Matthew
Payne topped qualifying at Hampton Downs for the second TRS
round.
Picture Bruce
Jenkins
The seven remaining cars
in the championship were covered by just seven tenths of a
second – ensuring both of the races on Saturday are likely
to be closely fought affairs.
With just fifteen
minutes available to clock a fast time and with only a few
tenths separating the seven drivers in Friday practice, it
was all to play for in the morning qualifying session on
Hampton Downs’ national circuit.
It was Conrad Clark
who was into his stride earliest and he topped the
timesheets for the first few minutes ahead of Kaleb Ngatoa.
Matthew Payne raced to his first win in TRS at Hampton Downs and took the series lead.
Rookie racer Matthew Payne made it two from two at the second round of the Toyota Racing Series at Hampton Downs, storming home in Saturday s second race to claim the Dorothy Smith Memorial Cup. The youngster – who took three third-place finishes in last weekend’s New Zealand Grand Prix – won the day s first race by holding out fellow rookie Peter Vodanovich, then did the double in style. After 30 laps of the national circuit at the North Waikato track, Payne had carved out an emphatic 14-second victory, leaving second-placed Kaleb Ngatoa and Vodanovich to fight over the remaining spots on the podium. Ngatoa made it home second, but only just, with Vodanovich barely half a second behind.
“I ll have to sort my starts out,” van Gisbergen said following his victory. “I managed to get past him and took the only chance I got and it worked out really well. Twenty-eight laps tomorrow is going to be a long way. “We ve been making a few tweaks and the car is almost there but there s a little more to come. It s going to be awesome tomorrow and qualifying in the morning is going to be really important. Van der Drift was philosophical with his second place and felt the car had lost a tiny percentage of its pace-setting speed from Friday, but he remained optimistic about his chances on Sunday.
Thursday, 21 January 2021, 1:01 pm
Sixteen of New Zealand’s top racing drivers are all set
to race in the 66th New Zealand Grand Prix this weekend and
there’s huge interest in what is being billed as an
historic Race of Champions.
Igor Fraga takes the
Grand Prix chequered flag in 2020. Which Kiwi will win it
this weekend and add their name to an illustrious list?
Picture Bruce Jenkins
With the pandemic travel
restrictions accounting for the usual international
entrants, it’s turned into an all-Kiwi affair. It is
arguably the most interesting field in a New Zealand Grand
Prix for a generation with the best of the past, present and
Press Release – Toyota Racing New Zealand
Reigning Best Bars Toyota 86 Champion Peter Vodanovich has today confirmed he will take part in the full nine race 2021 Castrol Toyota Racing Series.
Peter Vodanovich is another champion Kiwi racer lined up for the Grand Prix and Castrol TRS championship
. Picture TGRNZ.
The 19 year old Aucklander will compete in his first single seater championship when he takes to the track for the first round in January, the 66th New Zealand Grand Prix on Hampton Downs’ long circuit.
Vodanovich doesn’t have a background in karting as so many racing drivers of all levels do. His skill set was forged behind the wheel of a simulator and put to the test over just two years of racing in New Zealand’s popular 2K Cup Category, in a BMW E30 and in a Ssangyong Actyon Ute after winning the 2017-2018 Ssangyong Scholarship.