Young Invercargill driver Liam MacDonald has taken a superb round win at Round 4 of the BNT NZ Touring Car Series at Mike Pero Motorsport Park at Ruapuna in Christchurch this weekend.
It was the 18-year-old’s second round win in a series in which he has only ever contested ten rounds since his debut in the 2012/13 season. His first came at Teretonga Park two seasons ago.
MacDonald qualified well at Ruapuna in the TL Class of the category and went on to three superb results across the three races. In the first he suffered a drive through penalty when he came into contact with a car that spun in front of him. However he came back to take fourth place before heading into Sunday’s two races.
The penalty meant he started Sunday morning’s race from the back of the grid although he made light of that handicap, coming through the field to record a race win on slick tyres on a greasy track.
In the finale he held the lead before hanging back after contact with another car to avoid a penalty and brought the GT Radial/Discount Tyres Ford Falcon across the line in second place. At the end of the round both Liam and Wellington driver Brock Cooley were tied on points for the weekend but Liam prevailed on the basis of a better qualifying position. It was just Liam’s second outing in this year’s series after he took a podium at Pukekohe in November.
MacDonald was “absolutely thrilled” with his weekend as the series now heads for Teretonga Park, Invercargill, his home track.
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