Home advantage may not be enough for Southland drivers’ Ethan Anderson and Jordan Michels as the South Island Formula 1600 Championship hits Teretonga Park in Invercargill on Sunday. Canterbury’s Michael Collins currently leads the championship but it is the young Auckland rookie Liam Lawson who heads south having dominated the series at the last round in Timaru.
“It’s a new track and a new learning curve for the team,” commented Lawson. “It’s important that we get as many points as possible as we cannot afford anymore retirements, we need race wins.”
The fourteen-year-old is currently placed seventh overall on the championship leader board after engine problems in the opening round in Christchurch thwarted any chance of earning points. Lawson then maximised his second round at Timaru by setting the fastest time in qualifying and winning all three races. Collins in turn finished second three times and extended his lead over second placed Anderson.
“I’m looking forward to it,” commented Collins. “We’re going to Teretonga with an open mind. There is a lot of competition this year so we will see how it goes. Liam (Lawson) is pretty quick and Teretonga is not the most technical track; it’s fast and he should go well there.”
Jordan Michels is in his second Formula 1600 season and sits fourth on the leader board behind Royce Bayer. Twelve months ago Michels won his first race at Teretonga in just his third meeting, a result that put him into championship contention.
A large field of 23 cars covering three different classes (modern to historic) have entered the round and will compete in a qualifying session and three races on Sunday. Collins is competing this season in a Class 2 car and leads that category from Bayer and Dyson Freeman. Anderson leads Class 1 from Grant Campbell and Michels while Joseph Oliver currently leads the historic Class 3.
Comments