The third round of the 2022Formula Open New Zealand race series was held at Taupo International Motorsport Park on Friday and Saturday 22nd & 23rd April. The Friday session was a private practice day and it certainly threw out some curve balls.
First was the no show of series point’s leader Tom Alexander who unfortunately was isolating at home.
The second spanner in the works was series returnee Sam MacNeill striking low down power delivery problems that would hamper him all weekend.
Next up to strike problems was Gary Rush with a blown head gasket in his notoriously fickle Swift DB4 Atlantic. Poor Gary has done five engine changes on his car this year and so far, has completed only one round.
Friday night saw the whole series front up for dinner at Jolly Good Fellows English Pub and everybody had a great night with lots of banter and some great stories being thrown around. This will certainly become a feature of the series going forward and we thank our Entertainments Manager Hannah Prendergast for the brilliant organisation.
Onto Saturday which was qualifying and racing and the weather was outstanding without a cloud in the sky. However the ice cold wind did little to help the track heat up and saw cars skating of the track in a series of lurid spins. Most notable was James Watson who only completed one qualifying lap that put him on the front row even after a full 360 degree spin half way through the lap.
Race One: A rolling start saw Watson get the jump on pole sitter MacNeill who was really fighting with one hand tied behind his back with an engine that was running anything but sweet. MacNeill still quick enough to secure a strong second place ahead of a fast-finishing Bailey Cruse who started in ninth position due to a timing error in qualifying that should have had him on the front row. Fourth home was Fergus Crabb who is getting faster and faster with each outing (this being his 3rd). A fine fifth place finish for Grant Rivers in the Ex POPE Swift DB4 Formula Atlantic. Rounding out the top six was Geoff Harriman.
Race Two: Watson was on pole for this one with a very quick time of 1:26.544 with MacNeill alongside and Bailey Cruse starting out of position three and an outstanding job by Leo Francis to put his FT-40 in fourth place in front of the remaining FT-50’s. It was as little bit of follow the leader for most of the race with Watson taking out a second straight win with a fastest time of 1:26:342. MacNeill second and Crabb third, who picked up his first podium as Bailey Cruse retired with fuelling issues. Leo Francis came home where he started in fourth with Grant Rivers in fifth getting more and more comfortable with the ground effect characteristics of his Swift DB4. Geoff Harriman once again rounded out the top six.
Race Three: If we thought Watson was going to just cruise around and pick up a third win, we were all very much mistaken. Watson set about not only breaking his own lap record set in race one but he consistently lowered it every lap past the post to finally leave it sitting at an incredible 1:25.306. However, on his 6th lap when he looked to lower it even further, he had a wild spin coming out of turn five dropping him down to third position behind MacNeill and Crabb. After falling a fair distance behind new race leader MacNeill, Watson set off on an epic drive to wrestle the lead back on the final tour to make it three from three and a great haul of points for the North Shore driver. Other placings were Leo Francis with another fourth place and the ever consistent but continually improving Grant Rivers, the Whanganui driver absolutely beaming from ear to ear after a great weekend.
Watson leaves Taupo with a handy points lead heading into the final round at Hampton Downs on the 28-29 May. But he won’t have it so easy as not only will Tom Alexander be back in the Black Bull Markets FT-50 but he will be joined by none other than the Maestro himself Kenny Smith in the ex NZGP winning Marcus Armstrong FT-50. Also joining the grid will be Richard Crabb (father of Fergus) in another FT-50 and there will be two possibly three more FT-40’s joining in the fun for a grid of fifteen of the these very exciting cars.
Points Standings after 3/4 rounds
Position, Competitor, Class, Car, Points
1/ James Watson, Class 1 Swift DB4, 208
2/ Tom Alexander, Class 1 Tatuus FT50, 158
3/ Fergus Crabb, Class 1 Tatuus FT50, 111
4/ Leo Francis, Class 1 Tatuus FT40, 90
5/ Josh Donohue, Class 1 Tatuus FT50, 87
6/ Gary Rush, Class 1 Swift DB4, 83
7/ Grant Rivers, Class 1 Swift DB4, 80
8/ Sam MacNeill, Class 1 Tatuus FT50, 61
9/ Geoff Harriman, Class 1 Tatuus FT50, 59
10/ Paul Couper, Class 1 Swift SE3, 48
11/ Ethan Sillay, Class 2 Swift SE3, 32
12/ Bailey Cruze, Class 1 Tatuus FT50, 24
13/ David Mitchell, Class 2 Mygale M12-SJ, 3
The series events and dates are:
Round 1 – Legends of Speed, Hampton Downs, March 26th & 27th, 2022
Round 2 – Manfeild Circuit, April 1st & 2nd, 2022,
Round 3 – Great Lake Meeting, Taupo BMMP, April 23rd, 2022
Round 4 – Season Finale, Hampton Downs, May 28th, 2022
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