PATRON OF THE SPORT
Similar to what Bryan Herta and Bobby Rahal did with the Snap-on Stars of Karting presented by the IndyCar Series, 2005 Indy Pro Series champion Wade Cunningham is seeking to accomplish through the New Zealand Karting Academy.
Cunningham, the 2003 CIK-FIA World Karting Championship title-holder, will be the patron of the KartSport New Zealand's new driver development academy. Cunningham, 23, is championing the initiatives in his native country because there weren't clear paths for prospective drivers early in his career.
'The fist big transformation was in 1998 when Julian Tordoff introduced the International categories ICA and JICA, and for the fist time it gave us drivers somewhere where we could compete domestically and then progress to Australia and Japan using the same equipment,' Cunningham said. 'The best way to improve is to broaden the competition base and this is exactly what the Pro Series which Julian created allowed us to do as drivers.'
IndyCar Series Merchandise
Karting success led Cunningham to the Cooper Tires Formula Ford 2000 Zetec championship, earning the circuit's Rising Star award, and on to the Indy Pro Series with Brian Stewart Racing in '05. He posted one victory and eight other top-10 finishes this past season with AFS Racing.
'The frenetic pace when you are racing karts is so intense that if you are able to understand what the chassis is doing and what changes are necessary to improve the kart, then when a talented driver steps into a car it is easier to understand what the car is doing because there is so much more time to analyze what is going on,' he said. 'Also, as you move up the ladder in cars, a driver's role is refined and you are able to focus on driving and set-up, not worrying about whether you remembered to tighten the engine mount or the airbox clamp.'
KartSport Academy director Graeme Moore said the program seeks 'to strengthen and grow the sport in this country' along with identifying and nurturing 'our next World Champion.'
