Weather could impact NZGP
Weather will play a big role in deciding who will take home New Zealand Motorsport’s most prestigious prize at Manfeild on Sunday.
Australian Thomas Randle will head into the weekend as the favourite to claim the 62nd New Zealand Grand Prix after topping the Toyota Racing Series standings through 12 races.
Consistency has been the key for the 20-year-old, who has two race wins in the series to date and four other podium finishes.
His worst result so far this series has been a pair of seventh place finishes.
Randle has raced in the NZGP twice before finishing fifth in 2016 and ninth in 2015.
But if forecasted rain hits Manfeild for the race on Sunday, the favourite-tag will be handed to Dutch driver Richard Verschoor.
The 16-year-old has mastered the art of driving in the wet this series and is just 27 points behind Randle on the TRS ladder.
Despite being a rookie in the series, the Red Bull development driver has proven a quick ability to adjust to new tracks.
However, he has struggled after a hot start in the series, which saw him drop no lower than fourth over the first eight races.
Since then he has not has a podium finish.
Brazilian Pedro Piquet, son of former F1 driver Nelson Piquet, sits third on the ladder and will be keen to make amends for last year.
In 2016 Piquet crossed the line second, but after the race he was hit with a 30-second penalty which demoted him back to 15th.
His form has been strong with two race wins, including one in Taupo last weekend.
Other international drivers to watch include Indian Jehan Daruvala, who has one race win to his name and sits fifth on the table, young British driver Enaam Ahmed, who is a rookie in the series but also has a race win to his name, and Austrian Ferdinand Habsburg, back for his third crack at the NZGP title after finishing third in last year’s race.
But a trio of Kiwis will be out to halt the two-year streak of the NZGP going to international drivers and join the likes of Kiwi motorsport legends Bruce Mclaren, Chris Amon and Greg Murphy by having their name on the cup. Marcus Armstrong is the leading Kiwi hope.
The 16-year-old from Christchurch has more race wins in the
series than any other driver - three - but has paid the price in points for not finishing two races.
He sits fourth in the series and
would need a massive weekend to snatch the TRS title.
But the Ferrari development driver will be among the
favourites for the NZGP race.
In terms of experience, Cromwell’s Brendon Leitch leads the field.
This will be his fourth crack at the NZGP (2016 10th, 2015 16th and 2014 11th).
Despite his modest results in
the NZGP in the past, he won a race a TRS race at Manfeild last year and picked up his first win of the season at Taupo last weekend.
The other Kiwi is Pukekohe’s Taylor Cockerton. He is eighth on the TRS table this season and was sixth at the NZGP last year.
In the support classes, Simon Evans, Tom Alexander and experienced Australian Jason Bargwanna are the drivers to watch in the New Zealand Touring Cars.
Ryan Yardley leads the 86 Championship table, Liam Lawson heads the Formula 1600, Paul Manuell is top in the V8 Utes and Matt Whittaker is well on top through two rounds in the Porsche Championship.
In the GT classes Glenn Smith (GT1) and Gavin Cox (GT4) are the form men, while John Midgley and Dean Perkins will be looking to continue from their success at Hampton Downs in the Central Muscle Cars.