vying to be the next Dixon, McLaughlin, Van Gisbergen, and Lawson. One of those talented youngsters worth watching is the 2022 CIK Trophy winner and ‘City of Sails’ champion, Auckland’s Ayrton Williams.
Williams recently added to his resume with a win in tricky conditions at Kartsport Auckland’s ‘City of Sails’ meeting. We took the opportunity to catch up with Ayrton at a wet and wild Rosebank Road.
THE BEGINNING
The late, great Mt. Wellington kart track, the circuit that has launched the careers of many of NZ motorsports’ greats, can once again take credit for being the place where a young Ayrton Williams first became interested in pursuing his interest in motorsports.
“I was 9 years old when I first started racing at my home track at the time Kartsport Mt Wellington. When I was a toddler, my Dad used to take me to the Mt Wellington track to watch the racing from the back of our station wagon. This is where my love for racing began.”
“My first Kart was an ex-Liam Lawson Cadet. I have then raced through the various classes and am now competing in Senior Rotax Light and DVS Senior.”
RACING IN EUROPE
In 2022, Ayrton travelled to Europe with a team of Kiwi karters, managed and coached by Chris van der Drift who kept a watchful eye on their progress during two weeks of intense travelling, testing, and competing, culminating in the European Kart Championships at the Castelletto Circuit in Italy.
“I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel to Europe with Veloce Karting, in partnership with the Falcon PDB Racing Team. The first weekend I competed at Genk [Belgium] for the GK4 Championship round, which was a warm-up for the IAME Euro Series in Castelletto, Italy, the following weekend.”
“The level of racing in Europe is extremely high with fields of 150 drivers who are arguably some of the best in the world, however, the high calibre of racing in New Zealand prepared me well for the challenge, which showed when I placed 5th in the final at Genk.”
DRIVER DEVELOPMENT
As drivers become more competitive, they leave “no stone unturned,” looking for any advantage to help them, so receiving guidance from those that have walked the path before them is something that can be very beneficial.
“Chris van der Drift has been an amazing mentor for me since I first joined his team, Veloce Karting, four years ago. Chris has pushed me and my driving to another level with his vast experience both on and off track. Chris’s motorsport connections have enabled me to form a relationship with Tasman Sports Management, with Jack Kofoed and Andre Heimgartner. Jack’s knowledge of the business side of motorsport has helped me become a more rounded driver.”
“Veloce Karting and Tasman Sports Management have helped me develop and prepare for the challenges ahead.”
“I’ve watched Ayrton grow as a driver since he joined our team 4 years ago. It impressed me massively when he managed to win the CIK Trophy of New Zealand last year.“
Chris van der Drift
“Currently, Ayrton is at the top of his game.”
Ayrton echoes the benefits of mentorship and coaching for young drivers who are starting out in the sport.
“My advice for young karters who want to progress through the NZ Karting ranks is to surround yourself with people who are invested in your success. People like Chris van der Drift from Veloce Karting who offer driver coaching to support all levels of drivers.”
“There is also a new initiative by Kartsport NZ called the KSNZ Academy, which supports drivers through the karting tiers with academy days run by some of New Zealand’s best karting coaches. This provides a clear pathway for up-and-coming karters.”
Karting is no different from any other form of motorsport, for a driver to perform at his/her peak, they must prepare both physically and mentally for whatever a race weekend may throw at them.
“I have found over the years that it is extremely important to be not only physically ready for a weekend but also mentally prepared. I now go to the gym 2-3 times a week to help prepare myself for the hot 28-lap finals we face at the likes of City of Sails and CIK events.”
“To prepare myself mentally for a race weekend I like to help Dad get the karts together, along with watching onboard footage from past years.”
“Motorsport can have many frustrating and difficult moments, which is why I like to enter a race weekend with the mindset of having fun. Naturally, you put pressure on yourself to win; however, I find it important to ensure that you remain calm on-track to make the most of bad situations.”
2023 and BEYOND
2023 is set to be a busy year for Ayrton as he looks to build on his DVS Senior win at the recent ‘City of Sails’ meeting.
“In 2023, I am competing in the Rok Cup New Zealand Championship, along with stand-alone national events such as the National Sprint Championship and the North Islands. We plan to run both Rotax Light and DVS Senior throughout the season. A successful season this year would be winning the Rok Cup Championship, allowing us to return to Italy in October. I would also love to defend my CIK Trophy of New Zealand title.”
“My goal for this year is to see myself transition into race cars by the end of this season, and we are currently on the lookout for sponsors to help us make the move to cars to enable us to be as successful as possible.”
Ayrton’s success wouldn’t be possible without the team behind him that has supported him along the way.
“I would like to thank Veloce Karting, Chris van der Drift, Allwater Pumps and Supplies, Welch Marine, Tasman Sports Management, Dayle ITM, and our engine builder Ryan Urban at Urban Performance.”
For our readers who would like to follow Ayrton’s progress, they can find him on social media.
“You can find me on Instagram at Ayrton_Williams. My Facebook page is Ayrton Williams Racing, or you can visit my website www.ayrtonwilliams.com which includes blogs covering my weekend’s racing.”
Images thanks to @motorsportplus_ayrton
