Bob McMurray writes from the 2nd round of the 2016 Toyota Racing Series…..
07.30 AND RAIN.
Looks like a wet day as the breakfast talk revolved around the fact that “last year it was so hot here” and wistful memories of happy times past, frolicking in the pit lane in 30c temperatures.
The mind tends to forget that we have also experienced freezing cold and huge hailstorms at this beautifully prepared track.
Shakespear said “Men are April when they woo, December when they wed. Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives”.
I have no idea of the relevance of that quote, I am not sure I really understand it, but it’s nice isn’t it?
I do like to get a bit of ‘cultcha’ in now and again.
In fact the more I read it the more it sounds as if big William is saying that one’s life is over when one weds.
I can assure him (well, I would if he was still around, that is certainly NOT the case).
We continue.
First up were the ‘Super Trucks’.
Back racing again.
They are now restricted to 100kph past the pits apparently.
The new chassis was assembled overnight to replace the one of Kami Laliberte damaged beyond local repair in the incident at the last turn in race #1 on Saturday.
It took about four and a half to five hours to complete the job.
Other than all was quiet on this most southerly front of New Zealand motorsport.
Saturday turns into a busy day, Sunday even more so.
Therefore I apologise in advance for the more curtailed news letter.
Probably a relief to some I guess but there again it is not compulsory for you to plough through it……… is it?
I will try to include the actual race reports but those can be read on the various Toyota Racing electronic platforms.
Check out http://www.toyota.co.nz/racing/ for both TRS and TF 86 news.
Another driver briefing from Sam MacNeill pre race pointing out a few potential indiscretions from race #1 and a few little warnings about blocking and the like.
Race #1 was messy to be honest.
Race #2 was an altogether different deal.
A clean race with no opportunity for the SC driver, Brent Sellens and his crew of Steve Boyce to strut their stuff as they quietly fermented in the Lexus in the sunny (yup SUNNY) conditions.
A nice day turned up for us all.
Drama on the grid as the car of Antoni Ptak was surrounded by the Giles Motosport team mechanics and unfortunately the drama did not cure the problem by the time the race started.
A problem with the gear shift needed two or three pitstops in what proved to be a vain attempt at curing the problem.
A great start by Piquet from pole, bettered only by the start of Lando Norris from the second row, with the slow starting Ptak in front, meant the drag to the first corner was pretty fraught.
Piquet won the battle and stayed in front for the entire race, harried closely on occasion, by Norris who finished second. Brendon Leitch also made a good start from the third row and held third until he slipped off the road coming out of turn 1 allowing Markelov through by the time he (Leitch) had scrabbled through the mud and back on to the track showing some pretty nifty car control.
Leitch ultimately finished fourth from Daruvala, Zhou, Dapero, Habsburg, Owen and completing the top ten James Munro.
Race #3 the ‘Spirit of a Nation’ race.
Press release here with points table
There was some confusion after race #1 of the TF 86 Championship.
With cars fitting dry tyres / wet tyres, the safety car periods et al. it seemed that one or two cars were wrongly classified.
One of those was the car of John Penny who was classified in second position but was in fact a lap down.
That means, after Callum Quin pulled the #8 marble from the hat, that the eighth finishing car would now be on pole position and that car is the one driven by Grant Aitken.
Grant is well known in New Zealand motorsport and is in fact the lead driver in the Lexus ‘hot laps’ lunchtime sessions.
His progress, or otherwise, in race #2 may well be keenly followed in the Toyota camp.
A good race from all the drivers in drying conditions with NO SAFETY CAR needed.
No safety car in race #2 and the race reports can be found on the Toyota Racing website and the Toyota Racing Facebook page.
Comments