Arguably the 2019 Castrol Toyota Racing Series will go down as one of the best. It has mostly been about a duel between two Kiwi drivers, Marcus Armstrong and Liam Lawson. However, at this weekend’s fourth round at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo, Austrian Lucas Auer came into the equation.
At the end of the third round a week ago Armstrong had a 34-point lead over Lawson while Auer was 84-points off the lead, and in sixth place.
Now he has moved up to third overall, three points ahead of Asian F3 champion Raul Hyman and only 53-points from the lead. A lead that Lawson (278-points) has taken from Armstrong (273-points) heading to the final three races this coming weekend at the NZ Grand Prix meeting at the Manfeild Circuit Chris Amon in Feilding.
Taupo threw up some interesting results and stats. Auer took one race win, twice finished second and placed seventh the remaining race.
Lawson took a win, two seconds and a third which catapulted him into the overall points lead ahead of Armstrong.
Armstrong finished third in the opening race, then did not finish in the next. This meant he had to start from the rear of the grid for the third race where he finished eighth. On pole for the final Denny Hulme Memorial Trophy feature race he led from start to finish. This was a pivotal win which has kept him right there in the title fight.
Auer heads to the final fifth round with a admirable chance at the title. While the other two may be in the limelight, this 24-year-old Austrian driver is a man on a mission, set to take advantage if the other two falter at the last hurdle.
Positions and times for practice, qualifying and races at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo
Practice 1
1/ Marcus Armstrong 1:23.468
2/ Lucas Auer 1:25.186
3/ Liam Lawson 1:23.468
Practice 2
1/ Marcus Armstrong 1:23.751
2/ Lucas Auer 1:23.873
3/ Liam Lawson 1:24.032
Qualifying 1
1/ Liam Lawson 1:24.137
2/ Marcus Armstrong 1:24.245
3/ Lucas Auer 1:24.475
Qualifying 2
1/ Liam Lawson 1:23.472
2/ Lucas Auer 1:23:475
3/ Marcus Armstrong 1:23.655
Qualifying 3
1/ Lucas Auer 1:23.310
2/ Marcus Armstrong 1:23.414
3/ Liam Lawson 1:23.490
Race 1 (+ fastest lap)
1/ Liam Lawson (1:25.002)
2/ Lucas Auer (1:25.186)
3/ Marcus Armstrong (1:25.319)
Race 2
1/ Lucas Auer (1:24.748)
2/ Liam Lawson (1:25.484)
Did not finish – Marcus Armstrong (1:24.259)
Race 3
2/ Liam Lawson (1:26.092)
7/ Lucas Auer (1:26.170)
8/ Marcus Armstrong (1:25.255)
Race 4
1/ Marcus Armstrong (1:25.869)
2/ Lucas Auer (1:25.862)
3/ Liam Lawson (1:26.239)
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