FOSTER REGAINS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD - ROUND 5 REPORT

2008/2009 Formula First national Championship Round 5 - Pukekohe

Ian Foster recovered from a difficult round four to take back the points lead of the New Zealand Formula First National Championship at Pukekohe over the weekend. Foster's solid weekend score of two wins and a third saw him vault past Michael Shepherd to carry a 9 point lead over the former champ as the series heads for Manfeild for round 6.

Qualifying Despite Friday's weather conditions being more than friendly, Saturday was less forgiving, with heavy rain saturating the track from early morning. Speedsport Scholarship "Star of Tomorrow" winner, Nick Cassidy, once again proved he was the right choice for the scholarship when he slotted his Sabre into pole position with a time of 1:23.116 - more than a second clear of 2nd placed Shepherd. Michael Neville put in a sensational qualifying effort to slot his Sabre into third - which to his fellow competitors did not seem that out of place, several of them having commented that Michael was "very fast" during Friday practice. Foster found himself uncharacteristically low on the grid and could only manage fourth, but was unconcerned to be starting there. Another great qualifying effort by Andrew Vincent saw the young Karaka driver place his Challenge chassis into fifth place - made all the more remarkable given that only a month before he'd been in Taupo's intensive care unit with a nasty illness. Sixth on the grid went to Matthew Stubbs, followed by Bradley McDonald, David Ruthven and Bramwell King. Wanganui's Matt Gibson rounded out the top ten.

Race 1 Rain had increased after qualifying and the track was absolutely sodden for the start of race 1. Cassidy laid the ground work for a great result immediately as he streaked off the line, leaving all those behind him is a shower of water. Shepherd's start wasn't quite as good but he managed to hold second as the field rounded Jennian Homes and headed through the esses onto the back straight. Cassidy led across the line for the start of lap two, but it was Neville who was now chasing him down, some ten or so car lengths behind. Shepherd had dropped to third and was himself another 10 car lengths back from Neville, but was also in danger of dropping into the clutches of Foster, who was pressing hard after a less-than useful start.

Half a lap later, Cassidy lost pace passing the pit entrance when his car popped out of fourth gear, allowing Neville to close right up and mount an attack. As they crossed the line to start lap three, Neville pulled along side and made a courageous attempt to pass his team mate around the outside of turn 1, but was thwarted largely by the terrible conditions. He then compounded his woes when he had a slight off-track excursion through the esses. Neville's mistake had given Cassidy a small gap to work with, which was all he needed to remain untroubled for the rest of the race - or so it seemed.

As the laps progressed, Cassidy led from Neville and Shepherd, with Foster pushing Shepherd hard for third place. On lap 5, the Aucklander was finally able to squeeze past Shepherd and he then set about chasing down the two leaders. Unfortunately for Foster, the race would be interrupted by the safety car when David Ruthven went off at the esses stranding his car, luckily, just a few feet short of the barriers.

Given the terrible conditions, the stewards of the meeting declared the race after seven laps, leaving Cassidy a thrilled winner from and equally thrilled Neville. Foster and Shepherd followed, with Stubbs, Vincent, Gibson, McDonald and Heimgartner. Bramwell King rounded out the top ten.

Cassidy's excitement was hard to contain as he commented on the race;

"My start was just awesome, which is great given that I'd been having problems with that recently. I had a few moments when my car popped out of fourth gear and Michael pushed me hard, but it didn't matter too much overall."

Despite the threat from Neville, Cassidy had not bee too troubled;

"I could see Michael coming in the draft, but once he pulled aside, visibility was so bad that I couldn't really see him, so I just pressed on and didn't worry too much about it. Overall the race was actually pretty comfortable."

Race 2 Conditions for Sunday couldn't have been more different from the previous day, with streaming sunshine bathing the Pukekohe circuit all morning prior to race 2.

At the lights, Michael Shepherd made a great start from the front row, but somehow found himself behind Cassidy as the field streamed down the back straight for the first time. Shepherd immediately set himself up to regain the position and as they crested the hill at the end of the lap it was indeed Shepherd who led. More importantly, Foster had also made his way past Cassidy. Neville was once again in the mix with Stubbs just behind him. Andre Heimgartner had found himself up at the front too and was driving brilliantly to sit in sixth place at the end of lap 1.

By the start of lap three, Foster had assumed the lead from Shepherd, Stubbs and Neville. Cassidy crossed the line next, but was minus his car's nosecone - after contact with Stubbs.

Foster, Shepherd and Neville then settled into the classic Pukekohe Formula First drafting battle. At times it was difficult to know who was leading as the three duked it out down the front and back straights.

Surprisingly, it was Neville who led across the line with one lap to go, leaving him exposed to the inevitable back straight drafting attack that would occur. It appeared as though Neville had taken the lead when both Foster and Shepherd slowed at the hairpin - neither wanting to lead the last lap - both perhaps taking advantage of Neville's lack of experience.

