Two race wins and a second for Liam Foster has eaten into the Hi-Q Components 2020/21 NZ Formula First Championship lead of Chris Symon after the fourth round at the Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park, Taupo, over the weekend. Symon did enough at the round to now hold a 42-point lead over Foster having finished third, fourth and second, across the three races.
Race 1 (10)
Liam Foster won race ten of the 2020-21 Hi-Q Components NZ Formula First Championship after he claimed an emphatic victory at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park.
Foster got the early lead and broke away from the chasing duo of Brody McConkey and Chris Symon just a few laps into the race. Foster’s lead continued to grow until a small mistake saw him fall back into the clutches of a now free McConkey on the penultimate lap. Foster’s pace would prove too much for McConkey who had an ailing clutch, with the latter finishing in second.
Championship leader Chris Symon finished in third place, enough to maintain his points lead over the race winner Foster.
The other highlight battle of the race was for fourth place between the rookies of Dylan Grant and Zac Blincoe. Grant started from fourth and held the position for the opening laps of the race and even latched onto the back of the top three pack. Once the top three broke away, the rookies trading positions for the remainder of the race with Blinecoe eventually scoring fourth.
Leo Scott was next in the finishing order in sixth-place, leading home Hayden Bakkerus, Louis Sharp, Liam Nicholson with Amy Smith crossing the line in tenth.
Mason Potter first outing since his large crash at Pukekohe netted him a 11th-place finish while Jensen Foster came home 12th, Toby McCormack 13th, Andrew Tierney 14th, Darren Henderson 15th, Rob Baker 16th and Benjamin Kok 17th.
Jamie Newton failed to finish.
Race 2 (11)
Brody McConkey won race 11 of the 2020-21 Hi-Q Components NZ Formula First Championship at Bruce McLaren Motorsport Park. Saturday’s race winner Liam Foster finished just 0.197s behind in second place after a race-long battle with McConkey for the win.
Zac Blincoe came home in third place, the best of the rookies, after a scrap with championship leader Chris Symon and fellow rookie Dylan Grant. Symon finished in fourth-place ahead of Grant in fifth-place.
The next battle pack was between the rookie trio of Hayden Bakkerus, Mason Potter and Louis Sharp. They all swapped places during an exciting and dynamic battle with Bakkerus eventually coming out on top in sixth place ahead of Potter and Sharp.
Liam Nicholson and Craig Greenwood rounded out the top ten ahead of Jensen Foster and Toby McCormack in 11th and 12th respectively. Darren Henderson, Jamie Newton, Darren Henderson and Andrew Tierney were the last of the running car to finish.
Both Benjamin Kok and Leo Scott failed to finish.
Race 3 (12)
Liam Foster won race 12 of the Hi-Q Components 2020-21 NZ Formula First Championship by a distant margin over championship leader Chris Symon.
Brody McConkey had been in the fight for the lead with Foster for the majority of the race until one of his wheels parted ways with the car on the penultimate lap, leaving him stranded on the side of the track.
Zac Blincoe was left to inherit another podium finish, coming home in third ahead of Hayden Bakkerus. Mason Potter recorded a fifth-place finish ahead of Leo Scott, Liam Nicholson and Craig Greenwood in sixth, seventh and eighth respectively.
Jensen Foster, ninth, and Dylan Grant, tenth, rounded out the top ten after a ding-dong battle towards the end of the race. Darren Henderson and Andrew Tierney were also battling hard just outside the ten, the pair finishing in 11th and 12th respectively.
Benjamin Kok crossed the line 13th ahead of Toby McCormack, Rob Baker and Jamie Newton. The latter trio were all involved in a skirmish which resulted in them being stuck on the outside of turn five. A brilliant job by the rescue crew meant they were all recovered and able to continue to race.
Brody McConkey did not finish the race while Louis Sharp did not start due to damage sustained earlier.
Drivers and teams now prepare for the fifth round at the NZ Grand Prix weekend at Hampton Downs in less than two weeks’ time.
Comments