Title tantalisingly close for Kiwi teenager
Just 10 points off the lead, Kiwi teen Callum Hedge is aiming for a big weekend as the Formula Regional Oceania Championship wraps up in Taupo¯.
Hedge sits second on 260 points, with Austrian Charlie Wurz (270) topping what was formerly known as the Toyota Racing Series. Thirdplaced American Jacob Abel (238) is the only other title contender.
Drivers can score a maximum of 90 points from this weekend’s three races, one today and two tomorrow.
“It’s been very close between the two of us [Wurz] since the start,” Hedge told the Weekend Herald.
“Generally, we’ve had the speed on Charlie and been faster at times and I’m looking forward to the weekend. Taupo¯ is a good track, with a lot of flow and a lot of corners that suit my driving style. We should be pretty competitive this weekend and I’ve gone quite well here in the past.
“Tyre management will be crucial for everyone, as the track’s a bit like a cheese grater, but I’ll be pushing hard to bring home the trophy.”
Hedge has recorded two wins, four seconds and two thirds from the competition’s 12 races so far but he and the M2 Competition team have suffered a few mechanical gremlins.
“We’ve been as fast as anyone else in the field but we’ve had some bad luck. We could be 50 or 60 points better off, but wings have fallen off, fire extinguishers have gone off in the car, and the car just turned off at Hampton Downs.
“There’s just been a lot of stuff that has happened that’s been out of our control and gone wrong. You try and put these things behind you and ignore them when stuff doesn’t go your way. But generally when it’s a mistake I make, I get a bit annoyed.”
Getting so much seat time and race kilometres while the rest of the motorsport world is in its off-season bodes well for Hedge and the rest of the championship’s drivers.
“It’s great to get so much seat time and it’ll be good for me heading into the rest of the year. It has helped me grow as a driver. The competition has been fantastic and it’s good I haven’t been winning all the time, as I need to learn from chasing other drivers.
“I want to grow and develop as a driver, and that was the whole reason for doing this series, to make me a better driver. I want to be beaten in some races, pushed and worked hard to learn, but in the end, I want to bring home the [championship] trophy.”
Hedge is returning across the Tasman for a second season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship with Team Porsche New Zealand. In his first season, the
19-year-old finished second in the Michelin Junior Driver category. After
15 races in a single seater, he’ll have to adapt back to racing a tin top.
“Jumping between cars for me hasn’t really been a problem. They all have four wheels, an engine and a steering wheel. My basic driving principles stay the same; my brake pressure, brake shape, how I turn the steering wheel and apply the throttle generally stay the same between most cars. You do have to adjust to the finer details and change it up a bit.”