Lando Norris has firmly claimed the tagline “one to watch” following a definitive performance in the feature race of the second round of the Toyota Racing Series at Teretonga Park in Invercargill this afternoon.
Taking home the Spirit of a Nation Trophy one gets the feeling this will certainly not be his last. At only sixteen years old, Norris is one of the youngest in the field and joined the Toyota Racing Series as the youngest ever winner of the World Karting Championship.
He is using the Toyota Racing Series as a stepping stone into a season on European Formula Three or Formula Renault in 2016.
Starting on pole Norris extended his lead throughout the race hampered only by a safety car in lap 14 which bunched the field up again but he pulled away and comfortably drove under the checkered flag first.
Local fans out in force at Teretonga Park to watch the action were thrilled to watch local racer and last year’s Cup winner, Brendon Leitch (20) stomp across in second. He never really challenged Norris but developed a clear gap of tarmac back to the Russian third place getter Artem Markelov (21).
The two other Kiwi racers, Canterbury’s James Munro (18) and Pukekohe local Taylor Cockerton (18) finished 9th and 11th respectively.
See also
Piquet wins race 2
Toyota Racing Series, Race #3 Results sorted by “best times” (Top 10 only):
L Norris (UK) 53.500 (secs)
B Leitch (New Zealand) 53.793
A Markelov (Russia) 53.951
F Habsburg (Austria) 53.857
D de Francesco (Canada) 54.230
B Baptista (Brazil) 54.210
K Laliberte (Canada) 53.988
G Zhou (China) 54.055
J Munro (New Zealand) 54.046
P Piquet (Brazil) 54.016
Toyota Racing Series Points – after six of 15 races:
1, Norris, 380 points; 2, Markelov, 346; 3, Habsburg, 303; 4, Leitch, 300; 5, Zhou, 289; 6, Daruvala, 282; 7, Piquet, 271; 8, Ptak, 185; 9, Cockerton, 184; 10, DeFrancesco, 175.
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