There was one man to beat at the opening round of the 2022 NAPA Auto Parts New Zealand Formula Ford Championship last weekend at the Taupo International Motorsport Park in Taupo. Liam Sceats had the perfect weekend, setting fastest lap in qualifying (and winning $1,010 Hampton Downs NZ Racing Academy cash prize) and then winning all four races over the two-day event. He now heads to the second, and final, round with a handy 34-point lead over Christchurch’s Zac Christensen, who finished runner up in all four races.
Talking with Liam after the weekend, he gave his team a big acknowledgement as a key part of his success.
“I can thank my Motorsport Solutions team for a big part in our success,” commented Sceats. “All the testing we did before hand was vital and helpful. We spent a lot of time making sure the car was right, practicing and getting advice.”
Having a fast car appeared to be the key for the Taupo round. Get in front and then leave it to those that are following to get passed, such were the few opportunities available on this technical track.
“There’s probably only a few corners that you are able to pass so we didn’t have to worry about that one. We qualified well which was very important in a field like that. On the front row was ideal.”
Christensen wasn’t disappointed at all with his weekend results, having never previously been to the Taupo Motorsport Park.
“That was not too bad considering we only had a couple of laps on Friday to learn the track,” said Christensen. “The car was really good and quick all weekend. Liam (Sceats) was just too quick and I never really got the chance to get passed. Overall we got some good points from the round heading to my home track.”
That will be Christensen’s advantage in the final round on Sunday 1 May 2022. The Mike Pero Motorsport Park in Ruapuna, Christchurch, is his home track which he knows intimately. Although, Sceats doesn’t appear phased at all by this prospect.
“We have done a couple of meetings there,” said Sceats. “I like the track, its similar to Taupo with 14 or so corners. It suits my driving style so similar to Taupo and we were strong there last weekend.”
I’d put a big question mark on that one. The Christchurch track is completely different with plenty of overtaking opportunities right around the track. It can be the Archilles heel of North Island Formula Ford drivers who have spent very little time racing (not testing) at Ruapuna. You cannot beat racing laps on a track and the experience it offers.
This is the mistake that Matthew McCutheon and his team made last season. They didn’t come down to compete in either of the two South Island Formula 1600 Championship rounds held in Christchurch in order to gain vital track and racing experience against those who would also be lining up on the grid at the final 2020/21 NZ Formula Ford Championship round at the end of the season.
Eventual title winner, James Penrose put his car on pole with McCutheon only qualifying in ninth. Penrose won the opening race, taking the overall lead of the championship and the rest is history.
Sceats and his team (not Motorsport Solutions) made the journey south for the Speed Works round in Christchurch in January 2022, competing in the fourth round of the South Island Series.
Unfortunately he was disqualified early from the meeting for exceeding the maximum overall width of the car. One could consider it a tough mistake to have been made by the team. It could also be viewed quite differently as Sceats and his team were caught for the same breach a month earlier while competing in the North Island Formula Ford Series. Having already had his licence endorsed in December, a second endorsement saw his licence suspended until 18 March 2022.
Switching to Motorsport Solutons has been a clever move for Sceats and his supporters. This experienced single seater team won’t make technical mistakes and they will provide him, as they did for Taupo, with an A1 car! Note that they are also running both Zac Christensen and third placed (and improving) Alex Crosbie!
Heading for the Christchurch round, Sceats has runs on the board and will be quick. The smart money will be on Christensen who has that key racing experience around the Ruapuna track. He has the opportunity to win all four races which could even be a reversal of the Taupo result, with Sceats finishing runner up four-times and both finishing the national championship on equal points! The end result may see Motorsport NZ declaring two Formula Ford national champions (Appendix Four, Schedule Z Article 15.6)! For Formula Ford fans, it is another great competition and season of racing.
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