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Is nine-year-old
Maddison the next
Scott Dixon?
‘Last year he somersaulted and came down on his head. He split his helmet visor and totalled the kart chassis.’
BY ERIN HARFORD
Maddison Wise is a quiet achiever in a loud fast sport.
The nine-year-old has “Maddie” blazoned across the front of his black 85cc kart and he’s making a name for himself, not only at Hawke’s Bay Kart Club (based at Fernhill ZM Raceway), but in national motor-racing circles.
The Meeanee lad took out the New Zealand Schools’ Karting Championship cadet class in Te Puke a few weeks ago. Racing against 24 other seven to 12-year-olds, Maddie won the first four races and didn’t even have to compete in the fifth to win the class. That made him the first kid his age to win that many consecutive races.
Clearly Maddie’s Dad, Paul, is proud of him.
“He lives for it. We travel almost every weekend. It costs us plenty but it’s worth it,” Paul says.
And it appears the feeling is mutual. Asked who Maddie’s hero was his instant reaction was “Dad”, right before Hawke’s Bay-born professional V8 driver Greg Murphy and British Formula One driver, Lewis Hamilton. Greg has already noticed this young up-and-coming racer, taking him out to lunch when he returned to the Bay recently and sending him race memorabilia.
“It’s because Maddie’s achieved so much in such a short time with the club,” Paul says. “Greg’s Dad is a former club president and that’s where it all started for him, so he’s encouraging Maddie to strive for his dreams.”
The Bledisloe School pupil has been racing just two years but he’s already been named Hawke’s Bay Cadet Class Champion for the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons. He’s also won the last cadet class Gold Star Championship round and recent Citrus Meeting cadet class at Te Puke. The next big meet is at Maddie’s home ground at Fernhill, with the Blossom Festival meeting on Saturday and Sunday, September 1 and 2.
Maddie says he would love to race Formula One cars and the next step towards the goal is moving up to Formula Ford and Formula First “open- wheeler” classes.
Paul says Maddie’s mother Katrina doesn’t go to many races because the thought of him seriously hurting himself is too much for her — Maddie has already had two crashes.
“Last year he somersaulted and came down on his head. He split his helmet visor and totalled the kart chassis, Paul says. “In the ambulance, he asked if they could put the other chassis on so he could continue racing. He wasn’t injured, but later, we noticed his spine was bruised from top to bottom from the impact.”
Despite all this action the quiet young driver hasn’t told many of his school mates about what he does on the weekend.
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ILOVEYOU soooo much maddie