Sport + Motorsport
Wet weather added an extra layer of challenge as the first day of motor racing got underway at the Ascot Park Hotel Teretonga Park International meeting, part of the Repco NextGen NZ Championship, at Teretonga Park in Invercargill today.
The wet conditions created plenty of havoc, with the safety car making frequent appearances throughout the day and curtailing the programme before the second Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Trophy race could be run.
International drivers from eleven different countries are contesting this year’s series and it was Freddie Slater of the UK who won the first race after an incident-packed contest that saw three safety car periods. The race finished under safety car conditions, with Jin Nakamura of Japan second while two-time World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä of Finland took his first podium of the series in third place.
Mexican Ernesto Rivera had started from pole after Nakamura copped a penalty after originally qualifying fastest, but Rivera went off at the first corner of the race and took no further part.
The field lined up ready for the second race later in the afternoon with series leader Ugo Ugochukwu from the United States on pole, before the decision was made not to start the race due to the conditions.
The first appearance of the big banger V8s of the SP Tools TA2 NZ Championship at Teretonga Park did not disappoint, with Caleb Byers of Christchurch taking the maiden win ahead of Toby Elmiger and Dylan Grant.
Chris White Junior of Prebbleton in Canterbury took victory in the Bridgestone GR86 Championship race, with fourteen-year-old Ajay Giddy closing in at the end of the race to place second and Zach Blincoe third.
Joel Giddy of Auckland crossed the line first in the Summerset GT NZ Championship race in his Mercedes AMG GT2, but he received a penalty which dropped him to third behind Rick Armstrong of Christchurch and Sam Fillmore, both in Porsche 992s. Grant Aitken of Cromwell took the GT4 class in his Audi R8.
The opening race of the NAPA NZ Formula Ford Championship also ended under safety car, with young Australian Sebastian Eskandari-Marandi taking the win in his first ever car race ahead of Dylan Petch and Campbell Owens. Jacob Begg of Winton finished fourth in his Ray GR21.
Two red flags punctuated the first laps of the Nexen Tyre Mazda Racing Super Series race before a call was made to end the race, with Tomas Climo of Hamilton taking the win from Ajay Giddy and Mac Berkett.
Sunday’s action commences at 8.30am. Full information and tickets are available at nextgennz.co.nz.