Perfect start for rookie Evans at Timaru

| Photographer Credit: Terry Marshall/Euan Cameron Photography

In just his first race outing in a single seater, Australian based Kiwi Jaxon Evans has won the opening round of the South Island Formula Ford Championship held at Timaru International Motor Raceway on Saturday. The 19 year old, living in Queensland, was fastest qualifier and then showed a dominant form, winning all three races.

It was a cold and wet early morning start for 20 drivers taking to the grid.

“That was good fun,” commented Jaxon Evans. “I’ve done a fair bit of wet weather racing, particularly in karting, which is very similar. I was able to beat Aaron (Marr) to the first corner then just focussed and stayed ahead.” And that was how the second race went as well.

However with a dry track it was Wanganui’s Aaron Marr that pressured Evans all the way from start to finish in the final race.

“He was pushing me the whole time and waiting to pounce if I made a mistake,” said Evans.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Marr, “particularly in the slippery conditions. We haven’t had much time to prepare for this season and I haven’t raced in the wet for two seasons so pretty happy with the results from the weekend.” Marr finished third in race one and second in three while in the second race he had to pit to fix a loose engine cover, sending him down the field to finish 13th.

Having been reunited with the car which he won the same championship back in 1991; Andy McElrea claimed three podiums for the weekend. “There’s a massive sense of Deja-vu,” commented McElrea. “I drove this at the Wigram Revival meeting a couple of years ago but it’s great to be back racing it.”

Two seconds and a third gave him second place overall for the weekend and the lead in Class 3.

Son Hunter McElrea, also making his Formula Ford debut, finished a credible third in Class 2 and ninth overall.

Ethan Anderson was impressive in just his second season in the series. “The car felt pretty good and it’s only my second race in the wet.” With an aim to finish on the podium at the end of the season Anderson was third in Class 1 and fifth overall.

Royce Bayer had two top five placings and is now fourth overall and leads Class 2 from Gary Lovie.

Also impressive was Tim Miles, one of the five Australian based drivers competing in the six round championship. Currently also competing in the Australian Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, he placed sixth for the weekend and second in Class 3 behind McElrea.

The championship returns to the Timaru circuit (long track) on 14 November for the second round which also doubles as the first round of the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship.

Results
Race 1
1 Jaxon Evans
2 Andy McElrea
3 Aaron Marr
4 Timothy Miles
5 Ethan Anderson
6 Royce Bayer
7 Gary Lovie
8 Jordan Michels
9 Mitchell Maddren
10 Robert Toshach
11 Grant Campbell
12 Corey Hodges
13 Graham Dickie
14 Joseph Oliver
15 Hunter McElrea
16 Roger McKenzie
17 Anna Collins
18 Laurie Henderson
dnf Robert Scott
dnf Dyson Freeman

Race 2 12-laps
1 Jaxon Evans
2 Andy McElrea
3 Ethan Anderson
4 Royce Bayer
5 Gary Lovie
6 Timothy Miles
7 Jordan Michels
8 Hunter McElrea
9 Mitchell Maddren
10 Robert Toshach
11 Grant Campbell
12 Graham Dickie
13 Aaron Marr
14 Corey Hodges
15 Laurie Henderson
16 Anna Collins
17 Roger McKenzie
dnf Robert Scott
dnf Joseph Oliver
dns Dyson Freeman

Race 3 14 laps
1 Jaxon Evans
2 Aaron Marr
3 Andy McElrea
4 Royce Bayer
5 Hunter McElrea
6 Robert Toshach
7 Timothy Miles
8 Ethan Anderson
9 Gary Lovie
10 Mitchell Maddren
11 Graham Dickie
12 Corey Hodges
13 Joseph Oliver
14 Anna Collins
15 Roger McKenzie
dnf Jordan Michels
dnf Grant Campbell
dnf Laurie Henderson
dns Robert Scott
dns Dyson Freeman

Qualifying (Short Track)
1 91 Jaxon Evans 44.155
2 11 Aaron Marr 44.373
3 97 Andy McElrae 45.160
4 90 Royce Bayer 45.281
5 98 Hunter McElrae 45.432
6 70 Ethan Anderson 45.529
7 22 Robert Toshach 45.773
8 32 Gary Lovie 45.797
9 79 Timothy Miles 45.802
10 23 Jordan Michels 46.123
11 9 Robert Scott 46.177
12 26 Dyson Freeman 46.394
13 46 Grant Campbell 46.421
14 191 Graham Dickie 46.783
15 96 Anna Collins 47.218
16 54 Laurie Henderson 47.532
17 14 Joseph Oliver 47.559
18 55 Corey Hodges 47.795
19 72 Roger McKenzie 50.847
20 95 Mitchell Maddren 55.083

Benjamin Carrell is a freelance motorsport writer and currently edits talkmotorsport.co.nz. He writes for a number of Kiwi drivers and motorsport clubs. That's when he's not working in his horticultural day-job or training for the next road or mtb cycle race!

https://talkmotorsport.co.nz

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