Neville was not content, however, to give up easily and put up a tough fight on the last lap. Unfortunately for Neville, the expected passing did take place as the top three approached the hairpin, with Shepherd taking the upper hand as they exited. Foster was positioned well and set about positioning himself well for the final run to the line.

As the front-runners rounded the top of the hill, Shepherd held the upper hand, but Foster had picked up enough of a draft to move to the outside, making his moved as they approached the line. Time seemed to stand still as Foster's Kaiser Compressor sponsored Challenge crept up alongside Shepherd - and for a moment it seemed as though he'd left his charge too late - but his efforts were rewarded when he lurched forward just enough to pip Shepherd at the line. The margin of victory - a miniscule 15 thousandths of a second.

Neville took a well deserved third placing only .2 of a second further back. Another great drive from the popular Aucklander.

Matt Gibson had driven his car into fourth place in a rather un-noticed effort, but his performance was probably the best drive of the race given that he'd come from 11th on the grid. Gibson had managed to set an excellent time on the second lap of the race and he'd vaulted from 11th on the grid, to pole for the final race of the weekend in the process.

After Gibson came Cassidy, McDonald and Heimgartner. Stubbs came next, followed by Vincent, and Jamie Gaskin rounded out the top ten.

Foster was ecstatic to come away with the win;

"It was awesome, I wasn't sure just what was going to happen. The racing was really intense, but really clean. Michael Neville was driving really well. Although it was tough, there was no desperation from any of us so it was great to run at the front like that. Gary and Ayrton [Foster's race mechanics] have done a brilliant job on the car. Yesterday in qualifying the car was pretty difficult, but they have set the car up absolutely spot on once again which makes the car great to drive."

Race 3 Matt Gibson made a good start at the lights but it was Foster who led over the hill at the completion of lap 1. Stubbs was in second, followed by Shepherd. Neville had also made his way ahead of Gibson.

Surprisingly, Foster was able to lead the first 3 laps without coming under too much pressure, even though the field would catch him each lap at the hairpin.

Gibson's pole position was for nought when he drove off at the esses on the start of lap four, dropping him well down the field. A slight braking problem caused by running the curbs was the culprit.

In a classic show of Pukekohe Formula First racing, it was now an eight car battle for the lead. Most notably, it was Heimgartner who had led a second group of four cars back to the front of the pack. Only a few laps prior the front of the field had been split into two groups of four, but Heimgartner had spearheaded the charge to the front, bringing himself into contention in the process.

Cassidy managed to work his way into the front on the next lap, but the lead was in a constant state of flux, with the ever-present Foster and Shepherd hovering in the top three or four.

Coming into the last lap, Neville had made his way back into the lead and it appeared as though he'd found himself in the unenviable position of leading down the back straight again. However, Neville had other plans this time and cleverly allowed himself to be passed once again before the leaders turned onto the back straight for the final time. Shepherd held the lead down the back straight but Foster quickly drafted past and ran side by side with into the hairpin, leaving Neville with nowhere to go. As they exited the hairpin, Foster took the lead and held it over the hill with Shepherd pressing him all the way. Shepherd's efforts were not enough to wrestle the win from Foster, who took his secodn win for the day. Neville was a mere .3 of a second behind in third place, but the story of the race surely had to go to Heimgartner who came within 25 thousandths of a second of stealing fourth place from Cassidy. A fantastic drive.

Bryan McConkey crossed the line in sixth, his best position of the weekend, followed by Stubbs, McDonald and King. Jamie Gaskin rounded out the top ten.

Michael Neville had played his race strategy really well and was unfortunate not to have been rewarded with a win;

"At the hairpin Ian braked early and I said to myself 'I'm not going to fall for this again', but Michael squeezed his way in there and I couldn't really make it happen. I had hoped to be behind Ian over the hill, but I was actually side by side with Michael. There wasn't enough grip for me to make the move around the outside so I had to tuck in behind him again as we ran to the line. But it's fast at the front, really fast."

Foster was once again uncertain of how the race was going to end;

"It was a hard race, I wasn't sure of how it was going to pan out. Everybody's driving really clean. The braking was pretty full-on and much more on the edge going into the hairpin. The cars behind, because we didn't break the group, looked to be getting an awesome tow. They closed up every lap. I tried to run out of the hairpin in second on the last lap, but nobody wanted to take the lead. I saw that behind me they'd come out two by two, so I just put my head down and went for it."

Foster's two wins and a third saw him take the championship lead on 984 points, 9 ahead of ahead of Shepherd on 975.

The next race of the championship takes place on the 28th/29th March 2009 at Manfeild Park.

2008/2009 Formula First National Championship - Standings after round 5 of 8